You might not have seen Arsenio Hall much on network television lately. But the funnyman has become a regular face on streaming giant Netflix. Indeed, as well as playing himself on family sitcom “All About the Washingtons” and Adam Sandler flick “Sandy Wexler,” the comic landed his own stand-up special, 2019’s “Smart and Classy.”
Hall teased its premiere on Twitter with a reference to The Pointer Sisters’ signature hit: (“I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it”). However, during the set itself, the Cleveland native also admitted that he was apprehensive about capturing his latest routines for posterity. “It’s scary to do standup,” he remarked (via The Daily Dot). “You think every word could end your f***ing career. Even Jerry Seinfeld said s*** is too politically correct. If Jerry Seinfeld offends you, f*** you.”
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Luckily for Hall, he managed to avoid getting canceled with his 63-minute set. In fact, streaming execs were so delighted with the response that they asked the comedian to return to his talk show roots for their 2021 Netflix is a Joke Fest event. “Arsenio! Live” was staged across four nights at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Roosevelt theater. And as he told Tudum, Hall only had one stipulation: “In my mind, it’s all familiarity. If you make it comfortable, it makes you loose and makes you flow. You’re not adjusting to a new environment. So whether it’s my original show or the reboot, I’ve always gone with no desk. I’m comfortable that way.”
