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Stand-up for Subsets
For most comedy specials, the live audience is just there to react. For these ones, it’s a core part of the concept.
Where the comedian’s material is less successful at engendering empathy for people in prison — in moments when she slips into motivational-speaker mode or performs jokes about sexuality that have aged poorly — the special still accomplishes this just by representing this often unseen population. It’s bookended with interviews with audience members reflecting on why they’re incarcerated, and at one point, Mo’Nique invites a woman onstage to sing a breathtaking rendition of the gospel hymn “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.” At times, it feels less like comedy than it does a sermon. Filmed at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium in Washington, D.C., the special sees Quinn performing an hour of material written in large parts for this specific audience, and it’s dense with references to famous psychologists and obnoxious therapyspeak.
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