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Brian Regans new Netflix specialOn the Rocks, taped in October 2020,is not about COVID.
He tells sturdy, economical jokes with a minimum of unnecessary bulk.
Its a writing style thats orderly and functional, not smug.
Who wants to be reminded of why this whole thing takes place at an outdoor arena?
Who wants to think about why the few audience shots are full of people wearing masks?
Regans proposal, though, is that wed all prefer to ignore it.
He praises the beauty of the venue without saying anything else about why the specials filmed there.
His one tiny reference to the general state of the world is to point out his new gray hair.
The implication of that line is that COVID is a thing that happened, and has now ended.
you’ve got the option to imagine that kind of material taking a turn for the bleak.
he says, incredulously.
Then comes the big, fun goofy capper.
Where are the bighorn sheep knee doctors?
The giraffe throat, throat, and throat doctors?
He pauses; its a clap-and-whistle line.
Its the kind of move Regan pulls repeatedly throughout the hour.
He skims near a few potentially dark territory topics like his own OCD diagnosis or online comment culture.
Regans more comfortable with the lighter stuff.
He lingers for a long time on pit orchestras why is it called a pit?
Why do they have to dress up to go down into a pit?
Why are they allowed to still practice when the house doors are open?
He gets very slow and very animated in a joke about raisins.
Animals are a rich vein for him.
Material does not need to be personal; it doesnt need to be topical either.
I cant deny the appeal of the gloriously stupid giraffe throat, throat, and throat doctors.
The straightness of his delivery is set against what he knows is the over-the-top absurdity of his thought process.
They balance each other well.
Thats a relatively rare moment of insight in an otherwise straightforwardly escapist hour.
And theres no doubt some appeal in that approach.
Why not laugh about tubas in a marching band?
The title of the special,On the Rocks, is a similar form of shelter.
Sure, this performance for this one special may have been relatively safe.
Or maybe they did!
Regan has recovered from COVID, and we dont know.
Escapism is a luxury Regan is clearly hoping to gift his audience.
Luxuries have a cost, though.
Im not sure ifOn the Rocksis worth the price.
