"The male comedians are going through something. I know, I know, but this time I'm not referring to the obvious ones who have lost their minds through some excess of steroid abuse and podcast appearances. I'm talking about the more thoughtful class of male comedy: Nathan Fielder, John Mulaney, Jerrod Carmichael, Bo Burnham. These guys are savvier, smarter, and more tethered to reality, yet no less stuck in some sort of existential crisis that seems to be affecting all men."
"But if there's one comedian who has most effectively tapped into the specific nihilistic angst that so many men below the age of 50 seem to be facing today, it might be Tim Robinson. Robinson has been lampooning a certain kind of disaffected, desperate, and totally awkward type of man for years on his Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave."
Several contemporary male comedians are portrayed as experiencing an existential crisis tied to modern life and online culture. Nathan Fielder, John Mulaney, Jerrod Carmichael, and Bo Burnham each grapple with different facets: Mulaney with drug and opiate addiction, Burnham with internet-era effects on his generation, Carmichael through reality-show self-exposure seeking authenticity, and Fielder by examining social communication and the human condition across multiple shows including The Curse and The Rehearsal. Tim Robinson is highlighted for consistently lampooning disaffected, awkward men across I Think You Should Leave, the film Friendship, and the HBO series The Chair Company, which centers on online-fueled existential malaise.
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