Meet John. If you haven’t already heard via his Netflix special, John is "New in Town.” Comedy town, that is. Although he’s been in the standup game for quite some time, the former SNL writer has made a huge name for himself on the comedy stage lately. Just ask SNL co-worker and long time friend, Bill Hader, who calls Mulaney “the funniest human being on the planet”. Or better yet, ask Hader’s hilarious alter ego, “Stefon”, written by, yup, you guessed it, Mr. John Mulaney.
Now here at Odyssey we’re not one for spoilers… but uh, we’ll go ahead and break you off a lil preview... Mulaney style. Here are our are top five reasons to fall in love with John Mulaney:
He’s completely unexpected.
From the polite and baby-faced looks of the comedian, he’s probably just walked off the set of "Mad Men," passed out programs at a funeral, or as he puts it, was just "sitting in a room, in a chair eating saltines for like 28 years.” At face value he’s your average, straight-laced suit from Manhattan. But when he opens his mouth, the comic is anything but.
He’s endearing as hell.
Beyond his appearance as just a saltine-eating shut-in, Mulaney makes light of his vulnerabilities in a way that echoes the inner critic inside us all. The comedian retells his often abrasive internal dialogue with a type of disarming and childlike honesty that gives way to hilarity. He owns his self conscious tendencies, subverting them into a side-splitting caricature of him, the man who openly admits: “You could pour soup in my lap, and I’ll probably apologize to you.”
He nails every character.
Apart from just his self-deprecating sense of humor, his imitations are spot on. Whether it's his real estate agent and all her “fun mom energy” (*cue dorky shoulder shimmying*), or his portrayal of the shifty-eyed, highly confused, Ice T from "Law and Order SVU”, Mulaney kills every time.
He named his dog Petunia Fish.
Yes, you read it correctly. Petunia Fish (as in Tuna Fish) is an all white French Bulldog, but according to Mulaney, is better likened to “a baby that’s also a grandma,” as “her body is young but her face is as old as time.”
He goes on to describe the unrequited romance between he and the stubby, “Paul Giamtti-faced" alpha dog, who shows little affection to her adoring owner. With a look that says “she definitely saw the Nazis march into Paris,” Petunia is hilariously imagined as a haggard, old Frenchmen who’s seen it all. The cranky, four legged, Parisian has also taken to Instagram (@laviepetunia), where her "master" captures every blasè moment. Quite truly, John and Petunia are sure to become your new most anticipated post of the day... the crème de la crème of your feed.
He doesn’t need shock value.
Perhaps the most refreshing part about his act is its lack of blatantly offensive material. Unlike a lot of people in the biz, he relies purely on his accessible, lighthearted wit to get not just a laugh from his audience, but a roar. All in all he brings a welcome change to the comedy stage as he avoids assuming universal prejudices among the crowd. Ipso facto, the guy’s not just a class act, but a great comedian with strong material.
More Mulaney you say? Check out his two specials, “New in Town” and “The Comeback Kid” only on Netflix. While you’re at it, follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr:
Twitter: @mulaney
Tumblr: mulaney.tumblr.com
Instagram: @johnmulaney
