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Spinixster/lobby baby
Directed byNeal Brennan
Written bySeth Meyers
StarringSeth Meyers
Music byThe Hold Steady
Production
company
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • November 5, 2019 (2019-11-05)
Running time
61 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby is a 2019 stand-up comedy special written by and starring American comedian Seth Meyers. His debut stand-up special, directed by Neal Brennan and filmed at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis, was released on the streaming service Netflix on November 5, 2019. The title of the special refers to the birth of Meyers and his wife's second child in their apartment lobby.

Background

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Include information that would be related to this special only, e.g. his family and career.

Seth Meyers is an American comedian who became the host of Late Night with Seth Meyers, the fourth iteration of NBC's long-running Late Night franchise, in 2014. The show gained recognition for the host's decision to begin doing his monologue sitting down as opposed to the traditional method of standing up in 2015,[1][2] and later for its approach of employing comedy to tackle current events through segments such as "A Closer Look" and "The Check In".[3][4] Before hosting Late Night, Meyers performed at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2011, an event which has often been credited as the reason why Donald Trump ran for president in 2016.[5]

Meyers became engaged to his long-time girlfriend, lawyer Alexi Ashe, in 2013,[6][7][8] and the pair welcomed their first child in 2016.[9] Meyers revealed on Late Night in April 2018 that their second child was born in the lobby of their apartment building, recounting the circumstances.[10][11]

Sypnosis

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40 minutes in[12][13]

[14][15]

notes for sypnosis, not all will be used. The more secondary sources, the better, but it's not needed. Reference articles such as Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999, Bo Burnham: Inside and London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck. Currently 6 minutes in... sweating

  • The special begins with Meyers already on stage wearing casual clothes, joke comparing Minneapolis to St. Paul, joke about how most people are used to seeing Meyers in a suit behind a desk (a la Late Night) and remarks on how weird it is for people to see his legs
  • Remarks on the assumption that Meyers is Jewish and talks about his Jewish ancestry. Talks about how his wife's parents, who are Jewish, were happy for her to meet a Jewish person, only for Meyers to reveal that he is not Jewish. Talks about how he later became "Jewish enough" to his in-laws, remarking that it's the only religion where it could happen.
  • Reminisces his fourth year of dating his wife, when he proposed going to Prague for her birthday. She suggests Paris instead, and the first night after they arrive in Paris, Meyers observed that his wife is unhappy. When asked why, she answered that her friends said if a man brings his girlfriend to Paris for her birthday, he is going to propose. He responded by asking if she told her friends about his original proposal to go to Prague, a place he remarked that "famously, no one gets engaged" at. Reminisces another event during their trip in Paris, where Meyers's passport fell out of his pocket while they were crossing a bridge going over the river Seine, where he realized that it would be easier to kick the passport into the river and get a new one than to propose in Paris without an engagement ring.
  • Following up with the event of finally proposing to his wife after five years of dating and the planning behind their wedding.

Production

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While doing stand-up comedy in Oslo, Norway, Seth Meyers experimented with a comedy bit in which he played his wife, Alexi Ashe, to mock himself. The bit was well received, and Meyers showed a recording of it to Ashe when he returned to America. Meyers considered turning the piece into a stand-up comedy special after receiving feedback from her, noting that it pushed him to be more innovative in the special rather than one-sided.[14]

Meyers spent four months preparing for the special, filming his performances for evaluation and generally avoiding more heated humor.[14] The end of the special included a bit similar to what Meyers performed in Oslo;[14] he explained that the bit "tied [the special] together, and put it together in a way that essentially called back earlier material."[16] The special was filmed at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis[17][18][19] in June 2019,[20] with Neal Brennan serving as director.[21] The special's soundtrack, "Meet Me In The Lobby", was written and performed by rock band The Hold Steady.[22]

On October 23, the streaming service Netflix announced the release of Meyers's debut stand-up comedy special, titled Lobby Baby, scheduled for November 5.[17] Accompanying the announcement, a promotional video featuring a faux commercial for an action figure called "Standup Seth" was unveiled.[23] The title is a reference to Meyers's second child, who was born in the lobby of his apartment building.[17][18][19]

In an interview with CNN Business in November, Meyers revealed that he had asked Netflix to include a button that skips a portion of the special where he discussed politics, similar to the streaming service's "skip intro" button.[24] He explained that the button was in reaction to people who protested his political humor on Late Night[20] and also served as an inside joke for people who did not click it.[25][26] The idea for the button came from interactive films such as Black Mirror: Bandersnatch[15][16][27] and engineers at Netflix spent more than a month working on the button's implementation.[26][28] Upon the reveal, the button received media attention, having become the subject of think pieces and memes. Meyers stated in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he did not expect the button to become popular and had not mean to utilize it as a marketing tool.[13]

today interviews[29][30]

