Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show

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.

This reality TV show following Jerrod C, falls flat due to the comic's self-serving self-awareness. Instead of genuine moments, viewers endure calculated performances and manufactured pauses and a weird structure. Comedians' narcissism detracts from authenticity, leaving audiences disconnected. The balance between authenticity and entertainment is crucial. When comics prioritize ego over connection, the result is a hollow spectacle, devoid of genuine emotion. Authenticity is key; without it, the show and its subject lose its charm, leaving viewers longing for a truth that is not coming, because the self-servingly self-aware are never that fun to be around.

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.

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.

HBO has gone out on the limb recently introducing several "unique" shows: Painting with John, The Rehearsal and now Jerrod Carmichael's Reality Show. Of the three, Carmichael's 2024 Gotham TV Award for Breakthrough Nonfiction Series deserves some attention.

Comedian Jerrod Carmichael (2022 Emmy-wining comedy special "Rothaniel") was given an eight-episode series from HBO following his coming out and desire to speak personally about his family relations. Why an individual needs/desires a public format in which to throw their family/friends/lovers under the bus, and why HBO was willing to green light the idea, is baffling.

I don't know Carmichael's comedy, so maybe his self-deprecating, Me, Me, Me style is his thing? If it is, I don't find it funny or interesting.

Throughout the series, he uses the camera to hide behind how poorly he treats himself, his family and his boyfriend. So embarrassed to be part of Carmichael's series, a "friend" will only appear in a mask and altered voice.

Trying to wrap his comedy into the series, he occasionally drops in and out of his stand-up (sit-down) comedy routine. Why his audience would sit through his self-absorbed rambling doesn't make sense. If he wants a therapy session, why invite an audience. Get a therapist and get a room! Supporting his lack of self-respect for himself and his audience, he appears on stage wearing crocks and socks and demonstrates a total lack in taste for his appearance.

Carmichael managed to get his 15-minutes of fame and some. Unfortunately, he took many people down with him.