A new Netflix special has some of today’s best comedians paying tribute to the all-time greats in standup. Recorded during the Netflix Is a Joke festival, “The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up” has Dave Chappelle (who had an eventful festival), Pete Davidson, Jon Stewart, John Mulaney, Chelsea Handler, and Jeff Ross showing their appreciation for George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers, and Robin Williams.
In a clip released online (watch it above), Mulaney explains what made Williams so special, and why he’s misunderstood. “People like to theorize that comedy all comes from a place of pain and sadness. And people like to talk about comedians as if we do what we do because of some inner darkness,” he said. Mulaney thinks this is “especially thrown around” when discussing the late standup, but “with all due respect, f*ck off with that sh*t. Have a little respect for a brilliant artist who was just more talented than you.”
Mulaney called making people laugh “incredibly fun” and added that “being a comedian is not a psychiatric condition.” There are “very f*cked up” comedians, but that’s true of every profession. “There are depressed people who don’t even have the decency to be great comedians,” he joked. “Why don’t you pick on them for a change?”
“The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up” is available now on Netflix. You can also watch clips like this of Robin William on YouTube, maybe with your headphones in if you’re somewhere that people might look at you funny if they hear loud cussing coming from your phone or laptop.