John Mulaney’s Netflix special Baby J rehabs a parasocial relationship

John Mulaney has a list of all his biggest fans. It’s why one of the funnier bits in Baby J, his new Netflix special, comes when he’s in an environment where people don’tKnow who he’s. Mulaney, who thought he’d be chill about this, suddenly discovers he’s You can also read more about it here. vain, going so far as to leave newspaper articles about him conspicuously displayed, so they might put together that he’s kind of a big deal.

Shortly thereafter, he shares an anecdote about a friend, Lenny, who asks him what he does for a living, and when he tells Lenny he’s a comedian, Lenny’s shocked that Mulaney can make a living that way.

“Yeah, ask your daughter,” Mulaney retorts with mock petulance. “Or your son if he’s not into sports.”

All of this occurred in rehabilitation.

Much like Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage, Baby J, Mulaney’s new Netflix comedy special, arrives after a particularly tumultuous series of events for the performer. Mulaney’s public troubles were probably worse than being slapped on the face by Will Smith. In a nine-month period from the end of 2020 to 2021 Mulaney was a minor sensation. He went into rehab, divorced his wife, began dating actress Olivia Munn and gave birth.

The reason his troubles became gossip fodder is simple for those who’ve followed Mulaney’s comedy for any number of years. John Mulaney’s career has been built on a persona of humor that is decidedly edgy. You can also check out our other blog posts. a divorceé with a drug problem. With a twinkly confessional style, Mulaney delivered years’ worth of gags about his hopelessly straight-laced demeanor, wearing smart suits as he delivered bon mots about being comedy’s foremost Wife Guy who also happened to look like three toddlers in a waistcoat, manically rattling off expertly-crafted stories about what it’s like to be in your 30s and look like Brooks Brothers Peter Pan.

Baby J is partly about Mulaney’s suddenly-public struggle with addiction, the result of two years of workshopped material about his stint in rehab and the intervention that got him there. As much as he stresses his “What kind of a different vibe now,” the special is vintage Mulaney: casually rehearsed, self-deprecating, sharp stuff that uses sobriety’s distance to laugh at the darkness of addiction. One gets the sense that it’s part of Mulaney’s healing process, a rebuilt comedic persona: Still the same person, kind of. Mulaney, like many other sober individuals, acknowledges that the individual who attempted to harm him, is still around, and every single day. He’s accepted that, and gone on to tell jokes anyway.

Marcus Russel price/Netflix

You can also read about it here Baby JThere is another type of rehabilitation.

Mulaney’s aw-shucks grown toddler schtick wasn’t just a creation of his standup. Celebrity is a collaboration between artist and audience — Mulaney’s comedy suggested a persona, and popular reception reinforced it. In this, Mulaney’s relatability became a trap. John Mulaney was an Irish-Catholic liberal artist who appeared on stage as a calm, non-threatening character. These traits are common in the media, and resonate with certain types of fans (especially white ones). As Mulaney says to Lenny while in rehab: Sons and daughters who don’t like sports.

It is no surprise that his divorce and stint in rehab were accompanied by an avalanche of parasocial essays, since a man who had been able to be relatable too well caused a mental break with the fans he had cultivated.

Review of Reviews Baby J note how the comedian’s polished demeanor undermines the vulnerability of the material. Mulaney’s performance will be noted by those who are in the know. doesn’tTalk about his divorce, child, new partner and other things. The old Mulaney likely would have — drug addiction wasn’t the reason he overshared; he opens the set with an extended tirade about how much he’s always liked attention. The omission of his life as it is now is perhaps the biggest indication of how the new Mulaney differs from the pre-rehab phase of his career: It’s a Mulaney that, perhaps, has found a newfound interest in boundaries.

John Mulaney is aware of his audience. Maybe he’s decided it’s time to share a bit less with them.