Norm Macdonald: Hitler's Dog, Gossip & Trickery (2017 TV Special) User Reviews

Strong

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 21 September 2017]

In this new stand-up special, Norm Macdonald delivers sly, deadpan observations from an older -- and perhaps even wiser -- point of view.

I'm not sure if I have heard these jokes before, or if I accidentally watched this special twice. Either way, despite a feeling of deja vu, it was still a knockout performance.

The style is not for everyone. The deadpan delivery, the odd observations... this is not Jerry Seinfeld and it is definitely not a series of laugh-out-loud jokes. This is a slow burn that builds until you are inside the world of Norm. Apolitical, not terribly obscene or offensive... just offbeat. And it works.

Anyone who gave it a negative review don't know Norm.

[murrthom · 8/10 · 19 November 2020]

It was funny typical Norm. He did reuse at least one joke that he used to use on talk shows. Anyone who rated it poorly doesn't know what Norm is known for and just don't get it.

I've Never Seen A Norm Stand-Up; I Was Amused

[iquine · 8/10 · 24 December 2018]

(Flash Review)

Norm is on point in this one. His set is full of a steady barrage of solid jokes delivered only as Norm can. The one knock I'd have is here occasionally there are some pointless and forced cursing. Felt out of place. He could also lose the formal suit. If you like Norm you'll enjoy this.

"Like, most of my act is just, you know,...uh, gossip and trickery."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 9 February 2018]

If I had to guess, the only times I've seen Norm Macdonald were on his Saturday Night Live appearances. Seems to me he was funny in those bits, but I had a bit of a tough time with this stand-up special. Macdonald had his moments, but there were also times when he seemed to just wind up standing there lost in thought and wondering what to say next. More so in the first part of his act, he hit a better stride in the second half. I like comics who focus in on the mundane and make it funny, and Norm does some of that here, but every now and then he would lament the fact that he was old. Not getting old, just being old. So much so that I had to look up his stats here on IMDb and he was born in 1959, so that only makes him fifty eight as I write this. Heck, I'm a decade older and feel a lot better about myself than Macdonald does. It could just be part of his schtick but the way he came across I don't think so. My favorite bits here had to do with the unknown astronauts who have walked on the moon, and Germany taking on the world twice in a losing cause. Those were pretty funny observations. For those who enjoy the more morbid, I thought his idea to blame someone else in a suicide note was kind of interesting. Don't think I'll try it though.

Thought it was Great

[kyletilson · 9/10 · 22 July 2017]

I am a little surprised at the negative reviews. I thought the whole thing flowed well and was an enjoyable hour. He had a lot of subtle jokes and observations that I was entertained by. He is able to riff on mundane subjects and make humorous observations. He had a few very funny jokes. This isn't the funniest thing I have ever seen Norm Macdonald do but I would watch again.

He's Not Carrot Top, Not The Three Stooges

[nebohr · 6/10 · 10 June 2020]

Norm has a sense of humor which can be easy to miss if you don't watch where he's going (with an idea). Unlike alot of comedic material you need to be able to empathize with him as he shuffles along in route from the joke's initial concept to it's conclusion. Quite frankly I think Norm's cunning and his deadpan delivery give no obvious clues to some people that they just heard a funny joke. The material, simply put, is over their heads.

Norm rules

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 15 September 2017]

Norm MacDonald's genius is in the expectations of where his anecdotes and observations will take a turn. The finale of this special is a key example as he starts with saying a deep and true thing that with all the problems in the world and so on loving one another is the most important thing... And this leads into describing (in a first person imitation as Norm can do) of Hitler's dog and how much he loved the guy because... Well, dogs love people and don't judge.

I almost feel weird explaining a joke like that, or how he'll take apart things like Wikipedia or how we use our phones (they didn't used to be 'magic' is the premise of that bit) or the absurdity in the commandment "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's ox." Nevermind the fact that no one in like 500 years has seen an ox let alone referred to that commandment that way - that I think is part of the joke - so much of the laughs, and I found as many and as hearty to be had as in the best of the Chappelle or Louis CK specials (also new on Netflix in 2017.

The key I think is that Norm comes off so... Unassuming. He's not a comic that has a rapid fire or super-high energy delivery, he takes his time with every bit he does, and it's like being drawn in to a trick (again with the subtitle of the special). There's a YouTube reviewer called the Nerdwriter who goes more in depth but the key thing is that there's a magic level to what Norm does, and not in a cheesy way, I mean that you are pulled in little by little as he does each movement of thought and winds up at something that is .... Whoa. His comedy is absurd and wholly delightful, and the intelligence behind it could cut through ten plates of glass.

