▲In less than a year, Chappelle debuted four stand-up specials, announcing his return to the comedy stage. 'The Age of Spin' has been the most well-received, but it's especially interesting to see how he keeps up with the times.

▲The title of her latest special 'Not Normal' refers to the state of the US under Trump's presidency, and though talking about Trump has become sort of a staple in stand-up, Sykes offers a sharper take.

▲All of Shlesinger's comedy specials are fantastic, but her latest 'Elder Millennial' is a gut-busting criticism of women's inner she-dragons, as well as a feminist take on relationships that is relatable, accessible, and ridiculously hilarious.

▲If you haven't heard of Hasan Minhaj yet, well, how? His Netflix stand-up special 'Homecoming King' is an intricate, heartfelt, and hilarious account of his life as a second-generation immigrant. Plus, his series 'Patriot Act' tackles huge world issues with stinging humor that you can't help but laugh at.

▲The comedic prodigy took a break after his 'Make Happy' special to work on his film 'Eighth Grade,' but the special marked a moment of growth for the comedian, with razor-sharp one-liners and an unflinching look at the entertainment industry.

▲'Hard Knock Wife' was Wong's 2018 follow-up to the wildly successful 'Baby Cobra,' which actually became a Halloween costume. The unapologetically real mom raises the bar for stand-up while delivering some hilarious truths about motherhood.

▲Despite his typically over-the-top performances in films like 'Pitch Perfect,' Devine has a really natural stage presence in his special 'Best Time of Our Lives,' which is relatable and funny.

▲Silverman's 'A Speck of Dust' special shows a marked shift in her classic shock-and-awe humor, as she demonstrates her skill in playing the long-game with her jokes, while also giving a very candid look into her own life.

▲The Australian comedian's Netflix special 'Nanette' was an overnight success, changing the way we think about comedy. Though it marked her last stand-up performance, she deserves a shout-out for being one of the best in recent times.

▲No one does self-effacing humor like John Mulaney, and his latest comedy special 'Kid Gorgeous at Radio City' hilariously pits his good-humored charm with the bizarre norms of society. He even won an Emmy for the writing!

▲'Son of Patricia' was the 'Daily Show' host's follow-up to his 'Afraid of the Dark,' which won the world's heart with his wide-eyed foreigner take on American culture and politics. His 2018 special, however, shifted away from politics and onto tacos, camping, and tourism, with a real knack for storytelling.

▲'Growing' is the follow-up to Schumer's 'Leather Special' and saw the same raunchy humor, however the jokes were more clever and mature, not to mention delivered while very pregnant.

▲Gaffigan's sixth Netflix special 'Noble Ape' is an hour of jokes that surprise you with how hilarious they are because they seem too clean and tame. This is a good one to watch with the family.

▲Brand is by no means a fresh face on the scene, but his latest comedy special 'Re:Birth' is a refreshing wave of self-deprecation that can only come from being in the spotlight for so long. Enlightenment has never been so funny.

▲Heller infuses a hilarious dose of feminism into the comedy realm, and her 'Ice Thickeners' special marks her as one to watch. She dives right into topics like politics, exercise, therapy, and pleasure without a moment of hesitation.

▲In his latest special 'Feelings,' Youssef describes what it's like to be a horny 20-something Muslim American who was raised in a conservative religious tradition but is constantly thinking about sex. His series 'Ramy' is also one to look out for.

▲Though 'Man on Fire' isn't very new, it's the special that cemented D'Elia's place as one of the greats. The comic leaves nothing off the table, and he proves time and again that he's got more than the “Drunk Girls” bit that first launched his name to fame.

▲In the closing episode of Netflix's 'The Standups' series, Aparna Nancherla brings her hilariously awkward takes on airports, how to be sexy, modern communication, and she makes the best use of a PowerPoint presentation that you'll ever see.

▲The viral video star's 'Miranda Sings Live: Your Welcome' special stars both Miranda and her real-world alter ego Colleen Ballinger. There's music, comedy, and a hilarious rumination on all of her haters.

▲Martin is one of the comedians pushing the envelope of stand-up, known for drawing diagrams and for his bowl cut. In 'The Overthinker,' he very importantly analyzes the alphabet's most aggressive letters.

▲The legendary Chris Rock did his first Netflix special in 2018, 'Tamborine,' and it happened to be one of his best stand-up hours yet.

▲'Jerry Before Seinfeld' gets creative with the comedy special form by combining documentary and stand-up, and it explores the comedian's early stand-up career before he became a sitcom icon.

▲His one-man stage show 'Latin History for Morons' hit Netflix in November 2018 after winning a Tony Award, and while it's not traditional stand-up, the show's one-man, nonstop humor makes it stand out.

▲An extremely relatable comic, Roy Wood Jr's 'No One Loves You' delivers the kind of political comedy that hasn't been done a million times over, and that really takes you somewhere instead of poking fun at the obvious.

▲This bad-boy comic has made a career on saying things others can't, but his latest 'Fire in the Maternity Ward' special is his cleanest yet. He ditches the offensive cartoonish jokes, and instead gets genuine laughs out of white supremacy, abortion, and dropping babies.

▲The 'Saturday Night Live' and 'Portlandia' star is also the drummer for Seth Meyers' late-night house band. He consequently released a very niche special in 2018 called 'Standup For Drummers,' delivering drumming-related jokes with expertise and physical comedy that's funny for everyone.

▲A wickedly funny comedian and an inspiration to cancer patients everywhere, Notaro's 'Happy To Be Here' special is packed with funny anecdotes, parenting confessions, and goofy physical comedy.

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Ansari's latest stand-up special on Netflix, 'Right Now,' directed by Spike Jonze, directly addresses his sexual misconduct allegations, and tackles the effect of “wokeness” on pop culture, reflecting on the past and future of comedy, and challenging the audience in ways both funny and revelatory.

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Streaming has opened up a world of media constantly pouring into our browsers, but it has also created some terrible viewing habits. Either you scroll endlessly with too many options, you end up re-watching episodes of a series that you've already seen twice, or you miraculously pick something, but it ends up just being background noise as you zone out and scroll your phone.

Stand-up comedy specials are often the thing people watch when they don't know what else to watch, and they're the perfect non-committal hour-long slice of entertainment that can lift your mood and ease your mind. It doesn't make you work too hard, and yet, when it's good, it leaves you with new knowledge and perspectives, or that fantastic feeling of knowing you're not alone in your weird thoughts about the world.

But instead of going to the old classics you may have heard of years ago, why not try out the newer specials that tackle timely subjects with modern takes that are changing the comedy landscape?

The following stand-up comedians definitely fit that bill, so do yourself a favor today: skip your ab workout and watch one of these instead.

▲The 'Saturday Night Live' comedian's 'Michael Che Matters' special straps you into uncomfortable situations, and the ride will have you laughing all the way.

What to watch: The best stand-up comedians right now

Presenting the biggest class clowns

25/11/20 por StarsInsider

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