Whitmer Thomas: The Golden One

The Golden One has held the spot as my favorite comedy special since I saw it live. With all the added documentary footage and editing jokes, this might just be my favorite piece of art. If you feel alienated by this special because of its refusal to be a traditional comedy special, you're really missing the point.

The new wave of comedy has been pioneered by performers who are willing to be vulnerable and blend art forms. The state of comedy has evolved into a one-man show, and performers like Whit who are pushing boundaries should be given unlimited creative resources.

A24 is a consistently high-quality outlet, so is HBO. With Bo Burnhan and Chris Storer producing, this is poised to be a landmark special.

Shocking lack of humor or laughs of any kind. I watched in a kind of dumbfound sadness as he told his story and sang his songs. The only shots of the audience laughing is cut aways. These "reaction shots" likely aren't associated with the jokes. Basically I saying that it seems as if they used a "laugh track". They rarely show the audience and most of the time they are shot from behind and the audience is (almost) totally motionless as they laugh. Once the disembodied laughter is heard you can't unsee it. Gen Z has found it's spokesperson... confident without cause, whiney, talent free, approved thought "entertainment". You should definitely watch this special, you will appreciate stand up, storytelling and song of other artists sooooooo much more.

An aging, southern scene kid with a dark sense of humor & lots of emotional neurosis...it's familiar, for sure. Thomas's talent is undeniable, creating a Bo Burnham like form of "stand-up" that is so alt it's almost anti. His stuff is a rougher than Burnham's, & the film's consistent inward focus borders on self-obsession. Still, the half-and-half combo of honest live-comedy & a documenting of his reuniting with family works well enough to forgive the self-pitying imperfections.

Watching a joke and knowing it's funny while feeling deep sadness is my experience with this special. The jokes are good. The subject material is intense. It's more like a novel than a comedy special. It's a masterpiece and will be remembered as such.

The intro song wasn't the most musically technical brilliance, but it was lyrically sound. I continued. The act started and it was awkward. In a way that felt on purpose but not endearing. Then it continued. The cohesion came and went, but the rambling became endearing. Then it became funny. Some of the songs were of questionable quality, but they cut to and away quickly enough to not lose me. In all, I liked the songs...even the ones I didn't think were great. It's hard to explain, but he grows on you. And his persona is the joke. Or is that his personality? Either way, this is a unique ride, and my recommendation is to ride it out. I think it's worth it. Really8/10, but giving it nine to bump the rating.