John Mulaney Says 'Everybody's In L.A.' and I Believe Him
In the first installment of his six-day live event, John Mulaney explores the city of L.A. along with the help of his friends.
In December of 2020, John Mulaney gave a rather infamous interview to GQ magazine. In it, editor Frazier Tharpe, asks Mulaney whether his writing stint on Late Night with Seth Meyers would ever inspire him to create his own talk show. At the time the comedian responded saying he once had two great ideas for a talk show, “One would be just interviewing people who do anything that interests me…it would be like a talk show set and they'd come out and there'd be a band and so forth.”
If you’re thinking to yourself, this guy’s best idea for a talk show is just…every talk show already in existence? You wouldn’t be wrong to do so. Mulaney himself, noted this lackluster detail in the finale of his Netflix special, Baby J, where he reads out his GQ interview, that he has no memory of ever giving. Three days after getting off the phone with Tharpe, the comedian checked himself into a 60-day stay in rehab.
Before late 2020, Mulaney’s reputation had been rather squeaky clean, at least in comparison to his fellow comedic peers. He was well-known for his self deprecating humor, often poking fun at his childhood or middle-aged experiences. He was proclaimed as everyone’s favorite unproblematic comedian. I mean, he loves his wife! So, we must love him back! It comes as no surprise that Mulaney’s high-profile visit to rehab, divorce, and subsequent announcement of the birth of his son with actress, Olivia Munn, left many confused.
I became a fan of John Mulaney my freshman year of high school. I had caught a few clips of his standup special with Comedy Central and at the time he was on tour for what would become his first Netflix comedy special, The Comeback Kid. Since then my relationship with the comedian has undergone multiple stages: casual, crush-like, intense crush-like, and finally, realistic. I once dated someone who called himself a comedian because of how much I liked John Mulaney. I clearly was under some type of spell for a while. I wouldn’t say that the news surrounding Mulaney’s personal life snapped me out of it. Instead, I would argue that my confrontation with the comedian’s humanity made me realize that my idolization of him, while well-founded, was unnecessary. He didn’t need a mythos attached to him for me to like him. In fact, John Mulaney didn’t even need to be “likeable” for me to admire him or his work. His expert use of storytelling and quick-witted humor was enough to keep me in his corner. In fact, I find myself rooting for his development as a writer more today than I ever did back when he was unproblematic.
The evolution of Mulaney’s comedic power is clear in his latest collaboration with Netflix, Everybody’s in L.A., a six-day live event where he explores the city of Los Angeles with his friends. Last night, the show’s first iteration felt reminiscent of Mulaney’s idea from 2020: he had guests who interested him, on a talk show set, and there was a musical act! However, Everybody’s in L.A., unlike the late night fodder we are familiar with today, is a rather unpredictable approach to the typical variety show format.
Mulaney opens the show with a forewarning, “We’re only doing six episodes, so the show will never hit its groove.” But after Friday’s show, I’m rooting (perhaps hopelessly) for the possibility of more. After a quick introduction, Mulaney jumps into a monologue about the city of Los Angeles, a place that confuses and fascinates him. Here he remarks that L.A. is far from the movie magic paradise everyone assumes it to be. In fact, it’s a city that lives more off of the charm of its cliches and stereotypes, rather than the reality of its neighborhoods and residents. However, while L.A. may not exactly be the focal point of culture it prides itself of being, it is still the home of two intriguing factions: comedians and coyotes.
Mulaney claims that every episode of Everybody’s in L.A. will feature a deep dive into a topic. He kicks things off with a conversation about coyotes, that includes renowned comedian, Jerry Seinfield, and Citizens for L.A. Wildlife representative, Tony Tucci. At first glimpse, this pairing is odd, but as whimsical as it seems, Mulaney weaves everything together effortlessly. Both Seinfield and Mulaney takes turns with their clever quips as Tucci explains to the residents of L.A. how to properly face a coyote. Together the trio even take calls from people all over L.A. who share their unique coyote encounters.
Beyond the typical talk show banter, Everybody’s in L.A., is interspersed with pre-recorded segments. The strongest of these is “Open House” where Mulaney, along with comedians Stavros, Earthquake, Chelsea Peretti, and Natasha Leggero, tours a property up for sale in L.A.. The skit is a blatant jab at HGTV’s House Hunters, as the comics mock the obvious discrepancies of their chosen home and the obscene asking price. In addition, we are privy to snapshots of city life which include a man’s fishing expedition in the Los Angeles River, and a billboard installer’s view from above. These street interviews are less comedic driven, which causes them to falter, but I appreciate the effort Mulaney’s team made to capture these random and unseen aspects of the L.A. community,
The only dip the show takes is during Mulaney’s interview with Ray J, a guest more bizarre in my opinion than Tony Tucci. While the comedian dances through Ray J’s noted melancholia about his impending divorce, it does feel like the guest and Mulaney never find their stride together. One could put the blame on Ray J (I partly do), but I would say that while John Mulaney’s sharp humor is still evident during this encounter, he still has a ways to go before becoming a strong interviewer similar to the caliber of a David Letterman or a Conan O’Brien. But, who knows if the comedian even has this aspiration? Like he said, after six shows, this experiment will be done. Which if it’s true, will be a bit disappointing. There’s much to love about the unpredictable madness of Everybody’s in L.A, especially when Will Ferrell appears in character as famous producer Lou Adler, heckling Mulaney from his “courtside seats.”
True to his word back in 2020, Mulaney does in fact bring out a musical act. Singer and musician St. Vincent performs a stunning rendition of her song “Flea,” which ends up closing out the show. While the jarring transition of the musical act does feel rather odd, I still applaud Mulaney for keeping some structure in his already wacky variety show. As a viewer, I came out of the experience wanting more, especially after noticing the comedian’s rushed demeanor during his final interview with Seinfeld, Tucci, and Stavros. Come on Netflix, we can give John Mulaney a bit more than an hour of time!
Regardless, I’m sure I won’t be the first say it, but I think it’s possible John Mulaney’s zaniness is what’s missing from our current era of late night. While it’s clear Everybody’s in L.A. has plenty of room to grow, I look forward to seeing how each night develops. With its future lineup including comedic gems such as Bill Hader and a return of Nick Kroll and John Mulaney’s alternate personas Gil and George, it’s becoming clear that truly everybody is in L.A.
If this is the “worst” the show can be, some of Mulaney’s “best” must be on horizon.
John Mulaney’s ‘Everybody’s in L.A.’ can be found on Netflix. Day 2-6 of the live event will take place May 6th-10th at 7PM PT/10 PM EST.
Episode 1, Coyotes, is available for rewatch on the streaming service.