If nothing else his bit about bringing back the word 'score' ala Abraham Lincoln and George Washington cutting down the tree would get this three stars by default. There's more though so it gets the bump up to just shy of 5 (maybe a couple of minutes fell flat for me but only a couple).

Irony at the half-way point is almost painful

[A_Different_Drummer · 6/10 · 23 February 2022]

At the halfway point, Norm segues into the issues of old age, a comic tradition which was inspired by a routine the late Alan King first did for a national audience on the Ed Sullivan show. He briefly talks about cancer and heart disease, making it clear that, at the time, he was unaware of the condition that would shortly take him from us. All standup routines have their own internal.rhythm, usually starting slow and building. Norm does not disappoint in this regard although overall he seems to rely more on delivery than content for a lot of the gags. His delivery was unique and unforgettable. Iconic. He will be missed.

Parody of a parody of stand up

[mobde_2006 · 10/10 · 22 June 2018]

I think this is the greatest special I've ever seen, and believe me, I've seen all of them. How can you make everything you say so dumb and shallow yet in reality it's very deep and philosophical, how, Norm, how? If you know Norm's unique uncomparabke styld of comedy, you will absoloutely love this, if you don't; I think you must learn it then come back and watch this, or you'll be missing on a lot.

"Important things are going on... it's raining in the forest!"

[Sandcooler · 8/10 · 15 May 2017]

Norm MacDonald is a guy that's openly against doing specials, so it's nice that we actually get some televised stuff for the first time in six years (apart from a brief Letterman appearance). To start out with the good: Norm's still an absolute genius, making people laugh at the sheer absurdity of his premises. There are no rapid-fire punchlines, as the years progress Norm's increasingly comfortable with just having long, meandering stories and takes his time to set up a joke. The absolute best bit in the special is the one where he teaches us you never have to lie... if you say everything in a sarcastic voice. The way he acts that out is classic stuff.

With that said, there are two somewhat disappointing elements about this special. For one thing, Norm doesn't like it when his performances get edited but this could have definitely used some editing. Some bits just go absolutely nowhere and just confuse the crowd. For instance, there's a bit on George Washington that just completely dies, and it makes you wonder if Norm really thought his delivery could save a bit that literally has no jokes. Norm's delivery and timing is amazing, maybe the best of all time. But you still need to write, even if you can make people laugh by mispronouncing the word 'capsule'.

Another thing that's somewhat of a letdown is that a lot of this material is old. There are some decent quality bootlegs available from 2009 and 2010, and I recognised a lot of bits from those bootlegs. He's been doing these bits for seven or eight years now? For a guy who allegedly hates to tell the same joke twice, that seems pretty lazy. I can laugh at the restaurant bit a hundred times, but I was hoping I'd discover lots of new material. That didn't happen, I knew pretty much everything.

However, it's good to see he's still having fun with this. He's a natural and an incredibly mysterious guy, so all the new footage you can get of him is a gem. Furthermore, I don't think I've ever laughed more at the ending of a comedy special, because it was just so perfectly in character for Norm. Overall I'd say this special is a little below 2011's "Me Doing Stand-Up", but certainly not by much.

A bit disappointing.

[13Funbags · 5/10 · 16 May 2017]

I've always been a huge fan of Norm MacDonald.I've even been re-watching Norm for the last couple days.I usually laugh at everything he says but this special is by far the least funny thing he has ever done.He had some good jokes.There's one about auto-erotic asphyxiation that was really good(even though I saw the punch line coming a mile away) and a couple times he mentions all the horrible things happening in the world, like that it's raining in the forests. Those were the only times he was really funny in this special. The most disappointing part is that he reused a few old jokes.That's acceptable when you're doing a talk show but not when you're getting millions to do a Netflix special. While this was Norm at his worst, it's still better than most stand-up specials.

Possibly the best special

[denzil-09434 · 8/10 · 15 November 2017]

This is probably the best comedy special I have ever seen. I first randomly drunk watched it and couldn't remember who it was. I went all over the place searching the one joke I could remember until I was recommended to look up Norm independently.

I've since totally immersed myself in Norm and this special and his podcast Norm MacDonald Live are his best work. I would say this is the best special I have ever seen. If not Straight White Male 60 by Dana Carvey.

He's right, it's raining in the forest :(

[backup-50362 · 10/10 · 10 October 2021]

This is one of my favorite specials, I can't believe I haven't reviewed it yet. Sadly Norm isn't around anymore so this is the last one to commemorate his genius, unique comedy style.

With his charm and witty plot-twisty jokes he keeps the laughs going till the end. I guess if you're some simpleton who can't grasp his humor, you might feel like this isn't as funny as it really is, but he always loved having 50% of the audience laugh and 50% of the audience confused, that made the others laugh even harder.

