Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show

This is uncomfortable in a way that really makes you think about what's going on. Jerrod is an unmistakable force, even when he's being a horrible human being. That he can put this on the screen.... Is he truly just a manchild making up for lost time? A man playing five-dimensional chess with your viewing? Somewhere in between? It's uncomfortable and riveting, with some very funny moments. Is it what reality television should always be? If you think Married At First Sight is high quality, this probably isn't for you. If you want a challenging view of how an imperfect individual navigates his new-found fame without being afraid to show his warts, this is a great choice.

Six episodes in, Jerrod Carmichael's 2024 reality series has been often harshly cathartic and sometimes acutely funny. The reality aspect is no joke as he pulls no punches in making public the personal challenges of being a successful comedian who came out just two years ago. A charismatic personality, Carmichael shifts mercurially between introspective and cruel, but it's hard not to root for him. I got hooked when he painfully confessed his unrequited love for his best friend in the first episode. So far, it has cut deepest with the episodes focused on a road trip with his errant father and a frigid homecoming with his deeply religious mother. Some moments border on exploitative, yet it may be the best, bravest thing on TV now.

I don't think it's not genuine. It's too genuine and relatable, not by its content but form. Watching a reality show with this much transparency makes me feel rally uncomfortable. Perhaps if he was one of those vapid celebrities, it would be easier to watch. I can't even confront my own things from the past and they often don't let me sleep. To have all of this unfold in front of cameras is ... brave or completely insane. But, he is a standup comic. They develop thick skin if they want to last in this business. I don't think this is a mainstream kind of show. Not many will get it, but those who do, will appreciate it immensely.

But the brilliance of this show is not to necessarily hyper-fixate on Jerrod in any self-aggrandizing way. Carmichael uses this meta-styled documentary to address universal conflicts that come with being gay and colored in America.

Simply put - I don't even like Jerrod or care about his life - but to get this unique of a perspective into gay black culture has not been executed anywhere else on this level. Even if this was 100% fictional, it's still an incredible experience.

Other topics such as infidelity and religious intolerance are brought up as well, but it doesn't always resolve itself as Carmichael acknowledges that he doesn't have the solutions.

Carmichael knew that he could use his public image to therapeutically extend and relate to many viewers. I can certainly see this show helping people struggling with addiction, family issues, identity issues, etc. (Personally, having left the Pentecostal church due to its homophobia, the episodes of Jerrod with religion hit very close to home.)

And massive props to the editing and production team linking all of these episodes so richly. Even if scenes from this are staged, it's still incredibly impressive.

Highly recommend to watch if you're a minority or wanting to see something so original come out of the Black/LGBTQ+ community.

I like this guy's laid back humor but this show is really pulling back the curtain and probably not the way Jerrod anticipated. I think he is shown as a narcissist and displays jerk behavior towards his boyfriend and friends . I know he is on the rise but the diva attitude is not appealing. He sometimes comes off as downright mean. I hope he grows a bit through the experience and even watches himself in the episodes. I have watched the first few episodes and not sure I would recommend. I know comics have baggage and that's what makes them funny but I don't enjoy comics who don't seem to be tuned into others feelings when they're not performing.