It’s been five years since Anthony Jeselnik released his last comedy special, 2019’s Fire in the Maternity Ward. There are a number of possible explanations for the prolonged hiatus. There was, of course, a global pandemic in the interim. There is the fact that Jeselnik is an extremely thorough writer who takes extra time to make sure his jokes are scripted to a tee. Hell, Jeselnik could have simply been busy with the day-to-day rigors of his personal life. But if the trailer for his upcoming special Bones and All is any indication, the comedian spent most of his time between specials standing silently onstage, waiting for audiences to stop cheering for his jokes. “One of my friends just asked me if I would be the sperm donor for her baby,†he begins in the trailer’s only joke. “I said, ‘I don’t know. That’s a pretty big decision. How old’s your baby?’†This ten-second one-liner is then followed by an extended 28 seconds of laughs, woos, and applause that go on for so long that, at one point, Jeselnik checks his watch. Clearly, five years away have done nothing to soften the comedian’s signature persona.
Bones and All, directed by Bill Benz, marks Jeselnik’s 20th year of performing stand-up. The comedian, who rose to fame as a standout on the Comedy Central roasts and currently hosts the popular podcast The Jeselnik and Rosenthal Vanity Project, recorded it at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. Find out what other jokes he resents his audience for cheering at when the special drops November 26 on Netflix.