Gary Gulman's Born on 3rd Base
The new Gary Gulman comedy special (streaming on Max) is amazing. Let’s face it, I’m probably never going to write about a comedy special that I don’t think is amazing, but Gary Gulman is a master of the craft and one of the all-time greats. He’s a comedian’s comedian and I devour everything he creates. This special does not disappoint.
Called “Born on 3rd Base”, the special is a great follow-up to his last special “The Great Depresh”. The last special was an honest look into the darkness of coming to grips with his crippling depression and getting much needed treatment. It shed a light on mental illness in a sympathetic and warm way that both entertained and humanized the topic. This special at first glance leaves all that behind and deals with broader social topics of income inequality and social stigmas. But dig just a little bit beneath the surface and you’ll see that Born on 3rd Base subtly explores the environment and relationships in his life that fed his depression growing up.
Gary’s comedy is always so tightly packed, with a ton of asides and divergences that all pay off by the close of the show. His style is always warm and genuine, with a gentle mocking tone that allows him to poke fun at your everyday foibles while still being on your side. But underneath that gentleness is a razor-sharp edge that points to how much anger he has for political pandering, and inexact platitudes that cause real harm. He starts off his bit on income inequality by tearing apart the refrain that “Welfare programs cause generational poverty because it rewards laziness” and meanders through the special until he lands on a touching story of his father scrambling to afford hockey gear for his son after school sport budgets got cut as part of a bill that reduced property taxes in his hometown. All along the way, he makes references to classic literature, pop culture music and cinema. He makes a passing reference to Edwin Abbott’s Flatland while dissecting the indignity of a Pop Tart. The best part of his style is that it is almost a throwaway reference, it’s not necessary to get the thrust of the joke. But for those who are familiar with the fact that it is both a satire of Victorian culture and an exploration of geometry, the joke is that much richer as he uses the blandness of a Pop Tart to skewer those who look down on the poor. And the best part is that a good chunk of his audience have probably had a lukewarm reaction to poverty, but there’s a good chance they will reframe their views by the end of the special.
His comedy doesn’t appear to intrinsically have a higher purpose, he’s just honestly reflecting on his absurdist view of his life and the world around him. But he so meticulously crafts each word in his routines that, like great literature, fundamental truths emerge.
In short, if you are a comedy fan, check out his special. If you’re not familiar with his work, enjoy working through his back catalog as well, because it’s all gold.