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Its something he embraces but also something he turns around and uses for his benefit.
Theres a guy at an airport and a guy at the waffle station of a hotels continental-breakfast buffet.
(Waffle-station guy is my favorite.)
Bargatze claims to not know something.
Theres a collective warmth to it.
That central idea fits nicely with the onstage persona Bargatze has developed.
He shrugs and occasionally puts his hands in his pockets.
Its the little joke of the specials title: Hes the greatest of the average Americans.
And because he doesnt have to.
Maybe theres nothing especially elaborate Bargatze wants to say about being a comedian in 2020.
Its not a topic he lingers on for long.
Its a perfunctory acknowledgment I still feel a need for, though.
What do audiences want at this moment?
Escapism is tough to pull off well, but tackling the current mood is a minefield.
Bargatzes strategy to touch on it and then move on is a bit of a half-measure.
Right now, I appreciate that its at least there in some form.
But its also, at least a little, a demonstration of the limits of that.
A nice, funny time is a beautiful thing, and its not going to change the world.
Because Bargatze is performing outdoors, he has to pause more than once while helicopters buzz overhead.
The annoyance is small; his line about the helicopters is sharp and silly.
Still, its hard to ignore how obvious the metaphor feels.
Bargatze charges ahead what else can he do?
and the effort mostly works.
Its a pleasant way to spend an hour, as long as the hovering helicopters dont intrude.
