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Promotional art for People Pleaser
Cover image credit: Promotional image via Comedy Dynamics

People Pleaser

Josh Gondelman

Comedy Dynamics · 2022 · 56 min

Neurotic observations on marriage and low-stakes adulthood in New York.

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Released , on Comedy Dynamics.

Josh Gondelman builds comedy out of an unusual stance for a modern stand-up: he genuinely wants everyone in the room to be comfortable. He explains that adopting his wife’s opinions is simply an intentional trust fall into her brain, choosing domestic deference over pointless friction.

Taped at Spring Studios during the 2021 Tribeca Festival, the 57-minute performance marked Gondelman’s first recorded special. He arrived with extensive writing credits, having spent five years on staff at Last Week Tonight with John Oliver before becoming head writer and an executive producer on Showtime’s Desus & Mero.

The set sticks close to domestic observation and low-stakes anxiety. He frets about appearing uninvited in the background of acquaintances’ dreams, works through what it means to acquire his first legitimate enemy in his thirties, and contemplates playing a Sublime track at a funeral. Elsewhere, he picks apart the strange euphemism of having a “health scare.”

Paste ranked the hour among the best specials of 2022.

Notable bits & set list

6 bits

  1. The name of the Tribeca neighborhood

    Jokes that 'Tribeca' sounds like a couple of rich kids trying to find someone to buy cocaine from, playing off a running Twitter inside joke about his non-existent drug habits.

  2. Deconstructing the phrase 'health scare'

    Examines the phrasing through a George Carlin-style linguistic breakdown.

  3. Realizing his girlfriend should become his wife

    Recounts hearing a Sublime song on the day of his grandmother's funeral, which triggered the realization.

  4. Unconventional wedding ceremony and reception

    Recalls banning all family and wedding party toasts at their wedding, followed by a memorable reception.

  5. Exploring his supposed 'dark side' and drinking during the pandemic

    Self-deprecatingly jokes that even if he let his worst impulses take over, he wouldn't be monstrous enough to warrant red flags on his Wikipedia page.

  6. Haircuts from his wife and wearing face masks

    Reflects on the extreme intimacy of home haircuts and being recognized in public during the pandemic, realizing he is distinctly bald.

How it plays

Tone
Warm, friendly, silly, upbeat, and joyful.
On stage
Warm, friendly, wide-eyed, and self-deprecating 'wife guy' and self-proclaimed people pleaser; exudes humility and everyday awkwardness alongside razor-sharp wit and delivery.
Pace
Playful and unassuming delivery that is openly aware of its nature as a performance.
About
marriage and relationships, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, aging, looks, and dad bods, social anxieties and people-pleasing, language and wordplay

What the critics said

Praised by critics as an exquisite, clever, and comforting comedic oasis led by sharp writing, wordplay, and an endearing stage presence.

In the room: Engaged and playful, with Gondelman observing live that the room favored dogs and moms over grandmothers.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: comedydynamics.com, tribecafilm.com, imdb.com, pastemagazine.com, decider.com, vulture.com, bostonglobe.com, en.wikipedia.org, alumni.brandeis.edu.

Backstory

Filmed in part during the COVID-19 pandemic landscape, addressing lockdown life, his marriage, and his public reputation as one of the nicest comedians in show business.

Details

Released
Runtime
56 min
Where
Comedy Dynamics
Director
Brian Volk-Weiss
Honors
Selected as one of the best comedy specials of 2022 in The Boston Globe's comedian-curated roundup
Topics

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