Pete Davidson: Alive from New York was an example of watching a comedian work-out for the big performance, and the big performance comes and the comedian just goes “Fuck it.” I enjoyed it. Not thoroughly, but I had some exuberant chuckles. I wonder if the performance would’ve changed significantly if they’d minimized the audience—like an intimate comedy club setting rather than the theater-styled set up. 🤷🏾🤷🏾🤷🏾In praise, this stand-up was an amalgamation of arid dry humor sprinkled with heavily inappropriate tangents and awkwardness into infinity. #mylovelanguage
That’s my kind of shit. I love Pete Davidson’s comedy. I really enjoy watching him work through some of his own misfires. While it appeared he lacked approach or polish, I would actually argue that that is part of his charm and style. A deeply personal, unvarnished, super “real” snapshot of his life. I could feel the story in this. And the fear in some of his jokes. That’s when I knew he was connecting. I hope to see more from him soon. He’s special. And I might be pushing this comparison, but his self-deprecating humor reminds me of Pryor. (Nah, I’m cool with this comparison. Fight me.)
His level of engagement with an audience isn’t as an orator. He’s no griot with lessons to take away like a George Carlin. His comedy is situational. After a tumultuous couple of years in the spotlight, he provided the audience with a great overview of what his life has been like following the breakup with one of the world’s biggest pop stars. He spoke candidly about his family, fame, and his position in society, and I commend it for the step forward.
I appreciated that he took an opportunity to reflect on the situation involving Congressman Dan Crenshaw stemming from a joke he told on Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) “Weekend Update” segment. When he apologized shortly after the joke went viral, I could tell it wasn’t sincere and that there had to be more to the story. Davidson provided a wonderful peek behind the SNL curtain, something I often wonder about when the cast hits a twinge of controversy. I don’t think he’ll be there much longer though.
The introduction was fire! Leading in, before opening credits, with the story about the demise of comedian Louis C.K., who basically attempted to end Davidson’s career before it popped, and then summing up C.K.’s astonishing downfall with brevity and hilarity was impeccable. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
The runtime being less than an hour was a great call by the producers. I assume there was more content, but was ultimately cut down to savor the juicy bits and the Ariana Grande tea. My favorite parts were the “pausing Netflix to smash” bit, and Pete’s reflection about his relationship with Grande. Full disclosure: I’m a Grande hag. Full stop. I buy her albums. I watch her performance of “Imagine” on Fallon weekly. I could listen to her sing Apple’s “Terms and Conditions” and be perfectly content. She’s a fantastic pop artist who can (actually) sing (👀👀), but even I was a tad butt-hurt when she appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine with that EXTRA dark ass tan. C’mon Ari—you ain’t slick, sis, and neither is Annie Leibovitz with those camera settings.
In conclusion, more Pete Davidson please. I appreciate his art.