This was my first look at Tom Papa, and although he wasn't bust a gut funny, I do appreciate the poignant observations about everyday life that he characterizes in a humorous way. His main schtick in this comedy special was informing the audience that they were as good as they were ever going to get, and for all intents and purposes, that was great, hence the title of the show. I could see how some folks might get turned off by that message, but he massages it to the point that you don't consider it a downer. Filmed in New Jersey before a home town crowd, this didn't appear to be done in a major venue, as the audience is shown in a socially distanced setting at tables set the way they might be in a night club. The release date suggests it might have gotten in just under the pre-Covid wire but I'm just guessing. If you've had it with all the outrageous stand-ups throwing four letter words around in every sentence, you might give this guy a try. You'll be doing great.
17 Reviews
loved it
BABSBunny248 February 2020
It's Tom Papa. Just Watch It!
genious-354135 February 2020
What a welcome break from the glut of stand up specials that now suffer from this disease of being performed by people who 1: Aren't stand up comedians 2: Are more interested in competing for 'most woke'. Yes, the Hannah Gadsbys and the Ilana Glazers. THIS is not that kind of comedy special. This is like a throwback to what comedy was: A guy telling very funny jokes and stories that make people laugh. NOT a guy saying things that make the audience applaud.... THEY LAUGH! And you will too. That is all you need to know.
Laughed the whole way through
leathuh7 February 2020
As I am about the same age as Tom Papa, I have to say it was funny from beginning to end. The GenX generation gets his humor. Older may not appreciate it & younger may not get it, but Tom Papa is so funny it is hard for me to understand how people don't get it. While I no longer live in NJ, I am a Jersey girl & realize now living in 5 different states, that not everyone has a good sense of humor & I feel sorry for those who don't get the joke. Spot on humor. Great show!
Tom Papa is funny
jcollins-458-41538720 February 2020
Nothing Was Funny
jigp-722006 February 2020
His opening joke is about people's homes burning around Los Angeles County and his kids running around the yard catching the ashes on their tongues as if it was Christmas WTF! People laughing at disasters?? Are people really this brain dead or are the laughs edited in for the special? I hope they edited in the laughs because literally after every sentence he says people are laughing like seals when NOTHING he says is funny whatsoever!! What is this garbage?! If Netflix recommends this AVOID IT! Don't fall for it like I did! I decided to give it a try & 20 minutes in I had to stop watching this torture because I hadn't laughed or cracked a smile AT ALL! Nothing was funny at all!! If you want some real stand up comedy watch Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Nate Bargatze, or Tom Segura! They all have specials on Netflix a million times better than the cringe I just put myself through! Avoid this Tom Papa special!
Like a good friend at a bar
sean-94-97007510 March 2021
Low Stress / High Funny
Crap-game28 September 2020
I haven't laughed this hard in a long time!
bn22921 December 2021
I laughed so hard, I had to pause the show because I was starting to have an asthma attack.
Apparently, from what I read in the other comments, this comedy special was not for everyone. But it sure as hell was comedy gold for me.
Apparently, from what I read in the other comments, this comedy special was not for everyone. But it sure as hell was comedy gold for me.
Did not enjoy this, unfortunately.
therealpayton5 April 2021
I've found some of his previous specials funny, but this one? Not so much. About 70% of the jokes revolve around how we don't have to be perfect, we're all just people. That should have been one segment, but nope, its most of the special. I only laughed out loud once, and it wasn't even during his scripted routine, it was his joke about something an audience member said when he asked them a question. I did not like this special at all.
Very funny and uplifting!
rimosah2 July 2022
This is the kind of stand up special we need in these strange times! Funny, positive without being too over the top, comes across as thoughtful but doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a nice return to a more old fashioned style of comedy: a simple mix of funny stories and observations, good timing, and good energy from the comedian and the crowd.
only funny thing was the cat story ... THATS IT
bainz12 April 2020
Bad, then decent, then ok, then terrible
Flu24 February 2020
I'm not a huge Tom Papa fan, but I like him and have seen him live. This special started out a little weak, but then started to improve. We were having some good laughs. Then Papa went into an amazingly callous "comedy bit" about euthanizing a pet cat, describing in morbid detail the process of saying goodbye to an animal, be it one hated like the cat he's describing, or one loved like the one we had. I can imagine that anyone who has gone through the sadness of saying goodbye to a pet like that could listen to this segment of Papa's show and find humor in it. It really shocked me that a comedian of Papa's caliber would find this an acceptable topic. What's next? Jokes about suicide or the holocaust? We turned it off and didn't watch the last 15 minutes.
The same old, same old...
backup-503626 April 2020
"Men are awful, men are the worst, ugh, men are terrible..."
Just once I'd like to play a random Netflix comedy special and luck out on picking the one guy who's not a simping beta male doing the exact same jokes other simping beta males do in every other special.
Is this a Netflix requirement? I wouldn't be surprised at this point.
Just once I'd like to play a random Netflix comedy special and luck out on picking the one guy who's not a simping beta male doing the exact same jokes other simping beta males do in every other special.
Is this a Netflix requirement? I wouldn't be surprised at this point.
Tom Pappa sounds Scripted, Rushed and has Zero Comedic Timing
laurenybauer20 July 2021
I couldn't finish this through until the end. Like another reviewer said, the only time I laughed was at an unscripted moment he had with an audience member. He sounds like a sixth grader reading a chapter book story out loud in class. Netflix has promoted this special ad-nauseum on their SXM station. His vocal inflections are UNBEARABLE! Up down, up down, up down....he sounds incredibly scripted like he is rushing though a memorized routine. He has ZERO comedic timing. His material is feel-good "be who you want to be" not comedy. He may be a great person, but as a comedian, he sucks. I couldn't get into anything he was saying because of his incessant vocal modulations. His talk show ruins my day and I can't for the life of me understand why Netflix chose him as their de-facto face of their radio station. Don't waste your time. Actually go ahead, do, but you'll see what I mean.
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