New Tom Segura Netflix Special Is Complete Trash, I’ll Come Up With An Appropriate Headline Once I Calm Down

Written by Robert Scocchi | Published 6 seconds ago

If you spend any time on Reddit, follow comedy, or listen to podcasts, you probably already know that the name Tom Segura isn’t always received with warmth these days. Most of the hostility stems from his 2023 Twitter tirade about “poor people” after an unpleasant experience at the airport, and you can tell from some of the negative reviews of his latest Netflix special, Teachercoming from people who don’t want to see him succeed based on that alone.

Although I admit those comments were a bit extreme when he made them, I didn’t take them seriously, even though I probably fall into the demographic of people he refers to as poor people. I come from a middle-class family, and I still live in the middle class. The problem is that the middle class is rapidly disintegrating, and the gap between people who are doing their best and those who are doing their best and those who are incredibly wealthy is becoming wider, which has rightly angered people. When I make a large purchase, I count how many working hours it will take me to buy the thing, and that’s how I decide if it’s worth it. A lot of people work this way. Comedians also run their mouths for shock value, so there’s no need to take them seriously either.

Much of the anger directed at Tom Segura stems from those heated, controversial moments on his podcast and on social media, which led to some show-bombing of Teacher. But we don’t need to overdo the social and economic talk about why Teacher It currently has a nine percent approval rating on Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes. The reason behind the very poor performance is much simpler. This is not funny.

Let the art speak for itself

I completely understand why large groups of people who are doing their best to get ahead in life are upset by the persona that Segura has been focusing on over the past few years: “I am rich and therefore better than you.” But let’s get down to the brass tacks. Tom Segura’s popularity did not rise through sheer dumb luck. He makes it because of his sense of humor, storytelling, and sarcastic view of the world, the same traits that most up-and-coming comedians have when they’re hungry and actively playing the game.

They live on the road, performing hundreds of shows a year, honing their craft, and hoping to finally experience the big break that many aspiring comedians seek. While Segura’s massive success with podcasting and Netflix has given him a lifestyle that makes his observations less relatable to the average person, I don’t think that’s the reason Teacher It is his weakest hour-long special to date.

Dave Chappelle is worth millions, but he’s still a brilliant storyteller. Bill Burr has been a huge success, but his confessional speech about family life and managing his anger remains universally relatable. Wealth alone does not break comedy. Complacency does that. Important note: Tom Segura went to private school, but his early specials are his best work.

Destructive radio broadcast?

Teacherwhich has Rotten Tomatoes user reviews saying things like “Tom Segura is as funny as staring at a dog’s butt,” falls into a completely different category. It points to a larger problem with stand-up comedy designed for mass consumption through streaming. It doesn’t feel like a new watch.

The most common complaint about Teacher is that many of the anecdotes can be traced back to interviews and podcast episodes. This has become standard practice now as most high-profile comedians rely on podcasting to stay visible and generate income when they are not touring. An unintended side effect is that when comedians spend hours casually talking to other comedians, they’re essentially working their next hour in front of millions of listeners.

By the time these jokes on tour are refined and eventually filmed for a special, they don’t appear to be new material. It sounds like a repackaging of something you’ve already heard on your commute, now with an added video component of a man standing in front of a microphone.

My biggest problem with Teacher is that the storytelling element that originally attracted me to Segura’s situation has almost completely disappeared. Instead, the private plays feel like a loose collection of unrelated anecdotes, moving from family life, to documentaries about Hitler’s doping, to more stories about soiling his pants. Most jokes follow a standard setup and script structure, which is perfectly fine in theory, but there’s rarely any meaningful payoff.

2018 Disgracefulon the other hand, features a cool setup involving an In-N-Out Burger that was briefly introduced early on, then later revisited with an unexpected payoff during a completely different segment. This level of craftsmanship does not exist Teacher. Here, each joke feels like a stand-alone gag, with no connective tissue or satisfying escalation from one segment to the next.

Other projects take precedence?

I still have Segura’s top three Netflix shows, Totally normal, Mostly storiesand Disgracefulin regular rotation. I keep shouting “BIKES!” I call my wife with a trumpet whenever the opportunity arises. learned about Steven Seagal: The Lawman Thanks Totally normalI highly suggest everyone watch the series.

I hate to say it, but Ball hog, Heavy hammerAnd now, TeacherThey simply don’t hit the same way or have the same staying power. Despite the mixed reactions, I really enjoyed it Bad thoughtslargely because many of its skits seemed like fully realized extensions of jokes from those earlier specials. You can see that there is real care in the production, and that the cast and crew are invested in making something memorable.

TeacherIn comparison, it feels like a commitment rather than a passion project. It’s as if Segura was ready to move on to other projects, but was handed a blank check from Netflix and told to hand over another hour. I may be completely off base here, but it seems like his creative focus has shifted from stand-up to production. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that.

But for my money, Teachercurrently streaming on Netflix, gets its low score, not because of what Tom Segura says offstage, but because of what he says when he’s on it.