How Jerrod Carmichael’s ‘performance art’ keeps Pamela Adlon present
Description of How Jerrod Carmichael’s ‘performance art’ keeps Pamela Adlon present
Pamela Adlon’s sharp comedic voice and her willingness to take on sensitive subjects in a raw and open way has made her a standout in the entertainment world. Adlon voiced Bobby Hill on the iconic animated series King of the Hill for 13 seasons, but is also known for creating, starring in, and directing the semi-autobiographical FX dramedy Better Things — which ran for five seasons. The series centered Adlon’s character Sam Fox, a divorced mother of three juggling the complexities of career, parenting, and aging. More recently, Adlon made her directorial debut with the feature film Babes, starring Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau. The film explores the highs and lows of female friendship, childbirth, and the often chaotic journey of motherhood.
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For her Treat, Adlon gives a heartfelt shout out to comedian and actor, Jerrod Carmichael. She describes watching his 2022 HBO special Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel as feeling like her head had been cracked open. Filmed at the iconic Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, the special made a lasting impact on Adlon particularly due to Carmichael’s bold departure from traditional stand-up structure. To her, his performance felt more like performance art on another level. What struck Adlon most was his raw vulnerability — how he openly delved into his personal life, from his relationship with his mother to his innermost emotions. Adlon also cites The Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show as an example of the comedian’s ability to play with truth and “reality.” She admires his courage in putting himself so fully on display, aware that he's being judged by the audience as he navigates such deeply intimate material.
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This segment has been edited and condensed for clarity.
I'm going to talk about someone who really impresses me and that's Jerrod Carmichael.
When I saw [Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel], I was completely … my head cracked open because it's a rumination. It's the way I felt when I saw Swimming to Cambodia and when Spalding Gray was doing his thing. It evoked that feeling in me, like I'm really there with him. That's the way I feel about Jerrod and what he's doing.
It's like he's rejecting any kind of structure to what stand-up comedy should be. Any kind of structure to what a television show should be. Don't you need to tell people what's the real thing? What's the truth? No, you don't. He's owning that. It's performance art that is on another level.
And it's really scary. I think it's probably because he's putting himself out there in a way that he is being judged by everybody, of course, and he's talking about his private life. He's talking about his mother, his feelings, and he's being able to — obviously — use this in a therapeutic way for himself. But it is stunning to me what he's doing.
What Jerrod is doing is just like, he needs to be seen and expose himself in this profound way right now. It is so generous and fascinating. And he's brilliant.