If you’ve listened to a dating podcast sometime within the past five years, you’re likely to have heard of and from comedian Jared Freid. He co-hosts the popular podcast, U Up?, which is an extension of the Betches brand, a multimedia humor platform by and for a female audience. For his debut Netflix hour special, Freid’s flying solo.
The Gist: As promised by the title, Freid is 37 and single, or was when he filmed this special at Gramercy Theatre in New York City.
That informs his life experiences as well as his dating advice, which he’s more than willing to share, as well as open up about his own defects and insecurities, too. He’s done so from morning to night on NBC, from the TODAY to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
What Comedy Specials Will It Remind You Of?: What if Seinfeld were a TED Talk? Don’t worry. I’ll try to explain.
Memorable Jokes: Freid opens his hour-plus by revealing his increasingly pickier attitude toward profiles on dating apps. Case in point? “If your name was on Nick At Nite, I’m not dating you.” No Boomer-sounding names will earn a swipe right from him.
He offers up explanations (practical and silly alike) for why men might tend to use photos of themselves holding up a fish in their profiles, and he’s also self-aware enough to know his own limitations. Which means he may rant about The Bachelor, but you’ll never see him on it. “Honestly, it would look like a Make-A-Wish.”
He discusses “the ick” factors that send women running, versus “the oof” feeling he gets before wanting to break up.
He knows he needs to lose weight, while also realizing he’s probably some other guy’s goal weight. The issues for him are twofold: Nighttime eating, and drunk eating. And yes, you will hear stories about both.
Freid suggests turning gender-reveal parties into team competitions, with a twist or two.
He’d also like to see a competition or travelogue show comparing elderly women from around the world to find out who complains the best, the loudest, and about what, exactly? If you think he’s merely joking when he describes his own mother’s personality proclivities, you’ll find out exactly why he’s telling the truth in a backstage video that runs during the end credits.
Our Take: When Freid talks about “the icks” that prompt not only women, but also himself to end a relationship, it’s easy to draw comparisons to Seinfeld. Especially as Freid acknowledges how frivolous his excuses for break-ups tend to be.
So he really comes across as Seinfeld, but more relatable to women. Which is illustrated by the reaction shots — rows and rows of women in the audience for his taping at Gramercy Theatre, with a man sprinkled in every once in a while.
Because Freid’s hour is so thematic, it actually could be broken up into a series of connected TED Talks. But not TED Talks in the way most stand-ups mock the format. More like funny mini-sermons that each could individually go viral.
Our Call: STREAM IT. In a heteronormative world, women will enjoy this glimpse into the male mind when it comes to dating, while men will enjoy having something to show women to explain themselves when they cannot. If none of this applies to you, though, you may have heard enough already.
Sean L. McCarthy works the comedy beat. He also podcasts half-hour episodes with comedians revealing origin stories: The Comic’s Comic Presents Last Things First.