John Mulaney – One Feels Like a Duck

John Mulaney has undergone many significant changes in the past 18 months, from getting married and divorcing, to going back into rehab and now expecting his first child with actress Olivia Munn. Throughout all these transitions, Mulaney’s sharp wit and self-deprecating humor remain unchanged – as evidenced by his new stand-up special The Comeback Kid.

At 13, he began his comedy career and quickly established himself as a household name with several memorable and humorous specials. Recently, much of his work has focused on his relationship with drugs, his relapse into addiction, and eventual recovery from it.

On his show, Mulaney invited his audience into his head and shared some of his own struggles with substance abuse. He noted that he used to depend on drugs for survival, and part of him still does. Furthermore, his family has experienced difficulties due to their own narcotic addictions.

Mulaney opened up about his drug addiction, treatment, and how friends responded when he announced it. Additionally, he shared details about an intervention organized by Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, Natasha Lyonne and Nick Kroll that followed afterward.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this special is Mulaney’s ability to use stories from his life as material for wider jokes. He pokes fun at addiction stereotypes, the difficulties facing recovering addicts and mental health stigma. Furthermore, Mulaney deftly tackles substance abuse – often taboo – in today’s age when it’s often taboo to talk about.

His ability to turn serious topics into relatable comedy can be a challenge for other comedians, since they may not be used to sharing stories about their personal experiences in public. Therefore, they may feel uneasy sharing them publicly.

His role on Saturday Night Live as a narcotics dealer has been particularly notable, and he’s made it an effort to combat the stigma attached to substance abuse.

At one point during the show, he addressed young people in the audience and cautioned them against using drugs. He also made it clear that it’s never acceptable to do so when pregnant or with a family.

John Mulaney stands out among comedians who take on these topics with conviction, yet lack the assurance to do it with such conviction. On the contrary, Mulaney possess both swagger and vulnerability which allows him to deliver his stories with an edge.

He’s an expert on addiction, yet he tells his stories with humor and empathy so audiences can relate to his struggles. Additionally, his specials feature perfectly-timed jokes from a talented writer.