“'In da clurb, we all fam” — am I right, my fellow young people? Yes, I totally mess with Broad City and get all of these references on the TikTok. …Was that convincing? No? Oh, well then I guess I’ll just admit that, while I was definitely aware of them, I wasn’t familiar with Ilana Glazer’s work until checking out their new stand-up special Human Magic on Hulu. After watching it, however, I can see why they’re one of the most talked about comics and comedic actors in recent memory.
As mentioned, Glazer is probably best known for the Comedy Central series Broad City and, more recently, the film Babes (which my wife apparently watched without me and said she really enjoyed). They also released a comedy special in 2020 that, according to internet search results, was not too well received — at least by some. Yet, I went into Human Magic unsure of what to expect and came out slightly pained from laughter.
I should note at the top that, unlike the inaugural “Hularious” special, The Skinny by Jim Gaffigan, which was mostly clean, Human Magic is decided not — nor would you want it to be. One of the signature aspects of Glazer’s comedy (as I understand it) is that they manage to talk about sex and the like in a way that’s honest and rarely discussed. That continues with Human Magic as they cover the before, during, and after of giving birth with hilarious frankness.
Oh yeah, if you weren’t aware, the title of the special is a reference to how child birth is kind of an amazing magic trick. Indeed, their experience with pregnancy makes up the bulk of the special material. Yet, it doesn’t occupy the entire runtime as there are plenty of other topics explored as well. Without giving it away, one of my favorite bits involved Glazer discovering some strange secrets of their Floridian Airbnb. I also appreciated the explanation of what separates “men” and “guys.”
While there’s really no reason for me to compare Human Magic to The Skinny in general, I think it’s fair game since the entire reason I’ve reviewed either is thanks to Hulu’s new stand-up comedy intuitive. So, with that, I’ll point out that while Gaffigan’s material about having children felt stale and well-worn, Glazer’s takes are refreshing and funny. That includes their observations of what it’s like to be a parent who still enjoys some of their past vices (the logline for the special mention “navigating the parenthood as a stoner mom”).
Overall, although it surely won’t be for everyone, I thought Ilana Glazer’s Human Magic special was a delightful 55 minutes. Not only did I laugh regularly and loudly throughout but there was at least one instance where I had to wipe away tears from chuckling so hard. So whether you’re familiar with Glazer’s popular work or not, if you’re a fan of stand-up comedy, I’d definitely recommend giving Human Magic a watch.
Ilana Glazer: Human Magic is now streaming on Hulu.