The Half Hour: Ben Kronberg

Ben Kronberg brings a deliberately slow energy to the stage, relying on deadpan delivery and strange observational leaps. His 2013 television special operates entirely on his wavelength. He refuses to call flatulence by its standard name, brainstorms terminology for underwater erections, and tries to determine which McDonald’s sandwich best represents a father figure. The material is dry, demanding the audience adjust to his tempo rather than rushing to meet theirs.

Taped at Boston’s Royale theater, the set captures Kronberg a year before his famously contentious run on Last Comic Standing. He rounds out the show with complaints about texting etiquette, his parents’ divorce, and his mom’s new boyfriend, Larry. Though a network spot is usually billed as a massive career break, Kronberg later acknowledged the reality of the comedy business, noting publicly in 2014 that the credit hadn’t translated into an agent or a bump in touring gigs.