Grade: B
If you hate your life, you’ll love Louis C.K. If you’re looking for a comedy special that will make you feel good, steer clear of C.K.’s newest special, titled “2017.” The ramblings of a bitter, balding 49-year-old man may appeal to some, but for others it will just leave you with a bad aftertaste. But that’s C.K.’s style — his niche humor is based off self-deprecation and the overall notion that life sucks—and this special is textbook Louis. In some regards you gotta give him credit, as he has certainly found a way to make himself successful, but if you don’t already like C.K., the special probably will not appeal to you.
The special started off with a bang as C.K. dove into his pro-choice beliefs. Boldly claiming that he believes “women should be allowed to kill babies,” he provides two solid arguments, his most poignant reason being that he really doesn’t think life is that important. At that point, he began tackling the tricky and touchy subject of suicide and managed to be offensive and unfunny at the same time.
The highlight of his sketch came as he began to muse about religion and all its oddities. In terms of comparing religions, C.K. audaciously claimed “the Christians won everything.” C.K. tackled the delicate subject of religion and backed his claim by posing a simple question to the audience, “What year is it? According to the entire human race? And why?” Finding it pretty hard to argue with that reasoning, the audience and viewers at home will be pleased with C.K.’s modern take on religion.
Continuing on to talk about medicated dogs, the woes of marriage, petty email fights and even the suppression of budding homosexuality, C.K.’s style works well for anyone who loves complaining. While a special titled “2017” may lead one to believe it will talk about current events, C.K. sticks to more relatable everyday humor surrounding the miseries and misfortunes of life itself. While it doesn’t really wow or make a lasting impression, it’s still not a waste of an hour and 15 minutes. And if you’re already a fan of C.K., his newest special certainly won’t disappoint.
The special, filmed at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. rallied an excellent crowd for C.K. and the audience roared with laughter. Although some jokes fell flat, mostly because of the sheer bitterness C.K. delivered them with, the majority were crowd pleasers and the special rounds out to be a solid B.
You can stream “2017” on Netflix along with numerous other C.K. comedy specials, including “Chewed Up,” “Live at the Comedy Store,” “Hilarious” and “Live at the Beacon Theater.”