Legend, like Patrice O'Neal and other great ones that are now gone but the world really needs, because true, funny, pure comedians who REALLY just want to be comedians and not preachy douchebags who exploit political topics for that Netflix frontpage are really a minority nowadays.

Norm the man

[ianshumway · 8/10 · 11 March 2021]

I can't get enough of Norm McDonald. Norm needs to do more specials. I have watched this multiple times, and it's still great.

Wow

[taymanroofing · 10/10 · 20 September 2021]

I'm sorry but screw this audience. They should of been howling. Too many dead spots. You witnessed history. Perhaps you didn't get it till the ride home. You all should of been passed out in your seats from lack of oxygen due to laughing. Perhaps that's why it's quiet you all fainted.

Well, this was something else...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 9 June 2018]

Right, well this was the first and most likely also last time that I watched Norm Mcdonals doing stand-up comedy.

Sure, there were some good jokes and a good laugh here and there, but as a whole then the show just didn't pack enough of a punch.

The onstage presence and the inanimate mannerisms of Norm Mcdonald just made him look like a wooden puppet put on the stage to perform.

Some of the delivery of the material was a bit scrambled and confusing, as if he wasn't properly prepared or had problems remembering his own act.

This was not an outstanding stand-up comedy performance, and I have actually been deterred from watching more of his act.

Life-changingly simple and charming!

[samuelmadtha · 9/10 · 16 September 2022]

This is a must-watch whether you're down and out on your luck or can't be doing better in life. If something can be both uplifting and grounding, this is it. Norm Macdonald's style and personality are just such winners in this performance! After watching this, I have felt like if I just say what I'm thinking, with a humorous take on it, it'll just be the funniest thing in the world! What I mean to say, is that this performance is inspiring:) The way he ends the show is just a creative masterpiece! I would recommend watching this alone or with any friend, any age, your boss, your parent, your lover, anyone, a cop, anyone! Have a good time:)

I didn't get it the first time

[cheesecollector · 10/10 · 5 July 2022]

I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Norm Macdonald may not always be laugh out loud funny, but he always feels like a close friend. In that, he accomplishes something truly special in the realm of stand-up comedy, and I think it's exactly what he wants. He would sacrifice the laugh-after-laugh thing for the sake of "camraderie."

Norm's set here is conversational; though he's always subtly setting up a variety of jokes (he's extremely clever), he also has interesting things to say about death, socializing, and ethics. He's a Swiss Army Knife of a comedian and feels like the nicest, smartest guy in the room who talks "stupidly" for his own amusement. He's a huge prankster - you should see him on Conan. Or on his own Netflix show, Norm Macdonald Has a Show. That might be a good place to start; see how he interacts with another celebrity that you already like.

I really didn't understand this guy at first. He's a bit like Mitch Hedberg; grounded in normalcy, tweaking things just enough to throw me off.

just no OK

[sidbababb · 1/10 · 23 June 2017]

This manseems obsessed with his private parts. Overall the show is vulgar (even for an American comedian) and that in a childish way. There is no story arc, the jokes are badly crafted and seem to center around boring and overused female tropes. The self-deprecating attitude seems fake where it needs to be genuine and actually sad where it needs to be a funny act. Comedy shows should be foremost judged by how much they make you laugh, which would result in a score of zero. Also I simply do not understand when it came to be acceptable and/or funny to describe one's sex life in detail.

weak

[melosolice-28268 · 1/10 · 17 June 2017]

So i have not found him funny in a long time, early on in him career he was new and funny. But as he has gotten older, I just don't get it. I like a lot of shows on Netflix but this is one of the worst. Netflix touts this as "on sex, dating and the absurdities of fame". It is not cutting edge funny just sad. As for the "absurdities of fame" well at this point her career looks more like infamous! Stay away from this trash, i am done with watching anymore of his stuff.

more for less

[rouletelico · 1/10 · 19 June 2017]

Unfortunately, its like the forth Netflix comedy original that seemed to overlap the same material and having comedians take the moral high ground is short-sighted, patronizing, and a sign of the 2010's era.makes a personal connection with the audience and laughs with you and at himself weak stand up comedy but one of the worst i ever seen in my life

bad stand up boring

[klicedrto-09090 · 1/10 · 10 June 2017]

If there was ever a TV episode/show/special/program that SCREAMS: "I have absolutely nothing new to bring you, but I need money", this is it.

I mean it. There was not ONE 'joke' that was funny. NOT ONE. People, listen to me here . . . NOT a single one.

I felt bad for the people in the audience, and there were many, for having to sit through that live. In fact, the camera hardly panned over the audience I imagine because most of them were staring, face blank, and wondering what the heck they were doing there. (You do get a couple of unintended side shots of people squirming in their seats).