Some of our favorite things we saw at the Netflix is a Joke Festival
May 9, 2022 Andrew Buss Features, Netflix Is A Joke Fest
A week and a half ago, Netflix took over Los Angeles. Yes, the streaming giant has already taken over all of our homes and phones, and become a primary source for our media consumption. But their inaugural comedy festival Netflix is a Joke took over the entire city with an epic, star-studded gathering celebrating all things comedy.
The Laugh Button was on hand the last week and a half to catch a lot of the events they had to offer. So let’s take a brief look back at some of the things we’ve seen.
Dave Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl
Dave Chappelle’s appearance at the Hollywood Bowl has been in the news, mainly because someone in the crowd jumped up onstage and attacked the comedian last Tuesday night. But the Friday night that we were there, everything went off without a hitch. Chappelle showed off his newest hour and brought with him some friends including Jeff Ross, Deon Cole, Donnell Rawlings, and Bill Burr. To cap the night off, he ended with a concert that included Busta Rhyme, Usher, and Chris Brown.
Seth Rogen’s Table Reads
Throughout the festival, Seth Rogen hosted a celebrity table reading of iconic 90’s films and TV, all to benefit his charity, Hilarity for Charity. The night we went, they read three episodes from Seinfeld. And they had a pretty stellar cast that included Rogen as Jerry, Kathryn Hahn as Elaine, Aziz Ansari as George, and Jack Black as Kramer.
Larry David in Conversation
Having a one-on-one conversation at the Greek Theater seems like an interesting choice, seeing as how massive the venue is. But it helps when you’ve got a beloved comedy fixture like Larry David who managed to sell the massive venue out. Although halfway through the hour and change conversation, he vocalized his dismay at the venue choice, given how cold he was. “I’m usually so climate conscious,” he assured us. Regardless, from the fans inside to the knockoff Curb Your Enthusiasm merch being peddled outside, Monday night’s tribute to our favorite curmudgeon was perfect.
John Mulaney at the Forum
If there’s one stand-up currently on tour we were most excited to see, it was John Mulaney. Given the years he had in 2020 and 2021 – that included relapsing on cocaine, two stints in rehab, a divorce, and the birth of his first child -, we knew he’d have quite a lot to talk about onstage. And he didn’t disappoint. It’s a different sort of hour for John Mulaney, where he’s getting even more personal beyond the persona than ever before. And we were just happy to be there to see it!
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
For only the second time ever, Conan O’Brien opened his popular podcast up and did it live in front of an audience. For the occasion, he brought back some members of his band from his late night shows, and had with him his always “loyal” co-hosts Matt Gourley and Sona Movsesian. The guest for this episode was Bill Hader, whose chemistry with Conan is always on point. And once again, that was the case here. Sadly, anyone hoping that Paul Rudd would crash the conversation like he did on TBS was sadly let down. But an appearance from the very real Jordan Schlansky brought everyone back up.
Snoop Dogg at the Hollywood Palladium
Yes, Snoop Dogg did a comedy show at the Hollywood Palladium. For the show, he brought with him Katt Williams, Donnell Rawlings, Mike Epps, DeRay Davis, Guy Tory, and Melanie Comarcho. We can’t say too much about the show itself, as there’s an embargo because it was taped for Netflix. But if you’re a fan of these names, you won’t be disappointed!
That’s My Time with David Letterman
Even after retirement from his late night career, David Letterman has been keeping busy. A fourth season of his Netflix interview series just got announced. And then on Friday night, the late night legend did an all new comedy show at the Fonda Theater. Again, as it was taped, we can’t share too much. But what we can tell you is it was nothing but joyous to see Letterman – who hasn’t done straight stand-up since the early 80’s – onstage telling jokes again. He was joined by a killer lineup that included Rosebud Baker, Phil Wang, and Sam Morril. When it hits Netflix, you don’t want to miss it!
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at the YouTube Theater
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler by themselves would be worth seeing. But having them in conversation together, it was something we knew we couldn’t miss. The night started with a surprise 20 minute set from Taylor Tomlinson. After that, Fey and Poehler joined the audience. They were upfront by saying they weren’t stand-ups, and therefore they weren’t sure how the conversation would go. What we got was almost a parody on your conventional conversation. The pair were surrounded by an assortment of bowls containing Twitter questions, Would You Rather?, names of famous people they worked with, fun activities to do, and general conversation.
You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes
For the final night, Pete Holmes broadcast an episode of his podcast from the Avalon Theater. For an occasion, he got a pretty good lineup of guests including Jon Hamm, Chris Redd, and Matteo Lane. Hamm and Holmes (sounds like a 70’s buddy cop series) spent 45 minutes just riffing about nothing, before Redd followed by Lane came out and did more of the same. The chemistry between Redd and Lane especially is a wonder to behold! Definitely a great way to put this fest to bed.
But that wasn’t all. Netflix seriously went all out for this festival. They also had a totally free pavilion that has no shortage of fun entertainment. There was mini-golf, an inflatable Big Mouth obstacle course, yard games, and even a comedy museum. But on any given night, you would see some of the best comedians working today do a set. The highlights were Josh Adam Meyers’ Goddamn Comedy Jam and The Drop-In. The Drop-In especially featured some of your favorite comics every night. The night we were there, Meyers was joined by Big Jay Oakerson, Jay Pharoah, and Harland Williams. For the Drop-In an hour later, it was hosted by Joel Kim Booster and featured a roster that included Beth Stelling, Pharoah, and Deon Cole.
One common thread throughout the second half of the festival was addressing the elephant in the room after Chappelle’s attack onstage. The show did indeed go on, but every show had their own spin on addressing it. Conan O’Brien mentioned that Netflix offered to provide him additional security, such as a barrier between the stage and the audience, something he just laughed at given he didn’t see the threat for his crowd. David Letterman mockingly stumbled backwards, convinced that he saw someone trying to get onstage. And our personal favorite, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler decided they needed to beef up their security protocol. When Jamie Foxx wasn’t available, they got the next best thing. Jack McBrayer. McBrayer promised that “If you act a fool, I will f*ck your sh*t up,” with the same gleeful attitude that he approaches everything else with. He continued, “If you come for them, I will come for your nutsack.”
Throughout the festival, Netflix had their cameras rolling. So even if you weren’t there, you can expect to see plenty of content in the future!
