Unruly

Ralphie May’s first Netflix special, Unruly, catches the comic twenty-five years into his career. Dropping the same day as the third season of House of Cards—a release schedule May joked was like trying to body surf a tsunami—the hour relies on the conversational southern charm that built his touring audience. He works the stage at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, dispensing extended riffs on pop culture, air travel, and the unique dread of seeing Anderson Cooper show up in your city.

May remains comfortable with controversy, pushing through bits on race, generational shifts in oral sex, and the gravitational pull of fast food. He peppers the hour with crowd work and a highly specific anecdote about a gay friend waking up to a surprise favor at a party. Late in the set, he pauses the jokes to speak directly to his son, offering advice in the event he isn’t around to see the boy turn fifteen. It is an earnest moment that stands out amid an otherwise high-volume hour.