Analysis

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Themes

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Laura Bradley of Vanity Fair observed the style as differing from his previous works, as shown on Late Night with Seth Meyers or the White House Correspondents' dinner that he hosted.[14]

Kathryn VanArendonk of Vulture and Clare Martin of Paste described Meyers in this special as a "wife guy", men who constantly compliment their spouses.[21][31] Both noted that this aspect appeared more sweet than cunning,[21] with Martin noting that Meyers used the stories to deprecate himself.[31]

Daniel Hart of Ready Steady Cut noted a frequently repeated joke in the special, where Meyers explained the meaning of "mansplaining", as "a stab at the misogynistic men out there".[32]

Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe described Meyers as "Domestic Seth".[33]

"Skip Politics" button

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Maybe?[34][35][36][33][37][27][32]

Ashlie D. Stevens of Salon.com believed that the option alluded to the tone of the special, which is largely apolitical.[38]

Jason Zinoman of The New York Times described the button as something one could not achieve on a traditional medium such as television, as well as a scheme that corresponds to the audience's desire to ignore politics.[39]

[31]

Reception

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Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby received generally positive reviews from critics, add here. Kathryn VanArendonk of Vulture complimented the special, describing it as "tightly wound, carefully observed, well-shot, and snappy".[21] Salon.com's Ashlie D. Stevens found the personal stories to be the most interesting aspect, characterizing them as something rarely seen on Late Night but equally compact.[38] Matt Goldberg of Collider said that while themes such as marriage were not new in comedy, Meyers had homogenized them with quality jokes.[40] Jason Zinoman of The New York Times observed that Meyers seemed more unrestricted in the special, revealing his more language-oriented comedic style.[39] Sean L. McCarthy of Decider remarked that the special will alter people's perceptions of Meyers, but for the better.[41] Clare Martin of Paste applauded his commendable charm and steadiness,[31] while Daniel Hart of Ready Steady Cut commenting that it "will keep your attention for 60 minutes."[32] L. S. Miller of Consequence wrote, "Beyond just being a very smart, personal, and entertaining hour of stand-up, the Late Night host’s sole Netflix special to date played with Netflix technology in a surprising and wonderfully funny way."[42]

Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast observed that, while politics accounted for only a small portion of the show, the issues discussed were more refreshing.[43] Conversely, Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe expressed disdain over the option to skip politics, arguing that "[t]he opportunity to select which topics you prefer — particularly in a stand-up performance — cheapens the whole endeavor, makes it less of a creative dish served by an entertainer and more of a buffet."[33]

Martin noted that the special's simple visual elements compared to other Netflix specials, such as the lucid staging and the lack of an introductory clip, felt unique and straightforward rather than barren.[31] VanArendonk considered Neal Brennan's directing, "which frequently positions Meyers as literally off-center in the frame", to have reflected the themes of the special.[21]

Accolades

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Award Year[a] Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Critics' Choice Television Awards 2020 Best Comedy Special Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby Nominated [44]
Primetime Emmy Awards 2020 Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special Seth Meyers Nominated [45]

Notes

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  1. ^ The listed year refers to the date of the ceremony.

