Incorrigible

Chris D’Elia performs like a guy who just thought of a premise in his car and wants to act it out before he forgets. He leans heavily into the physical presentation of a bit, often cracking himself up while delivering theatrical act-outs. A prime example is his pitch to improve the NFL by replacing the players with actual bears, lions, and Vikings. He also spends a sizable chunk of the set mimicking the sheer enthusiasm of a Cuban man giving directions, stretching the impression to see exactly how far a voice can carry a joke.

Filmed at The Wiltern in Los Angeles and directed by his father, TV veteran Bill D’Elia, Incorrigible was the comedian’s first hour for Netflix. The 2015 release arrived during a highly visible stretch in his career. It debuted a month after his appearance on the Roast of Justin Bieber and while he was starring on the NBC sitcom Undateable.

The material highlights his exasperated, hyper-animated persona. He argues that babies are the worst possible prize for having sex, complains about the difficulty of arguing with women, and admits to weeping during the Shaquille O’Neal genie movie Kazaam. The loose structure polarized audiences. Fans embraced the energetic delivery, while critics noted that several premises wandered for several minutes without a clear destination.