A comedy special is a huge break for any comedian, often launching their career to the next level. Taylor Tomlinson is a great example – her first Netflix special, Quarter Life Crisis, was so successful that it led to more specials and opportunities like hosting the show @fter Midnight. Many of the most famous stand-up comedians owe a significant part of their success to having a comedy special.
Being funny doesn’t give anyone a free pass to say anything they want. Several comedians have faced backlash – often called “cancel culture” – for things they’ve said or done, whether in their performances, privately, or online. This backlash can involve public criticism and attempts to limit their audience due to past or present actions, or because a joke was considered offensive. The specifics of these situations vary, ranging from personal behavior to problematic content.
Cancellations don’t always mean the end. Some shows never recover, disappearing for years or forever, while others bounce back and even become successful afterward.
10
Shane Gillis
Latest Comedy Special – ‘Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs’ in 2023 on Netflix
Netflix
It’s become risky for comedians to joke about politics, often dividing audiences along political lines. However, Shane Gillis managed to avoid this in his Netflix special, Beautiful Dogs, by making fun of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, demonstrating how humor can bridge divides. Gillis almost joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2019 after a successful audition, but a resurfaced video clip derailed the opportunity. The clip, from a podcast he previously hosted, showed him using an East Asian accent and offensive language.
So, after that video dropped, Shane Gillis got fired from SNL. It seemed like a huge blow at the time, but honestly, it might have just been a temporary setback. He’s a really resourceful guy – back in 2020, he started creating his own web series, Gilly and Keeves, and it took off. He followed that up with a YouTube special in 2021, and then landed Beautiful Dogs on Netflix in 2023. Things really blew up for him in 2024 with his Netflix sitcom, Tires. It’s kind of amazing, because he ended up getting to host SNL, which is cool after everything – a full-circle moment, really.
9
Joe Rogan
Latest Comedy Special – ‘Burn The Boats’ in 2024 on Netflix
Netflix
It’s easy to forget that Joe Rogan, a leading figure in podcasting, started his career as a comedian. His recent special, Burn the Boats, was his first comedy performance in six years. While a little out of practice, it delivered exactly what fans expect from Rogan—humor centered around topics like the COVID-19 pandemic, aliens, and controversial issues.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, faced significant criticism. Rogan was accused of sharing inaccurate information about vaccines and using offensive language. Many health experts and organizations urged Spotify, which had exclusive rights to the podcast, to remove it from their platform. However, by 2020, The Joe Rogan Experience had become incredibly popular, making it difficult to cancel. While Spotify initially stood by Rogan despite the controversy, the podcast is no longer exclusive to their streaming service.
8
Ellen DeGeneres
Latest Comedy Special – ‘Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval’ in 2024 on Netflix
Netflix
Ellen DeGeneres recently performed what is likely her last stand-up comedy special, titled For Your Approval. Released in 2024, the special addresses the difficulties and upset following the conclusion of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2022. While some viewers found it to be a lengthy discussion about the show’s ending and a desire for understanding, it also includes genuinely funny and relatable moments. Although DeGeneres didn’t fully explain the reasons behind the show’s cancellation, the special still offers some enjoyable and emotionally releasing laughs.
In 2020, several former staff members of The Ellen DeGeneres Show publicly accused Ellen DeGeneres of fostering a harmful workplace. They alleged issues like unchecked sexual harassment of female employees and unfair firings for taking time off for illness or family emergencies. Warner Bros. investigated these claims and confirmed a toxic work environment existed on the show. Following the investigation in 2021, Ellen announced she would end her show in 2022 when her contract finished.
7
Kevin Hart
Latest Comedy Special – ‘Kevin Hart: Reality Check’ in 2023 on Peacock
Peacock
Kevin Hart’s latest comedy special, “Reality Check,” proves why he’s a successful comedian: he’s real. The special feels genuinely authentic, from his delivery to the stories he tells. He effortlessly moves from joking about LeBron James to paying tribute to his father, who recently passed away – a moment many viewers found particularly touching. Despite playing it relatively safe with his material, Hart claims he’s faced cancellation attempts “three or four times.”
In 2018, Kevin Hart was set to host the Oscars, but old, offensive tweets surfaced online. These tweets contained homophobic slurs directed at the LGBTQ+ community. As a result, Hart decided to withdraw as host. Despite the controversy, his career hasn’t suffered; he continues to be a successful and busy actor, and now focuses more on film than stand-up comedy.
6
Roseanne Barr
Latest Comedy Special – ‘Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!’ in 2023 on Fox Nation
Fox Nation
Roseanne Barr’s recent comedy special, Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!, didn’t quite hit the mark. While a few jokes landed well, most critics found the special to be unfocused and bogged down by arguments against “cancel culture.” Considering it was her first special in over 15 years and followed her removal from her TV show, it’s understandable she had a lot to address, but the execution wasn’t universally praised.
The sitcom Roseanne, starring Roseanne Barr, was successfully brought back to television in 2018. However, a controversial tweet criticizing the appearance of Valarie Jarrett, a presidential advisor, caused significant problems. The tweet was widely considered racist, leading to Roseanne Barr’s firing and the cancellation of the show, even though it was a ratings success for ABC. Surprisingly, less than a month later, ABC announced a rebranded version of the show, The Connors, which has since become a popular program on the network.
