source: Neal Brennan: Blocks

If I were scoring on honesty, or what passes for honesty, ole Neal would score 8 or 9 when he lambasts the constant blatant hypocrisy of his beloved Left. His mantra'd drone about hating fetuses, repeated TWICE for the slower folk in the audience, literally evokes acceptance and applause from these sheep, reluctant at first but growing stronger. Unfortunately, his attempt at equal time for Conservatives is to distort, omit, and spin...which is ironic, given his belief that the Evening News represents reality. So, predictably, we are left with yet another nihilist. But no one ever goes the next step with nihilists. They represent themselves as rejecting various traditions, but their goal is actually to get others to reject, and hence, destroy, those traditions. Now, lest anyone think I am judging him, let me put this in a different perspective - he is a perfect representative for what now passes for critical thought and prevailing beliefs of a sick Nation. The fact that he is a victim of severe mental illness is so deliciously ironic that I can't think of a truly appropos analogy.

Brennan is sharp and quick, this special forces him to focus and slow down some, and over time a portrait emerges. I'm guessing this is all an amplified and/or limited version of the real Neal, but it's perhaps not entirely off the "mark." (I realized I didn't put a review up for this even though I saw it quite a while ago, when I was writing up my *mandatory* 600 words for Marc Maron. Sigh.) I think it's not a stretch to say that whatever Neal feels prevents him from fitting in, is something that he's pretty proud of actually. And maaaaybe it's something he's even more proud of than his stylish glasses. Talk about sharp and focused! This special was funny to me (joke funny) but also funny to me in thinking back how the anxiety of comedians use to be more of a whisper. Well yes and no, I mean Woody Allen certainly did not exude stability, but I think of Robin Williams, the mighty George Carlin, Kurt Cobain. It reminds me of an old line : please don't wind up dating a comedian. Insert an image of "Thalia and Melpomene" here? That said, even if you watch this and at the end feel like Neal needs a hug. I am not so sure about that.... I think that might be more the projection of one side (even a deep cut) of Mr. Brennan. Or maybe it's a bigger piece, and his favorite Bill Murray film is "The Razor's Edge." (A good movie, at least from what I recall long ago.) Anyways, writing it up now it was nice to notice that he has a "Blocks" podcast, and it features Neal in intimate 1-on-1 discussion, and we see him operating off the cuff, and engaging with another person in what feels real, to me at least. I'll never have a burger and a milkshake with him, but those podchats feel kinda like that, and I can almost pretend we're friends. Even then. I still wouldn't hug him. Maybe those are closer to the Real Neal Deal? Either way he remains a guy to definitely watch, and definitely listen to even if his words come out of someone else's mouth.

Watch Neal unload everything weighing on his mind. He puts it all out there, and delivers one of the most thoughtful, hilarious, and unifying performances I've ever seen. He divulges more in front of the world than most people would in therapy sessions. This man was pivotal in launching Dave Chappelle into superstardom, and questions his own value, as we all do.... whether we choose to admit it or not. If someone like Neal Brennan can feel this way, it's okay for you to talk about what's on your mind also. There are people who want to listen, and genuinely want to help. I hope Blocks was as therapeutic for Neal as it is for everyone who sees it. Peace to all-

It's hilarious but be prepared for it to also be touching and poignant- even a bit sad. But it's balance at its best bc it's perfect humanity. I've never seen anything like it. And I don't toss around words like 'brilliant' lightly. It's so human and relatable and supremely entertaining all at the same time. I'm a new fan and definitely one of his biggest! I don't know why IMDB is requiring I write so much more bc I feel I've said enough but here it is: it's absolutely fantastic so do yourself a favor and watch it!! It's so very great and different. You will laugh and come close to crying - or like me, find yourself wanting to call him to meet for a coffee and a chat.

Not only a hilarious comedian, but also a genius. For people who get offended, Neal is someone who offends both sides of every debate, so you don't have to worry. Not the funniest standup I've watched, but still the most satisfying. There;s something undesrcribable about it. There is no standup I've ever seen that's more original than this and he's a class act. It may start slow but I 100% encourage you to hang on, this show did not disappoint me and will certainly not disappoint you. Dont want post spoliers, bit his opinion on every topic is absolutely spot on. 10/10 would recommend this.

I don't love Neal Brennan but this special is very good. I know he was a co-writer on The Chappelle Show and a huge influence on Dave Chappelle and this special actually comes through. If I didn't know that I think I might feel he was doing an impression. He talks an about himself, his life, and the patently obvious things about people and race that many other people are afraid to say. I like that bold and unapologetic nature. His discussion of the pitfalls of being Liberal or Conservative is very smart. That is actually the best feature of this special- he is smart and it is smart. Brennan has an odd demeanor but he does seem to have real and relevant insight into himself and into human interaction. I do recommend this one.

On top of all that, there's a joke word-for-word solen from Jim Jefferies about "gun owners fighting a government with drones," which is so special, because Jim probably stole that joke from someone back when he said it too. A joke inception! And this guy is a writer! He can't NOT mention Dave Chappelle or writing for his show every 5 seconds, yet can't write an original joke, has to repeat a known joke stealer's joke - that's how low we are? The rest is just the obligatory liberal "comedy" statements pretending it's jokes - nothing clever or original, you've seen 500 scrawny dudes like him say the same things in "comedy" specials already... I did like 3 Mics though, because he was a bit original about it, and his personal stories were emotional and good to hear ONCE. Not milked as emotional manipulation for every special. It's supposed to be a comedy special. Imagine Bill Bur shows up and cries about his issues, trying to score some sympathy points for an hour during a special. We all have problems, Neal. Except most of us aren't rich, so they're worse. You don't care about our problems, but we're supposed to listen to yours when we thought it was a comedy special, meant to take our minds away from how terrible humans are for a few minutes? Good stuff.

This is a pretty good special. I've been critical of the "jokes followed by things getting super serious" format, but he doesn't do it badly. It's still not perfect, and still feels a bit weird, but he puts a little more care into it than other specials I've seen (I don't think Iliza Shlesinger's latest did a similar format very well, for example). The humorous parts are pretty good, too. It's overall a consistently engaging, funny, and sometimes thoughtful special, even if it doesn't blend all of that together into one seamless hour. I may be a little harsh on it, because at the end of the day, it's still well above average for a modern-day comedy special. I just wish I'd found it great, rather than good, and it was so close for me to being something more than just "good."

Neal Brennan is a treasure! A brilliant comedian with the most precise wit that just hits the spot. His comedy is like one of those copper scalp massage things. It's like he can reach into my brain and directly tickle it. As an aside, I was appalled and infuriated to hear of Chris Rock's lame public joke against Neal. And seriously? Chris Rock? In his entire body, he doesn't have an ounce of the brilliant comedy that Neal has in his little pinky. But back to this special, it's fantastic. I love the dead pan delivery and I absolutely love the jokes themselves. They're sharp, relatable, and fantastically executed. Neal, please don't make us wait another 5 years for the next special!