Comedy

The Sitcom Dad Who Made Grouchiness Into an Art Form

The actor Jerry Stiller, who died yesterday at age 92, was unforgettable as the irascible Frank Costanza on Seinfeld.

• David Sims
• May 12, 2020

Sarah Cooper Has Mastered the Trump Joke

The comedian had used TikTok only a handful of times before her impersonation of the president garnered 15 million views. Now it’s making her rethink her routine.

• Shirley Li
• May 8, 2020

The Times Have Changed. Seinfeld Hasn’t.

There’s something soothing about watching a comedian who has been telling the same jokes for decades.

• David Sims
• May 7, 2020

The Surreal Comforts of the SNL Quarantine Episode

Hosted by COVID-19 survivor Tom Hanks and filmed remotely, the show’s latest broadcast is a cultural document of the times.

• David Sims
• April 12, 2020

We’re All Larry Davids Now

Who isn’t suspicious of other people, overtly worried about hygiene, and trigger-happy with a bottle of hand sanitizer?

• David Sims
• April 3, 2020

The Perfect Quarantine Joke Is Not About Quarantine

Comedy, the adage goes, is tragedy plus time. But in this pandemic, even humor has no idea what the future holds.

• Megan Garber
• April 2, 2020

Marc Maron’s End-of-the-World Anxiety

In his new Netflix special, End Times Fun, the comedian turns his attention to angst during ongoing crisis, with uncanny timeliness.

• Sophie Gilbert
• March 12, 2020

Lena Waithe and When Black Artists Make Mediocre Art

The writer’s new series, Twenties, makes fun of entertainment that is diverse but middling—a criticism her own work has faced.

• Hannah Giorgis
• March 6, 2020

The ‘Airport Sushi’ Musical Is an Instant SNL Classic

The absurd sketch featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, David Byrne, and a giant goose was pure gold from the host John Mulaney.

• David Sims
• March 1, 2020

RuPaul’s Remedial Queer Comedy on Saturday Night Live

America’s top drag queen hosted a series of surprisingly un-fabulous sketches.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• February 9, 2020

The Most Optimistic Show on TV Is Over

The Good Place, NBC’s sitcom about the afterlife, ended with a heartening meditation on the meaning of a finite existence.

• Hannah Giorgis
• January 31, 2020

Eddie Murphy’s Triumphant Return to Saturday Night Live

After a 35-year absence, one of the show’s most venerated performers had a delightful homecoming as host.

• David Sims
• December 22, 2019

SNL Gives the Impeachment Hearings the Soap-Opera Treatment

Last night’s episode delivered a critique of Americans’ short attention spans with an overstuffed, melodramatic cold open.

• Amanda Wicks
• November 17, 2019

Daniel Sloss Shows How Comedians Should Talk About Assault

The Scottish performer’s new HBO special is a stunning experiment in controlled transgression.

• Sophie Gilbert
• November 6, 2019

John Witherspoon, Black Hollywood’s Wisecracking ‘Pops’

The late actor, who died at the age of 77, was best known for his singular ability to convey fatherly frustration with comedic flair.

• Hannah Giorgis
• October 30, 2019

Chance the Rapper Hosted SNL Again. Chaos Ensued.

The musician was an endearingly goofy performer who shone in a fever dream of an episode filled with gallows humor and character breaking.

• Shirley Li
• October 27, 2019

Jojo Rabbit Is a Fraught Tonal Experiment

Taika Waititi tries to balance zany comedy and grim realism in his new coming-of-age film set in Nazi Germany. He doesn’t quite succeed.

• David Sims
• October 17, 2019

Woody Harrelson Is a Surprisingly Effective Joe Biden for SNL

The Cheers actor’s impression of the former vice president this season is less friendly and more glossy than the show’s previous attempts.

• David Sims
• October 13, 2019

Big Mouth and the Poisoning of Teenage Boys’ Minds

In its new season, the Netflix animated comedy untangles the influences that can lead young men to embrace sexist ideas.

• Hannah Giorgis
• October 7, 2019