References

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  1. ^ Sims, David (August 13, 2015). "What Seth Meyers Is Doing Differently". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  2. ^ Fox, Jesse David (August 11, 2015). "Seth Meyers on the Unexpectedly Controversial Decision to Sit Down". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  3. ^ Framke, Caroline (August 25, 2017). "How Late Night With Seth Meyers became the calm in a political comedy storm". Vox. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Blake, Meredith (November 14, 2016). "Seth Meyers cracked scathing jokes about a Trump presidency in 2011. Now he's a critic of the reality". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  5. ^ Wang, Amy B. (December 3, 2021). "Trump was mocked at the 2011 White House correspondents' dinner. He insists it's not why he ran". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Eby, Margaret (July 5, 2013). "Seth Meyers engaged to longtime girlfriend Alexi Ashe". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  7. ^ DZurilla, Christie (July 5, 2013). "Seth Meyers engaged to girlfriend Alexi Ashe". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  8. ^ Lewis, Hilary (September 3, 2013). "Seth Meyers Marries Lawyer Alexi Ashe". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  9. ^ Nast, Condé (March 30, 2016). "Seth Meyers Explains the Heartwarming Reason He Named His Son Ashe Olsen". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  10. ^ "Seth Meyers Reveals His Wife Gave Birth in the Lobby of Their Apartment Building". Time. April 10, 2018. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  11. ^ Jensen, Erin (April 10, 2018). "Seth Meyers' wife Alexi Ashe gives birth to second son in their apartment building lobby". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  12. ^ Wright, Megh; Squires, Bethy (November 5, 2019). "Seth Meyers's Netflix Special Features a Handy Button to Skip the Trump Jokes". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Carras, Christi (November 20, 2019). "Seth Meyers on that 'Skip Politics' button: not a marketing ploy". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e Bradley, Laura (November 7, 2019). "What Seth Meyers's Father Taught Him About Comedy". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Keller, Joel (November 5, 2019). "Seth Meyers 'Lobby Baby' Interview: His Wife's Birth and "Skip Politics"". Decider. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Squires, Bethy (November 5, 2019). "This Just Might Be the Perfect Comedy Sketch". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Evans, Greg (October 23, 2019). "'Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby' Stand-Up Special Gets Netflix Delivery Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Wright, Megh (October 23, 2019). "Seth Meyers Announces His Debut Netflix Stand-up Special". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Maas, Jennifer (October 23, 2019). "Seth Meyers Ditches the Desk for First Netflix Standup Special - Watch the Teaser (Video)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Levin, Gary (November 5, 2019). "Seth Meyers explains why his Netflix special has the first-ever 'skip politics' button". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  21. ^ a b c d e VanArendonk, Kathryn (November 5, 2019). "In Lobby Baby, Seth Meyers Transforms Into His Truest Self: Consummate Wife Guy". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  22. ^ Breihan, Tom (November 6, 2019). "The Hold Steady Play "Meet Me In The Lobby," Their Theme For Seth Meyers' Netflix Stand-Up Special 'Lobby Baby': Watch". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  23. ^ Romano, Nick (October 23, 2019). "'Late Night' host Seth Meyers will take the stage for Netflix standup special". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  24. ^ Pallotta, Frank (November 4, 2019). "Seth Meyers' new Netflix special lets you skip the Trump jokes | CNN Business". CNN. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  25. ^ Lynch, Jason (June 15, 2020). "Seth Meyers Looks at His Late-Night Past, Present and Future". Adweek. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Schaffstall, Katherine (November 19, 2019). "Seth Meyers Opens Up About Netflix Special's "Skip Politics" Button, Day Drinking With Rihanna". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  27. ^ a b Philip, Tom (November 5, 2019). "You Can Literally Skip the Trump Jokes in Seth Meyers' New Netflix Special". GQ. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  28. ^ Reilly, Travis (November 19, 2019). "VIDEO: Seth Meyers Talks Skipping Politics, Converting to Judaism, and Saving Bad 'SNL' Sketches in His Stern Show Return". The Howard Stern Show. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  29. ^ "Seth Meyers: I had to run my Netflix special jokes past my wife". Today. NBC. November 5, 2019. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  30. ^ "Seth Meyers on political jokes and his new Netflix special". Today. NBC. November 5, 2019. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  31. ^ a b c d e Martin, Clare (November 8, 2019). "Seth Meyers Aces His Latest Test with Lobby Baby". Paste. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  32. ^ a b c Hart, Daniel (November 5, 2019). "Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby Review: Late Night Host Brings Hilarious Personal Stories". Ready Steady Cut. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  33. ^ a b c Gilbert, Matthew (November 7, 2019). "Seth Meyers's terrible idea: Letting viewers 'skip politics' - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  34. ^ Shevenock, Sarah (November 19, 2019). "Audiences Warm to Idea of 'Skip Politics' Feature, But Unlikely to Use It". Morning Consult. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  35. ^ Jones, Alice (November 7, 2019). "Netflix's Skip Politics button is the perfect way to bolster your filter bubble". i. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  36. ^ McCarter, Reid (November 5, 2019). "Seth Meyers' new stand-up special lets you skip the Trump jokes". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  37. ^ Phelan, Matthew (November 4, 2019). "Seth Meyers' Netflix Special Will Have a "Skip Politics" Button". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  38. ^ a b Stevens, Ashlie D. (November 5, 2019). "Seth Meyers' special lets you skip the Trump jokes, but they're not missed". Salon.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  39. ^ a b Zinoman, Jason (December 13, 2019). "These Stand-Ups Are in an Escapist Mood, Much Like Their Audience". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  40. ^ "The Best Stand Up Comedy Specials on Netflix Right Now". Collider. April 20, 2020. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  41. ^ McCarthy, Sean L. (November 5, 2019). "'Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby' Netflix Review: Stream It or Skip It?". Decider. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  42. ^ "Best Netflix Stand-up Specials of the Last 10 Years". Consequence. November 1, 2023. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  43. ^ Fallon, Kevin (November 8, 2019). "Seth Meyers' 'Lobby Baby' Netflix Special Lets You Skip His Trump Jokes. You Shouldn't!". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  44. ^ Jackson, Angelique (January 12, 2020). "Critics' Choice Awards: The Complete Winners List". Variety. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  45. ^ Huff, Lauren (September 19, 2020). "2020 Creative Arts Emmys: Full list of winners". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
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