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Brick Wall Comedy

Immortal for Now

Ryan Singer

Stand Up! Records · Album · 2015

Cosmic, conspiracy-tinged stand-up about DNA and the Smurfs.

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Ryan Singer is convinced that his penis is a bounty hunter paid in a fat sack of naps by his own DNA. Released in 2015 on Stand Up! Records, Immortal for Now showcases the comedian’s shift into the cosmic, esoteric territory that would define much of his later career. His set floats through ideas of quantum immortality, stardust, and the absurdity of nature, all delivered with an energetic, slightly frantic sincerity. He details the tragic mating ritual of the male praying mantis, whose headless body continues mating even after the female eats his head, and constructs an elaborate defense of the Smurfs villain Gargamel, blaming his behavior on the philosophy of Ayn Rand. At this point in his career, Singer was actively hosting his podcast, Me & Paranormal You, and this album marks a clear transition toward the metaphysical premises that became his trademark style.

The set list

3 bits

  1. Sympathy for Gargamel

    Explores sympathy for Gargamel through the lens of Ayn Rand.

  2. Fragile masculinity and male entitlement

    Examines how fragile masculinity quickly escalates from relatable to a country song to downright dangerous.

  3. Modest proposal regarding human leather

    Proposes a dark, absurd thought experiment concerning human leather.

How it plays

Tone
Absurd, metaphysical, with productive darkness.
On stage
Described as part Jim David, part Mitch Hedberg, failed cowboy, junior mutton buster, public urinator, Frankenstein truther, and a metaphysical Holden Caulfield.
About
Comedic multiverse and time travel, Contemporary male privilege and entitlement, Fragile masculinity, Darkness and death, Pop culture and origins

What the critics said

Praised by Vulture as an ambitious, standout release aiming for the comedy equivalent of Brian Wilson's SMILE.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: standuprecords.com, comedycake.com, amazon.com, vulture.com, imdb.com, ryansingercomedy.com.

Backstory

Promoted alongside a five-part mockumentary/documentary web series chronicling Singer's purported 30-day disappearance involving a black magic cult and an aura of other-worldliness tied to his paranormal podcast 'Me & Paranormal You'.

Details

Released
Where
Stand Up! Records (album)
Honors
Vulture's 6 Excellent Standup Albums You May Have Missed in 2015
Topics
After
Free Love (2018)

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