Jerrod Carmichael’s HBO special is genius
It is three years since Jerrod Carmichael publicly emerged in his Emmy-winning comedy special “Rothaniel”. After the debut of the Special, the 38-year-old comedian, who clearly loves the spotlight, allowed the cameras to follow him in the eight-episodes Uncripted series “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.” In his newest HBO comedy special, “Jerrod Carmichael’s Don’t Be Gay”, he reflects on what happened after he had shown cameras some of the most complicated details of his life, his old friend Michael and his current relationship with his family-to-hilarious effect. Witty, brash, scorchy honest and somewhat heartbreaking, in “Don’t Be Gay”, Carmichael reconciled how much the fear of being out of him another thing to forget that his daily life influences: racism.
Filmed last February in the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater in New York City, opens “Don’t Be Gay” with Carmichael standing on stage, a simple, velvet beige curtain that acts as a background behind him. He immediately starts talking about the reality series and his struggles with internalized homophobia and unbridled unfaithfulness. However, these problems were not enough to take him to therapy. Instead, Carmichael remembers that he underwent a psychiatrine after reading the online response to his romantic relationship. Comments such as: “Why this N- Jerrod has a white boyfriend?” Forced him to wonder if he transformed into Clarence Thomas.
Despite his professional and financial success, Carmichael admits rather sheepishly that he is still looking for the approval of black people, which probably has to do with his upbringing. The return to his white lover or specific, the moment he sucked the toes of a connection to the screen, pushed him to finally see a professional in mental health care. Edited by James Atkinson, who changes between photos of the “poor things” actor in extreme close-ups and more remotely in-crowd shots, the audience is taken on a hysterical, sometimes deeply uncomfortable, but beautifully blunt journey.
Dressed in jeans, a simple white tank top and some Birkenstocks, Carmichael seems more confident than ever. He talks about his waffle obsession, with the help of Grindr when he hid his sexuality, his family, especially his hyper-religious mother, and how challenging it is to return to his youth center in North Carolina, where his parents still live. While he says it, “I’m gay and NSS don’t read.” He remembers how difficult it was to be ‘right’, especially at the beginning of 2000 when D’Angelo’s extremely horny ‘How does it feel’ music video premiered. Although it seems unlikely that Carmichael will once again have a close bond with his mother, he seems to be at a point of acceptance. However, he is now more secure than ever that the establishment of the church is actually a pyramid schedule. He also seems to resign as the official breadwinner for his entire family-a dichotomy who makes him proud and a bit like a Republican from Scroogey Reagan era.
The 53-minute special directed by Ari Katcher is full of laughing punchlines, but the comedian also does not shy away from dark themes. He reflects on children’s fungus, very graphic and specific sexual acts that get him off and also how he wounded and constantly destroyed his partner because of his inability to be truthful and express his feelings. Even in the midst of these deep uncomfortable and sometimes urgent moments, Carmichael’s self -consciousness is always felt.
In this follow-up of “Rothaniel”, Carmichael never seemed to be confident again. A master storyteller, he leans in the relief that he thinks he will no longer be closed while considering his remaining discomfort about PDA. Despite their open relationship, he hates that his Beau can also sleep with other people, but his own sexual appetite prevents him from being monogamous. Carmichael is satisfied to share his personal shame and at the same time expose the social ailments that have also tried to prevent him from being his true self. “Don’t Be Gay” has more lightness than “Rothaniel” – Carmichael has a sense of liberation that only comes after you are confronted with your worst fears. Again, the comedian has the beauty of the knee of being directly in its truth.
“Jerrod Carmichael’s Don’t Be Gay” will be broadcast on HBO on 24 May at 10 p.m. and will be available to stream on Max.
