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Mostly Stories

Tom Segura

Netflix · 2016 · 73 min

Tom Segura delivers slow-burn stories about Mike Tyson and fake cities.

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Tom Segura is at his absolute best when he is acting as an aggrieved, quietly irritated observer of human behavior, and this special captures that exact sweet spot. Instead of pacing the stage with high-energy theatrics, he stands almost entirely still, delivering stories with a low-key grumble that makes every escalation feel deeply earned. The high-water mark here is a superb eight-minute recounting of a flight from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh where he found himself seated near Mike Tyson, a tale of high-stress airplane etiquette that showcases his precise timing and talent for capturing bizarre real-world interactions. There is also his classic breakdown of a Scared Straight episode that birthed the viral, yelled catchphrase “BIKES!”—a bit that would follow him for the rest of his career.

Filmed at the Neptune Theatre in Seattle, the 2016 special caught Segura at a crucial pivot point in his career. He was transitioning from a beloved club comic and podcast host of Your Mom’s House to a national theater headliner. The hour is packed with material that would define his early style, including his irritation with “fake” cities like Paris, Tennessee, and a segment about a completely fabricated rumor his father started about Tommy Lee Jones. The set captures a comic who is fully dialed into his style, delivering odd stories with the casual demeanor of a guy talking to a friend at a bar.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Meeting Mike Tyson on an airplane

    Segura details encountering Mike Tyson during a flight, being unable to shake him, and the lie he ended up telling him.

  2. A couple bringing a baby into a movie theater

    Recounts the intense shouting match that erupts when parents bring an infant into a cinema.

  3. His father starting a rumor about Tommy Lee Jones

    Details his father fabricating a casual rumor that Tommy Lee Jones is gay.

  4. Body piercings and the 'Area 51' of men's bodies

    Explores how to please a man and jokes about men's anatomy and piercings.

  5. What a man's car reveals about the driver

    Dissects male personality archetypes based entirely on the vehicle they drive.

  6. Barley cities vs. awesome cities

    Debates differences between various touring stops and city cultures.

How it plays

Tone
Bawdy, dry, deadpan, observational, and raunchy.
On stage
Bearded, bawdy, and comically bitter, delivering personal stories with an aggrieved calmness and low-key dumbfounded reactions.
Pace
Relaxed and dry demeanor; remains mostly center stage rather than pacing, using subtle timing, echoed cursing, and muffled stutters.
About
modern communication pitfalls, body piercings and male anatomy, weight and weight loss, aging and adulthood, parenting and public encounters

What the critics said

Praised for Segura's natural ability to spin mundane encounters into nuanced and hilarious long-form stories, though some critics felt certain punchlines were predictable.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: comedydynamics.com, broadwayworld.com, imdb.com, pastemagazine.com, vulture.com, goatfilmreviews.com, letterboxd.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Filmed in a transitional year where Segura had his first baby with wife Christina Pazsitzky, shot a pilot, and set out on a new tour while reflecting on getting older.

Details

Released
Taped
2015, Neptune Theater, Seattle
Runtime
73 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Jay Karas, Rami Hachache
Topics
Before
Completely Normal (2014)
After
Disgraceful (2018)

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