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Brick Wall Comedy

Mouthful of Shame

Jim Norton

Netflix · 2017 · 61 min

Filthy, self-deprecating sexual confessions delivered with surprising ease.

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Jim Norton has made a career out of being the most uncomfortable person in the room, specifically by airing out the kind of sexual deviance most people wouldn’t admit to a priest. This hour, his first with Netflix, leans all the way into that reputation. He opens the set not with a standard stage walk, but with a pre-recorded sketch featuring cameos from Ricky Gervais, Louis C.K., and a bizarre climax where Robert De Niro spanks Norton’s bare rear end.

Taped at New York City’s Skirball Center at the end of December 2016, the special caught Norton at a major transition point. He was wrapping up his first nationwide theater tour and finding his footing on SiriusXM after the collapse of the long-running Opie and Anthony era.

On stage, Norton stays firmly in his lane of hyper-detailed, cringe-inducing sexual honesty. He riffs on sleeping with the same women as Charlie Sheen, his encounters with transgender sex workers, and the self-inflicted misery of his own Tinder profile. One of the more memorable routines involves a woman who stopped messaging him after googling his name and finding out about his habit of sending unsolicited photos.

The hour represents a shift in Norton’s delivery. While his previous specials often felt tense and tightly wound, he performs here with a loose, conversational ease that feels closer to his radio persona. It is dirty, unbothered by mainstream respectability, and deeply committed to the idea that there is nothing funnier than a man detailing his own degradation.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Introductory sketch seeking encouragement from celebrity peers

    Norton begs Ricky Gervais and Louis C.K. for help before being verbally degraded, slapped, and spanked on his bare ass by Robert De Niro.

  2. Debunking what women look for in men versus men's superficial desires

    Addresses an audience member to challenge the idea that women prioritize humor over looks, contrasting it with men caring only about physical traits like nipple size.

  3. Crowdwork interrogation about walking in on parents having sex

    Relentlessly questions an audience member about catching her parents having intercourse and asking what specific sexual position they were in.

  4. Hulk Hogan impression and physical movement

    Attempts an impression of Hulk Hogan and compensates for his lack of mimicry skills by doing an exaggerated comedic act-out.

  5. Differentiating his own sexual predilections from Bill Cosby

    Draws a stark line between his consensual, unconventional sexual proclivities and Cosby's criminal behavior, insisting he is not a pervert.

  6. Pranking someone in a suicide note

    Reflects on his improved mental health while joking that the only upside to suicide would be confusing authorities by framing a random person in the suicide note.

How it plays

Tone
Raunchy, vulgar, self-deprecating, unfiltered, and sexually explicit.
On stage
Humble, self-deprecating, crudely sexual, unabashedly crass, and rigorously honest while performing in a plain gray shirt and fake Yeezys.
Pace
Charismatic delivery with impeccable comedic timing across both scripted material and spontaneous crowd interactions.
About
romance, desire, and sexual proclivities, online dating and relationships, celebrity scandals and pop culture, fame and public perception, suicidal thoughts and pranks

What the critics said

Praised as a filthy, highly entertaining hour that plays to Norton's strengths of crass, self-deprecating honesty and crowd interaction, though noting his explicit style remains an acquired taste.

In the room: Energetic and receptive crowd that actively participated in live, spontaneous interactions and cringeworthy confessions.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: themoviedb.org, letterboxd.com, can.newonnetflix.info, decider.com, vulture.com, giannifranco.com, theinterrobang.com, en.wikipedia.org, thecomicscomic.com.

Backstory

Named after his 2016 tour; framed by an opening comedy sketch featuring Ricky Gervais, Louis C.K., and Robert De Niro berating and spanking Norton.

Details

Released
Runtime
61 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Shannon Hartman
Topics
Before
Contextually Inadequate (2015)
After
Unconceivable (2025)

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