Review: Netflix’s “Christina P: Mother Inferior” Comedy Special

In 2017, comedy is a persnickety market. The standards for what is actually “funny” anymore are constantly fluctuating, both due to the amorphous boundaries of what is humorous or offensive, and the fact that everything seems to have been done before. 

As an avid viewer of stand-up specials since middle school, and as someone who has always possessed a love of humor and making those around me laugh, I empathize with the plight of comics. Comics who pursue careers in 2017 seem to be tackling the impossible: figuring out what people find funny, all the while trying to find the correct, hybrid-esque balance of shock and awe, as well as a certain sensitivity to what is off-limits (which is always subjective from person to person).

Since everything has been done before and is constantly being rehashed, you have to truly be able to grab the attention of someone pursuing Netflix, and draw them in enough to commit to at least an hour of your humor.

For me, comedian Christina Pazsitzky, or “Christina P.,” piqued my interest in just this sort of manner during her new Netflix comedy special “Christina P: Mother Inferior.” I clicked the video to play, and awaited the daunting question, “Funny, or nah?” Within the first 10 minutes, I thought, “Funny!”

The Netflix special premiered on October 10, and covers a wide, colorful array of topics: why other generations hate Millennials so much, dad stereotypes, sex, mortality, being offended, being a parent in 2017, the Kardashians, having Hungarian immigrants for parents, Jenny McCarthy, what it was like growing up as a Generation X’er, and even some existential musings!

Pazsitzky commands her show with a brand of comedy that is all her own. The first topic she tackles is her newfound motherhood, and I was initially apprehensive that the special would simply turn into “new mom” anecdotes, and nothing else. To my excitement, of course, I was incorrect. She seamlessly blends topics into her special that would not otherwise work together; she can go from a zany story about her goth tween days, to commentary on the infamous Donald Trump audio from Access Hollywood.

Throughout her routine, Pazsitzky walks the line between humorous vulgarity and “edgy” comedy with a tasteful sense of just “how far” is the right degree for her to take things. She reads the crowd’s reception like a seasoned veteran (which she is--she has been in comedy for years), and interacts with audience members on multiple occasions.

With an undeniable likeability factor working in her favor, as well as what seems to be a genuine aptitude for connecting with her audience (both in the moment during the special and through viewing her act itself), I found myself chuckling at my laptop quite regularly.

If you are looking for an hour of levity and enjoy fresh comedy, watch “Christina P: Mother Inferior” on Netflix today!