Review: David Cross, “Making America Great Again!” (Netflix)

David Cross has been mocking Trump both in his material and in the title of his stand-up comedy tour throughout 2016, but he couldn’t have picked a better time to release his tour performance as a Netflix special than now.

If it weren’t for all of the profanity and the button-pushing when it comes to guns and religion, you almost could have imagined Cross delivering Making America Great Again! as a speech at last week’s Democratic National Convention.

Then again, perhaps that’s for the best.

As I noted in my review of David Cross: Making America Great Again! for Decider:

It’s dark, heavy stuff. You’re not expected to applaud or laugh. Cross then spins his hypothetical forward toward prayers, imagining a religious person asking God why He’s taking so many children. At which point, the camera deliberately cuts to a woman standing up from her seat and walking out. Sure, she could have merely had to visit the bathroom or the bar.

But Cross wants you to know that he knows his material and his decisions on what needs to be said onstage will not only provoke thoughts, but also derision and desertion.

“For those of you still here,” he says, acknowledging that a few audience members leave during every one of his shows. Although he wonders why they showed up in the first place. “In 2016, at this point, I have literally eight-plus hours of my stand-up available to peruse, check out, maybe see if we’re on the same page about what subject matters I may broach,” he says. And yet, Cross realizes a handful of fans haven’t done due diligence, instead thinking: “Oh, Tobias is in town!”

Read all of my review on Decider.

Here’s an especially politically-minded clip from David Cross: Making America Great Again! on Netflix, in which he considers whether the Republicans actually consider the Statue of Liberty in 2016. Recorded this April during the Moontower comedy festival in Austin.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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