Comedian Eric Andre who is primarily known as the creator, host, and co-writer of the Adult Swim comedy series The Eric Andre Show, makes his way to Netflix in the comedy special Legalize Everything. I wasn’t familiar with Eric Andre’s work before the COVID; however, I had seen numerous ads for his hidden film camera film. Bad Trip. I laughed out loud at the trailer for Bad Trip and decided to go into his comedy special with an open mind. Needless to say, when his comedy special was over, I had no desire to seek out any more of the comedian’s work.
Filmed in New Orleans, the special opens up with Andre impersonating a police officer looking for a glory hole, much to the dismay of the NOLA residents. From there, Andre makes his way into the audience running into the venue like a wild man. The first half of Andre’s set focuses on jokes compromised of the comic’s recreational drug use and a flat rant of about same-sex experiences.
Throughout the beginning of the show, I didn’t laugh one time, not even a small chuckle. There’s a joke where Andre says he wants to run for President and legalize all drugs. Given our current political landscape, the joke doesn’t land. Andre also has trouble with his transitions, which is never a good sign. Case in point the comedy bit that follows the Presidency joke is a rant about the show Cops that doesn’t work, he then ends up talking about reggae music. On the one hand, I get it that Andre has to cater to his core audience, and maybe my sense of humor is starting to change as I’m getting older. Granted, I’ve never seen any of Andre’s prior work, and I’m sure that he has a fan base who will enjoy his special.
Towards the end of the show, Eric borrows an audience member’s phone to Facetime with the fan’s mother, and while this moment earned a tiny smile, it’s not enough to save this disaster of a comedy special. Perhaps if Andre focused more on improvised moments through the city of New Orleans, the result would’ve been more substantial for me.
One of my mottos is that comedy is a subjective art. Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I’ve found the humor in Seinfeld or Friends. However, I’m a firm believer that Gary Coleman had some of the best comedic timing at a young age. With a run time of less than an hour, Legalize Everything is the first comedy special I’ve watched in the comfort of my own home and looked at my watch, waiting for the end. Legalize Everything is recommended only for die-hard fans of Andre; everyone else should steer clear.
Final Grade F
Eric Andre : Legalize Everything is available for streaming now at netflix.com/ericandrelegalizeeverything
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