Written by Ananya Panchal. Graphics by Ananya Panchal.
John Mulaney’s 2026 tour for his set ‘Mister Whatever’ announced a date in Savannah a couple of weeks ago – and my roommate and I jumped at the chance to grab a ticket. SCAD students know how rare it is for their favourite comedians/singers to perform in Savannah. The show took place last Friday, February 13th, at the Savannah Civic Centre – right next to O-House.
Mulaney’s comedy set will be aired on Netflix, the latest show since Mulaney’s last special, ‘Baby J’, which aired in 2023. His public persona has seen ups and downs over the last couple of years. He was popularly perceived as a ‘nice-guy’ outlier amongst the stereotype of wife-hating comedians, but entered controversy in 2020 for marital issues with his ex-wife Anna Marie Tendler and his long-standing issues with drug abuse.
Comedians’ personas are integral to their work. They entertain us by making light of aspects of their personal lives and thus setting up their private lives for exploitation. We associate certain personas with them through their work, forming false perceptions about them through the guises they put forth. Naturally, Mulaney’s nice-guy persona was broken – not that Mulaney was revealed to be some sort of monster – but it occurred to his audiences and fans that he was a human being.
‘Mister Whatever’ is indicative of a shift in his comedic style, one that is more unhinged and authentic to his actual perceptions. In ‘Baby J’, Mulaney opens up about his struggles and experiences in a slump, but ‘Mister Whatever’ shows a raw, recovering version of himself. You’d be surprised to hear the number of “risky” jokes in this special: Mulaney goes as far as impersonating a Vietnamese accent several times – in fact, it is a key part of his set (given the context of his joke and the way he sets it up makes a lot more sense.)
I believe that this newfound confidence allows for an unexpected kind of comedy that is incredibly hyper-tailored to his experiences creating a one-of-a-kind show. Mulaney touches on a wide variety of topics and transitions them in ways that seem absurd: everything from his $1000 dryer to satanism to his experiences with fatherhood. The contexts are so wildly unfamiliar and specific to his life, but have an incredibly comical and relatable core. It is this chaotic nature of his special that makes him stand out. It goes to show that it doesn’t matter what the context is; Mulaney is just a funny guy; he can’t help himself.
Also noteworthy — given the make up of the audience — there were unabashed jokes made about the elderly, religion, and politics. Savannah is largely known as a retirement city and for having a significantly religious, right-leaning population. Much of the audience was made up of elderly citizens, especially in the front row seats. This further exemplifies that Mulaney isn’t afraid to make jokes that may be deemed as offensive – or to make fun of his audience (which is what comedy is all about!)
A highlight for me was one of the opening comedians, Andrea Jinn. I had never heard of her before the show, but she got some big laughs out of the audience. As an immigrant from Shanghai, her set was rooted in her experiences as a foreigner. Her deadpan delivery particularly made her stand out. Judd Apatow was a surprise guest opener as well. It was revealed that he is going to be in Savannah for a couple of months working on a movie!
The show, overall, was a delight: a new side to Mulaney – unexpected, offensive, and completely hilarious.
