Editor’s Note: Sometimes, you may find yourself scrolling through whatever streaming service you subscribe to, and you come across a comedy special from an artist you may or may not be familiar with. Inevitably, the first question you ask yourself as you contemplate your next move will most likely be ‘Is this something worth an hour that I can’t get back?’ — and we are here to help you shuffle through the latest and greatest comedy releases to make sure that hour and change is well spent. Welcome to The ReVue Stage. Here in the latest little corner carved out in Vanyaland’s comedy coverage, not only will you find reviews and recaps of what we feel are the best stand-up specials to recently hit the scene, but also thoughts on any brand spankin’ new comedy albums, and hell, when we feel like leaving the house for a minute, we’ll even do the damn thing at live stand-up shows around the area. It’s all killer no filler around these parts, comrade. So kick back and let us help you figure out your next chuckle.
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If you’re familiar with anything that Andrew Santino has done in comedy, podcasting, or TV, then his authenticity shouldn’t come as news. Now, with his latest hour special, Cheeseburger, the Chicago native offers up a veritable Scooby-Doo sandwich of authenticity, in which the impressive nature of that genuine approach is only matched by the layers he’s added to his repertoire for his sophomore release.
Discussing a myriad of topics in an “Everyman” type of way where he sounds like he’s processing it in real time along with us, which is naturally more alluring in our opinion, almost in the same cadence of the guy in the corner booth of a bar going on about how he sees the world and events taking place around him, Santino’s demeanor is both comforting and intriguing. He’s not spastic (not like he ever really has been), but rather collected and laid back as he calmly paces from side to side, which only adds to the potency of the placement of his well-crafted and sometimes slow-burning material.
There are plenty of stories from his personal life throughout the hour, with sexually confused musings on prostate exams and the similarities between a super soaker and getting “built up,” it feels like we really know Cheeto like he’s an old friend. But through his podcasts and interviews, we’ve already come to know that side of Santino. That’s not to say that we didn’t appreciate and enjoy those stories any less than others, but while there are glimpses of a man that has continued to figure things out and grow as a person and performer since we last saw him in his 2017 debut special Home Field Advantage, Santino’s comedic and overall artistic growth arguably shines brightest is in his not-so-hot takes on social and political happenings.
Now, that’s not to say this is “political comedy” in the way that has the potential of getting the Heismann stance, so don’t let that dissuade you here. Santino does touch on current events, but in a way that doesn’t evoke a sense of superiority or soapboxing, but in more of a “this is insane, are you seeing this?” sort of way. Whether it’s understanding but also still wanting to roll his eyes at Greta Thunberg, and his, dare we say Carlin-adjacent breakdown of how the trade off of one old, out-of-touch white guy for another isn’t exactly a win for us because of them truly care about us, or processing the balance between having the right to say what he wants as a comedian and others having the right to be upset by it, there were many layers and ideas to unpack and sort out, and within that journey, Santino shows a significant amount of poise and concession while also keeping the flow and endpoint deeply rooted in comedy. It was a fairly brief yet worthwhile dip into uncommon waters for Santino, and he manned the landscape considerably well for someone you wouldn’t really describe as politically active.
In fact, that’s sort of the basis of the meaning behind the show’s title, and it’s honestly an admirable approach. Santino isn’t looking to be an earth-shattering megastar, but he is just looking to give everybody a good time while we’ve got him, and that’s just wholesome as hell.
Well, if we can be so sappy, we are pretty damn lucky to have the perspective and growing comedic force of Andrew Santino while we have him, and we’ll raise up some Five Guys or In-N-Out to that any day.