‘John Mulaney: Baby J’: An innovative performance poised for Emmy liftoff
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Baby J is back on the streets! Five years after the immense success of his special “Kid Gorgeous,” John Mulaney returned with his third Netflix comedy special “John Mulaney: Baby J” on April 25. Previously titled “From Scratch” during his comedy tour, the show provides insight into Mulaney’s high-profile, scandal-laden year. A public stint in rehab, a divorce announcement, and a surprise baby turned the comedy star into a tabloid talking point.
The 80-minute special provides further evidence of Mulaney’s considerable talent as a comedian. There’s no denying the man knows how to craft a joke and deliver a punch-line. His manner of speech and delivery has made him a unique voice and accelerated his success. “Baby J” contains some excellently conceived bits including his star-studded intervention, the frustration of not being recognized at rehab and his quest to quickly buy and sell a Rolex for drug money. The most unique aspect of the special is Mulaney’s willingness to paint himself in an extremely negative light, particularly around his addiction. His reputation as the Catholic-boy-in-a-suit with wacky movements and jokes for any demographic put him into a box with a persona completely divorced from who he actually was.
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At one point, Mulaney quickly quips the phrase, “Likability is a prison,” a quote that aptly summarizes the entire thesis of the show. “Baby J” is an experiment in vulnerability, in how much an artist can simultaneously perform as an entertainer but also as a real person. When you get as popular as Mulaney has, every move is scrutinized and feels like it may shatter your entire career. Mulaney’s high-profile scandals finally freed him from a character that led him to success but was ultimately a lie.
“Baby J” leans more into the darker aspects of Mulaney than the show of his that I saw in 2021. The Rolex story was a new addition and the bit about praying for the death of a grandparent played more into Mulaney’s addictive need for attention than that previous show (which felt more confessional). “Baby J” is slightly less personal and intimate than the original touring versions, but also tighter and more centered around putting the previous version of John Mulaney to rest permanently.
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Mulaney’s new special acts as a segue into an increasingly popular evolution of comedy special: shows that are more personal and less performative. The genre came to the forefront with Hannah Gadsby’s “Nannette,” followed by show’s like Jenny Slate’s “Stage Fright” and Jerrod Carmichael’s “Rothaniel.” Bo Burnham innovated the field even further with his highly acclaimed “Inside.” “Inside” and “Baby J” act as parallels to each other. Both find their respective comedians reinterpreting their artistry through the lens of their most refined skill sets.
“Baby J” also comes at a good point to continue Mulaney’s Emmy recognition streak. The comedian has been nominated 18 times but has only won twice: once as a “Saturday Night Live” writer in 2011 and the other for writing “Kid Gorgeous” in 2018. The Emmy for variety special writing has been dominated by more vulnerable shows in recent years, with “Inside,” “Rothaniel” and “Nanette” all winning. “Baby J”’s material fits perfectly with the recent trends and could easily continue the pattern.
The bigger challenge will be taking home Best Variety Special, which Burnham managed to achieve but is usually dominated by concert films and James Corden specials. However, with a spring release date and a very public story behind it, “Baby J” is poised to offer a solid Emmy shot for Mulaney. He’s gone from being a “comedian’s comedian” to one of the most popular stand-up artists in the country, performing well over 100 shows for “From Scratch”). He’s both the people’s and the critics’ favorite, which is likely to translate to Emmy voters.
“Baby J” isn’t a perfect special but is well worth a watch. Very rarely do performers get such a public stage to confront the audience at-large. Mulaney is playing vulnerability, crafting a new comedy persona after being freed from his prison of likeability. But he’s creating a fresh start, embodied by literally referring to himself as Baby J. What’s left is finding out what he’s going to be when he grows up.
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