5
Dave Chappelle
Latest Comedy Special – ‘Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable’ (2025) on Netflix
Netflix
Dave Chappelle is a popular comedian on Netflix, having released eight original specials, including his latest, Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable in 2025. However, his newest special continues a pattern of jokes targeting the LGBTQ+ community. While this is a focus, the special mainly covers current events in pop culture and personal experiences, like his decision to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia and incidents involving Charlie Kirk.
Throughout his career, Dave Chappelle has often addressed sensitive topics, but he received the strongest criticism for jokes about the transgender community. His 2021 comedy special, The Closer, contained material many considered prejudiced against transgender people, leading to a protest walkout by Netflix employees who asked the company to remove it. Despite the calls for his work to be cancelled, Chappelle continued to be recognized for his achievements, earning Emmy nominations and winning a Grammy Award in 2021 for The Closer. He followed this with successful specials, The Dreamer in 2023 and Unstoppable in 2025.
4
Ricky Gervais
Latest Comedy Special – ‘Ricky Gervais: Mortality’ in 2025 on Netflix
Netflix
Ricky Gervais’s latest Netflix comedy special, Mortality, released at the end of 2025, follows his 2023 special, Armageddon. Unlike Armageddon, which sparked controversy with its edgy content, Mortality is a more personal and reflective show. Gervais explores themes of life and death, combining humor with deeper thoughts on existence. Critics have praised Mortality as a positive development in his career, seeing it as an improvement over the divisive Armageddon.
Ricky Gervais faced criticism for some jokes in his stand-up special, Armageddon. Audiences were particularly upset by material about a child’s funeral and asylum seekers. The most controversial jokes involved terminally ill children, where he used a derogatory nickname and suggested he tells them to wish for a cure rather than meet him. Despite the backlash, Armageddon still won a Golden Globe for Best Stand-Up Comedy Performance on Television.
3
Louis C.K.
Latest Comedy Special – ‘Louis C.K. at The Dolby’ in 2023 on louisck.com
lousick.com
Louis C.K. chose to release two new comedy specials directly on his own website, bypassing streaming platforms. “At The Dolby” is a typical Louis C.K. performance, and it seems geared more towards his established fanbase than attracting new viewers – which is understandable considering past controversies. While it’s not his strongest material, the way it was created and released makes sense given the circumstances.
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The cancellation of Louis C.K.’s projects wasn’t a shock to many, as whispers about issues in his personal life had been circulating since 2015. In 2017, The New York Times published a report detailing allegations from five women who claimed C.K. had masturbated in front of them or offered to do so. C.K. later confirmed the truth of the report. As a result, FX canceled his show Louie, and both Netflix and HBO ended their working relationships with him. Over the past few years, C.K. has been gradually trying to rebuild his career, performing stand-up, directing, and even publishing a novel. However, public reaction to his return remains divided.
2
Aziz Ansari
Latest Comedy Special – ‘Aziz Ansari: Night Club Comedian’ in 2022 on Netflix
Netflix
Aziz Ansari is a comedian who played a key role in establishing Netflix as a major platform for comedy specials. He was the first comedian to release a special on Netflix with Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive in 2013. His most recent special, Nightclub Comedian, features a refreshingly honest performance that reminds audiences why he’s so popular. While he touches on current events like COVID-19 and vaccines, the most engaging parts of the show come when he reflects on how much the world has changed and shares personal thoughts about family.
After the #MeToo movement gained prominence in 2018, a woman publicly accused comedian Aziz Ansari of sexual misconduct. She reported that she had expressed discomfort with his advances, and he responded by apologizing, stating he believed the encounter was consensual. This accusation significantly impacted Ansari’s career, leading to the cancellation of his popular show, Master of None, and Netflix pausing plans for future comedy specials. Although he hasn’t released a new special since 2022, Ansari has continued to perform live and recently made his debut as a feature film director with Good Fortune, which was released in October 2025.
1
Kathy Griffin
Last Comedy Special – ‘Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story’ in 2019 by Fathom Events
Fathom Events
As a comedy fan, I remember when Kathy Griffin’s special, A Hell of a Story, dropped and it was pointed. She really didn’t hold back about Donald Trump – who was out of office at the time, but still a major target – and she wasn’t afraid to call out other figures, like the Kardashians and politicians across the board. The special mixed in documentary bits showing how she’d been treated by conservative America, which added a lot. Looking back in 2025, some of it feels a little dated, but when it came out, it was a really brave and honest statement from a comedian who’s been around the block – and the title, A Hell of a Story, totally fit.
In 2017, Kathy Griffin faced criticism for a photo she took holding a mask resembling the severed head of former President Trump. This negative reaction led her to create her comedy special, A Hell of a Story, independently, without support from a television network or streaming service. More recently, in 2022, her Twitter account was briefly suspended after she imitated Elon Musk. Though her last special was in 2019, Griffin is still actively performing and writing new material, and may create another special in the future, as she continues to tour through 2026.
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2026-01-11 02:12