Comedy has always been one of the few things in media that can instantly please the consumer. It is often derived from one's personal experiences and works well if told with entertaining drama. Over the years, stand-up comedy has established itself as a crowd pleaser with an hour or two of performances. Often one can find identifiable bits of memory in these comedy pieces. Having a cynical approach to life is not an ideal situation, but sometimes there is humor in that cynicism, and it comes through to those who encounter it. If you've come to realize that you have a cynical outlook on life, among other things, then Romesh Ranganathan's latest stand-up special, "The Cynic," on Netflix, might be a relatable comedy.
For the uninitiated, Romesh Ranganathan is a British citizen of Sri Lankan origin. He was born to immigrant parents from Sri Lanka when they moved to the UK and settled in the idyllic town of Crawley. He has made a name for himself on the comedy scene with his eccentric account of his life growing up and coming of age. Self-deprecating comedy, use of exaggeration and deadpan sense of humor are synonymous with Ranganathan. He is popularly known for the comedy show “The Ranganation” which first premiered in 2019 and earned him two BAFTA nominations. He also hosted a travel show, "The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan" (2018-present), for which he won the BAFTA in 2020. He has also published an autobiography titled "Straight Outta Crawley", which was released in 2018. His latest The Special from stand-up is titled “The Cynic” and talks about his sex life, his relationship with his wife, his children and his life as a modern man.
Star: Romesh Ranganathan
Romesh begins his article by mentioning why he chose Crawley to film his Netflix stand-up special. Crawley is the place where he was born and raised, but it's also the place he hates. He directly calls Crawley "a sh*thole" and condemns the town for being very idyllic and worldly. In the behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of his documentary, he is no different. He is the same cynically humorous guy that he is on stage. He still condemns Crawley and finds it morbidly amusing that a sold-out children's show is taking place in the same location where his Netflix special will be filmed.
Romesh Ranganathan has random breaks and callbacks in his narration, which bring the audience back to his original point. For example, when he talks about how his youngest son disappeared on the beach in Brighton, he adds a bit of how he felt at the time, albeit with a touch of black humor when he says that he had decided that the son of him would never be found. No parent would want that for his child, and everyone knows it, but despite that, there is humor in the situation. This is because, at some point, most parents have been through a similar situation, and as he rightly points out, one is never prepared to react to such situations. There is a barrage of emotions flowing from utter fear to hope. He conveys those emotions with a raw and vulnerable honesty mixed with a heavy dose of humor. He then diverts from his beach story to the time his parents emigrated from Sri Lanka, home to some of the most picturesque beaches, to the rocky grounds of Brighton Beach. When he finishes his story and he wants his audience's attention to focus on the original, he changes direction but doesn't let the narrative fade. He does have some erratic breaks in his narration when he speaks, mainly to cheer up the audience and set the stage for his next part, but at times it seems unnecessary. Repeating the same thing over and over again can create a moment of boredom in the room. Maybe he realized this too and dove right into the next part about his sex life with his wife. The descriptions are quite vivid and it's definitely not something one would see with his parents.
Romesh's stand-up special stays true to his title, "The Cynic." On the one hand, we make him talk about his experiences, sometimes mundane and sometimes eccentric; on the other hand, we make him find humor in those situations. He points out that life is not always full of flowers and sunshine and that there may be cloudy days. But he doesn't have to be the case that you don't enjoy it. Romesh's use of dark humor when he talks about his children or his time with his wife lightens his mood considerably and doesn't let the narrative feel heavy. In general, his cynical approach to life and other things is quite funny and relatable at the right times.
“The Cynic” is a 2022 Netflix stand-up special created by Romesh Ranganathan.
Watch Romesh Ranganathan: The Cynic 2022 Movie Trailer
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