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Cover image credit: Thumbnail: YouTube · Pete Holmes

I Am Not for Everyone

Pete Holmes

Netflix · 2023 · 65 min

Pete Holmes brings his energetic dorkiness to a cozy Minneapolis stage.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Pete Holmes wants to hug you, but more importantly, he wants to explain why his soft, memory-foam torso is structurally superior for comfort than the hard, muscular frame of his friend Kumail Nanjiani. Sinking into his own chest, Holmes argues, provides the soothing comfort of a padded toilet seat, whereas hugging someone jacked offers no emotional healing. This goofy, physically expressive self-deprecation drives much of his 2023 hour. Filmed at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the special marked his first solo hour for Netflix after previous releases on HBO and Comedy Central. Coming five years after his 2018 special Dirty Clean, the performance reflects a comic who has settled comfortably into middle-aged fatherhood and existential curiosity. He spends the set reflecting on an awkward post-prostate exam embrace with his doctor, the bizarre voicemail glitches of his mother, and his paradoxical reputation as a clean comic who still manages to tell a surprising amount of dick jokes.

The set list

7 bits

  1. Saying 'Happy New Year' late and despising New Year's greetings

    Contrasts greeting people with 'Happy New Year' past January with ironic misdirects regarding 'Merry Christmas'.

  2. Awkward post-prostate exam hug

    Preemptively acknowledges the inevitability of male comics doing prostate exam material upon reaching a certain age before recounting his doctor visit.

  3. Comparing his soft dad bod to Kumail Nanjiani's Marvel physique

    Defends his huggable physique by noting that hugging a heavily muscled Kumail offers no catharsis or healing.

  4. Asking his father-in-law for consent before marriage

    Recasts the traditional virtue of chastity by walking through the uncomfortable literal reality of asking for consent to deflower a daughter.

  5. His genuine orgasm voice

    Acts out the vocal noise he normally only allows his wife to hear in private.

  6. Mother's voicemail quirks and rhyming habits

    Traces his fondness for wordplay and cadence back to voicemails left by his mother addressing him as 'Petey Sweetie'.

  7. Atheism and biblical lore

    Labels atheism 'the cigarettes of belief' and unpacks the story of the Garden of Eden.

How it plays

Tone
Feel-good, witty, goofy, vulnerable, and mildly irreverent.
On stage
Affable, self-aware, introspective, and playful with a 'golden retriever' energy and a 'dirty Brian Regan' vibe.
Pace
Infectious high energy with tight narrative momentum and seamless transitions between lighthearted riffs and philosophical reflections.
About
marriage and intimacy, fatherhood, aging and physical health, religion, spirituality, and atheism, masculinity and body image, COVID-19 lockdown experiences

What the critics said

Praised for Holmes' storytelling craft, affable charisma, and sharp self-awareness, though some reviewers noted that the relatively safe, familiar topics lacked surprise or universal relatability.

In the room: Warm and enthusiastic room response engaged by Holmes' high-energy delivery and direct eye contact.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, bbfc.co.uk, netflix.com, rottentomatoes.com, decider.com, leisurebyte.com, moviesandchai.substack.com, dmtalkies.com, en.wikipedia.org, collider.com.

Backstory

Reflects on life following the COVID-19 lockdowns, navigating marriage, his journey as a new father, and evolving beyond his strict religious upbringing.

Details

Released
Runtime
65 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Oren Brimer
Topics
Before
Dirty Clean (2018)
After
Silly Silly Fun Boy (2026)

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