Three days before Donald J. Trump becomes president again, the wily progressive cartoonist Roy Wood Jr. releases a special, “The Flower of Loneliness,'' which begins with this eerie line: ”
It grabs your attention and raises questions. Who are “we”? What would you like to make? Will this be funny or dark?
Wood, who describes his comedy as a form of journalism, likes a teasing introduction that draws you right into the thought. His 2017 hourpiece, “Father Figures,” opens with this great joke. “But if we take down the Confederate flag, how do we know who the dangerous white people are?”
“Lonely Flowers,” which is available on Hulu, does not directly deal with President Trump, but it is the first major post-election feature that captures the unstable atmosphere of the culture that brought Trump victory. There is. This hour will feature jokes that are both funny and dark, but are not specific to current political matters, but instead build broader and deeper discussions. Less newspaper editorials, more magazine essays.
As the title suggests, the new feature focuses on the effects of Americans' increasing loneliness. It's a comedy that resonates perfectly with Derek Thompson's Atlantic cover story, “The Antisocial Century,” which argues that the modern era is characterized by a sharp decline in the amount of time we spend with others. But while the article lays out facts, statistics, and reportage to explain the effects of a lack of connection, Roy Wood makes a wise observation about grocery store cashiers. He also encountered the same caveat.
Wood's talent is blending small-scale observational humor into resonant metaphors. Americans were once known for their customer service. Now, he says, he can't even expect a friendly reception at the range. “How can you be rude to someone who has come to practice murder?'' he asked, surprised.
Wood said the store is hiring more people, including ushers whose sole job was once to greet customers. “If you were black, you were special because you had employees who stalked you,” he said, feigning innocence to sell the punchline many times during this hour. .
But it's the cashiers that Wood makes the most of. That's because the changing nature of work also reflects the push for technology such as self-checkout, which is one of the main causes of our lack of connection. Wood argues that the essence of asking someone to accept money is not favors or support. It's to make lonely people feel seen. While lawsuits against self-checkout registers are typically about job loss, Wood focuses on the other side of the conversation. So, what does a missing smile, lack of eye contact, and loss of small talk mean?
This theme must be in the zeitgeist. Because another new comedy released this week weaves in the positive aspects of automation: the ease of stealing from Whole Foods. “Have you ever used a self-checkout?” Ali Shafir asks in the irreverent feature “America's Sweetheart,” before adding, “Where do you pay for your stuff?”
Like Shafir, Wood is a lazy, casual, intelligent comic. When he's animated, his way of speaking is a bit reminiscent of Bill Cosby's stand-up style. But Wood shows more lyricism and vulnerability. With a receding hairline, he makes jokes about his insecurities about his age, career and romantic choices. When he tells his sentimental love story, he uses so much specificity and emotion that you forget you're watching stand-up comedy. That's when he changes his focus. There are many surprising variations in his jokes. And you might even say that this special is one of them.
Not too long ago, Wood was working as a correspondent for Comedy Central's “The Daily Show,” and it seemed like a good bet to become its next host. I thought he would get the job, and he got the job too. During the new special, Trevor Noah told his mother that he no longer had to worry about work because he was stepping down as host of “The Daily Show” and Wood was taking his place. he said.
It was one of several jokes that made the audience laugh at his innocence. Comedy Central hired a replacement host (before bringing back Jon Stewart on Monday) and Wood left the show. He was a little humbled when he talked about the time he called his mother back. “You didn't quit, did you?'' he said. “I have to go to plan B.”
So far, that's meant hosting a CNN panel show about the news, and, according to a recent interview with NPR, selling a few scripts and writing a book. There's also this particular piece, a warmer, more wandering piece than his previous work, one that flexes different muscles than the ones he showed on “The Daily Show.”
Nightly topical humor involving Trump requires agility and directness. This kind of cutting-edge comedy is more layered, mixing political and personal stories. He makes elusive references to romantic relationships, but by the end of the special, the idea that his opening line about not being in a relationship may have as much to do with relationships as it does with society is growing. It came to mind.
Wood will put everything he has into this special. When he talks about how difficult it is to make friends in your 40s, you get the sense that he understands how difficult it is to connect.
Comedians today react to news faster than ever before. And there are already studies being done that speak directly to what will happen in President Trump's second term. Josh Johnson released a thoughtful set about the tension between Elon Musk and the MAGA movement, featuring an incisive section about the world's richest man's apparent unhappiness. Mountain Squid Sanders released a raucous, visceral feature in which he indulged in extreme pessimism and strategized about the return of slavery.
In Wood's story, people today seem extremely vulnerable and at risk of violence if they make a wrong move. We're always moving between progress and repulsion, but what's new is how isolation has changed us, he says. His joke about angry types who lose their temper and write manifestos feels timely.
What keeps us from succumbing to violent tendencies is not politics or even purpose, but simple human gestures from the cashier. Talking to one person can change a life, he says. “I made a friend at the grocery store,” he says, putting that thought process into action. “I can't commit murder here.”
