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Early inJerrod Carmichaelsnew special,Rothaniel, he tells his audience that hes happy theyre here.
a woman shouts out from somewhere in the room.
you’re free to talk back to me!
I want you guys to feel that.
This only works if we feel like family, you see.
Im happy youre here, he says a moment later.
This exchange is played like casual opening patter, but Carmichael means it.
He needs them, and not just in the usual way that a comedian needs an audience.
Its possible to find pleasure in either mode, andRothanielis an incredible artistic achievement regardless.
Its the kind of special that basically demands you label it important, and it is not wrong.
They are stories primarily about infidelity.
He grew up knowing this and wanting to shield his mother from the knowledge.
The name is not elegant like William Edward, Carmichael tells the room.
Its more like … Toyotathon.
After this, though, the roles of comedian and audience begin to break down.
They applaud him and shout their support.
I need it, Carmichael says.
I need to feel that.
From this point,Rothanielbecomes something else, though what exactly is left intentionally uncertain.
This performance is a proxy for something, but its difficult to say for what.
IfRothanielwere just a performance taking place inside that room, who it was for would be fairly clear.
In that portion, at least, the audience is the means to Carmichaels end.
It is not just a performance in a room, though.
Are the audience members asking questions real?
Are they a part of the performance, prompted by Burnham but not fully disclosed to Carmichael?
Is it a combination of those things or something else entirely?
The answer is ultimately beside the point, becauseRothanielis not intended to be adocumentarythat captures a live performance.
AndRothanielis unabashed about its artistic designs.
Is it too naked?
Too loose, or too choreographed?
That it can be all of those is its own kind of accomplishment.
But at the end, it reasserts itself.
He may be cold, as he says, and selfish, and angry, and sad.
