Gary Gulman: A grande deprê

This is how it ends. I've seen comedians leave their normal act or shtick to become more honest, truthful, and real. The problem is they never go back. The old Gary specials are gone. His career is likely done for the most part. Sad because he was one of the best.

I just watched this special on HBO because I've been enjoying Gary's comedy routines and am watching whatever I can. While he's funny, charming, vulnerable, and loveable, (with perfect timing), as usual in this special, it plays like an ad for psychiatric drugs and electric convulsive therapy. I know countless people who suffered, or still suffer, and / or became suicial due to the "treatments" Gary supports in this special. Some of them healed when they got off the drugs. Some suffer long-term effects because of the drugs and/ or ECT. I recommend reading the book Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill by award winning journalist Robert Whittaker for a more expansive, scientific understanding of these psyciatric "treatments." I also recommend following the Fb page or website "Mad in America" for stories of people harmed by the psychiatric industry.

I just adore this special. Gary Gilman is so bright and articulate. He is a great storyteller. This is a very personal and self reflective look at his battle with crippling depression, and more. Gulman is a master of language. I love listening to him form sentences in the stories he tells about his childhood as a poor, lonely boy in Massachussetts. The comedy footage is interspersed with personal reflections and interviews with friends and family. One of the most shocking elements is the footage he opens with, of his meltdown, a few years prior to open the special. Gulman is a good comedian, and I found his approach really brave and honest.

I just saw Gary Gulman at the Paramount this November. After 15 min. Of watching his show he kicked myself and 3 of my friends out of his audience. Now, I have never been an outspoken person, nor would I or my friends ever treat another person as disrespectful as Gary Gulman treated us. All we did was laugh at his jokes and agree with his comments. For this, and only this, he walked off stage after reprimanding us to leave otherwise he was done. Not one staff member at the paramount could understand why he acted this way. Apparently, this is a pattern of his and he has a huge complex or power trip. Trust me, I don't need or want to speak to you at all. We got to the venue at 6:30pm and waiting for the opener to get off stage so we could sit. To our suprise, 4 guests took our assigned seats and we were left trying to figure out how to sit without interrupting the beginning of the show. NOT OUR FAULT at all. If this is the way you carry yourself on stage I feel concerned for many more of your audience members. HINT - If you waste your money on seeing him, just know, he does not appreciate his audience laughing or agreeing with his jokes AT ALL. If you do so, he will throw a temper tantrum, not apologize for mistakenly blaming innocent guest and embarrassing them to the highest degree. If you are a true gentleman, you would apologize for the mistake you made. Just Awful.

I can't find enough words to say how much I love this special. The insights Gary Gulman provides into life in the midst of depression are profound, and yet he does it in an authentic and accessible way that is also genuinely funny. If you or a loved one suffers from depression: watch this. Stop everything and watch it.

One other reviewer here said this is the end of Gulman's career, claiming it's a shame. It may well be the end of his career in its old form, but it's the beginning of something much better. And it's not a shame...it's a triumph.