Is Joe Mande using the power of “The Secret” with the title of his first Netflix hour comedy special?
Not exactly.
As I wrote in my review on Decider:
The conceit, in fact, is that Mande wants to win the (fictitious) “American Humour Award,” and before we see him perform any actual stand-up, Mande talks to the camera in the style of TV shows he’s worked on such as Parks and Recreation and Modern Family, he seeks out advice from former “American Humour Award” winners Bo Burnham and George Wallace, and casually shoots hoops with “Joe’s Best Friend” and NBA All-Star Blake Griffin.
It’s all a bit absurd (including his insistence on naming an infamous director to work with him), but Mande commits when the action cuts to him onstage, then to a three-person judges panel in the audience marking down any standing ovations and applause breaks he receives during the performance.
Read my full review of Joe Mande’s Award-Winning Comedy Special on Netflix.