Ronny Chieng. Photo: Tommaso Boddi/Variety via Getty Images
Year-end lists are out, and topping the NYT's best comedy roundup is Ronny Chieng, whose "Love to Hate It" on Netflix was named the best special of 2024.
Zoom in: The bit I found most impressive from his show — as someone who communicates business and economics to the public — was a two-minute joke that began with an observation of polarization in the U.S. and ended with a stream-of-consciousness rant about the effects of lower capital gains taxes, the value of the U.S. dollar and the decline of domestic manufacturing on working-class families.
Zoom out: Watching Chieng's special left me even more convinced of a thought bubble I had earlier this year about why Netflix and other streamers are investing in stand-up content:
Comics offer high ROI on labor. They write and perform their own material with relatively low production overhead. They can also draw in-person crowds to help steamers build events businesses to augment revenue.
It's no wonder the business of comedy has been booming.
