In her new special “Single Lady,” raunchy comedian Ali Wong holds back

From her stand-up specials Don Wong And Hard Knock Wifeto their roles in Always be my maybe And beefAli Wong has made a name for herself as a comedian who isn't afraid to “go there” (although “there” is often the dirtiest place ever).

But in her latest stand-up special on Netflix, Wong portrays life after her divorce and her ongoing search for love in an unusually tender way. Has the comedian lost her edge? Or has she taken the rare step of setting clear boundaries about what she will and won't talk about on stage?

Continue today excitementFilm critics Rachel Ho and Rad Simonpillai and comedian Cassie Cao discuss with host Elamin Abdelmahmoud what they respected – but perhaps didn't like – about the Netflix comedy special Ali Wong: Single lady.

We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, including the panel's thoughts on the new Apple TV+ series Disclaimer and the upcoming western film Rust, Listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favorite podcast player.

VIEW | Today's episode on YouTube:

Elamin: Ali Wong is known for his really raw, brash comedic style. What was she like in this new special?

Cassie: I really liked it. This is her fourth special. I think her first, Baby cobraIt's now (almost) 10 years old and I want to emphasize to everyone how difficult it is to maintain a level of consistency in all special offers over such a long period of time. Also, how hard it is to write good stand-up when you're successful and rich and it's absolutely no longer necessary.

I think they are really excellent. And the level of consistency – it delivers. She doesn't bullshit her audience. She doesn't take out a notebook. She doesn't lose her temper. She delivers what you paid your ticket for and I really appreciate that.

Elamin: How did you perceive her vulnerability? Because I think that's a given for us at Ali Wong: she goes to the vulnerable place. The jokes are raunchy and dirty, and then there's a twist. There's a twist in every Ali Wong joke; She kind of turns it inward, and that's her brilliance. Did you feel like she was put in a vulnerable place in this special?

Cassie: I would say that this is definitely not her most vulnerable special, but I get it too. First of all, I think she's perhaps the dirtiest comedian I can think of. She's holding it back for her Netflix specials. She gives us the most PG stuff she has in her joke book. I thought the previous, Don WongShe was so dirty and I thought she had gained enough trust from her audience to get even dirtier. And I was a little disappointed that it didn't get dirtier. It didn't become more vulnerable. She didn't say anything about her husband. I've been waiting for this, you know? But at the same time, I really respect Ali Wong for being such a big star, being so successful, facing so much pressure from media and fans, and keeping her boundaries. She says: If I don't talk about it, we just won't talk about it. And I think that's a really powerful message.

Elamin: Rachel, you are not a fan of Ali Wong's comedy style. I want to talk about it. However, what do you think of the themes and issues she attempts to address in the special?

Rachel: I want it to be successful and I think it's important that we support each other in these smaller communities. But I feel like she's closer to a shock athlete than anything else. She says things to shake people up, and to me that's not necessarily smart comedy. It's not necessarily an intelligent comedy. It's just about saying what people don't expect you to say, like playing against type. I feel like that was kind of her thing, and to me personally it doesn't feel that authentic.

However, I like the topics she talks about here. I find it interesting. I mean, the idea of ​​being 40, being divorced, being a single mom and trying to date again and the openness with which she shares her journey is pretty cool to me. And I like that. We all know who she's with right now, so I understand why she might not be going full throttle because he's a pretty well-known person himself. But I think –

Elamin: I thought, are we doing this? all do you know that? I mean, I don't know if I know.

Cassie: We do.

Rachel: Bill Hader?

Cassie: And he could use a joke.

Rachel: He definitely could. But I feel like the fact that she shows that doesn't just show respect, right?

Cassie: Yes, I agree.

Rachel: There is a respect between the two not to do it. And I don't know, I respect her more than I like her. And I think the same could be said about this special. I respect it, but it's not necessarily something I laughed about the whole time.

You can listen to the full discussion starting today's broadcast CBC Listen or in our podcast Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Panel produced by Ty Callender.