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BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo)

Nicole Byer

Netflix · 2021 · 65 min

A loud, raunchy hour of pandemic-era dating and physical comedy.

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Nicole Byer opens her first Netflix stand-up special by sliding down a stripper pole in custom hamburger lingerie, immediately establishing that she is not here to be subtle. Filmed at the Gramercy Theatre in New York, the set features Byer in a tailored purple suit and a leopard-print crop top, matching a stage wrapped in animal print. She spends the hour describing the indignities of the early-2020s lockdown, focusing heavily on dating struggles, quarantine horniness, and her self-proclaimed status as “basically vegan” despite still eating meat.

By the time the special debuted in late 2021, Byer was already a household name for hosting the baking reality show Nailed It! and anchoring several popular podcasts. BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo) was her opportunity to reintroduce herself to audiences who knew her primarily as a PG-rated television host. Her stand-up persona is loud, physical, and relentlessly dirty, characterized by long, winding anecdotes, such as a story about an overzealous nurse who tried to steal her underwear during a hospital emergency.

The show earned Byer an Emmy nomination for outstanding writing for a variety special in 2022. While the heavy focus on pandemic-era fatigue and explicit sex talk divided some viewers, Betsy Thomas’s direction captures the theatrical energy of Byer’s stage presence.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Opening stripper sketch

    Performs an unglamorous pole dance while wearing a hamburger-themed lingerie set and high-heel platform shoes to set a non-PG comedic tone.

  2. Emergency room treatment for a dislocated ankle

    Recounts a harrowing encounter with a helium-voiced white nurse with a panty-stealing kink while navigating racial disparities in prescription pain medication.

  3. Early morning airport breakdown

    Details being heavily intoxicated at seven in the morning in an airport bathroom stall, simultaneously pooping, eating, crying, and singing.

  4. White women crying on their birthdays

    Riffs on Karens and derives comedic joy from the spectacle of white women crying dramatically on their birthdays, tying in pop culture and comic book references.

  5. J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter conspiracy theory

    Draws an outlandish comedic parallel comparing elements of Harry Potter to the Ku Klux Klan, half-jokingly dubbing the author 'JKKK Rowling'.

  6. White people reaching out during Black Lives Matter protests

    Notes the influx of performative check-in texts from white acquaintances following George Floyd's murder, while pointing out that none of the white men she dated messaged her.

How it plays

Tone
Bold, dirty, playful, unapologetic, and absurd.
On stage
Flamboyant, loud, confident, raunchy, and clownlike with an approachable friend-like demeanor, presenting a starkly adult contrast to her PG-rated television hosting work.
Pace
Theatrical and swaggering, shifting dynamically between exuberant shouts, slide-whistle vocal tones, physical poses, and exaggerated facial grimaces.
About
Sex and dating, Interactions with white women and Karens, COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Black Lives Matter protests and race relations, U.S. medical system and healthcare discrimination

What the critics said

Widely praised by critics for her commanding stage presence, controlled absurdity, and unflinchingly honest, personal material on race and dating.

In the room: Described as receptive and ready to embrace weird, unconventional comedic turns at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: bbfc.co.uk, hollywoodinsider.com, theenvoyweb.com, rottentomatoes.com, vulture.com, decider.com, pastemagazine.com, leisurebyte.com, imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, goldderby.com.

Backstory

Filmed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests; served as a full-circle moment returning to New York City where she began improv and standup comedy.

Details

Released
Taped
Gramercy Theatre, New York
Runtime
65 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Betsy Thomas
Honors
Nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special (2022)Ranked #9 on Vulture's 'The Best Comedy Specials of 2021'
Topics
Before
Comedians of the World (2019)
After
An Evening of Crowd Work (2025)

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