As in his outburst SNL sketch, Washington’s dreamBargatze’s new special is, above all, a description of the stupidity that always lies before us. In 2001, while working as a water meter reader in Wilson County, Tennessee, he was asked to help defend the city’s water supply after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Who needs punchlines when you can simply explain the situation? Of course, Osama bin Laden would choose rural Tennessee as his next target. Of course, Bargatze, armed with a lantern, would be able to fight off the Taliban once they arrived. Of course, Bin Laden knew exactly how to open the water tank to carry out his poisonous plans. The bit kills.

The downside to “Is hygge comedy a good thing?” is that Bargatze’s jokes probably won’t stick with you for long. The people I watched the special with said it was hilarious, but they had almost forgotten most of what Bargatze talked about by the time it was over. That is not the case Jerrod Carmichael or Hannah Gadsby try to shake up the world. That’s not it Ronny Chieng or Nikki Glaser or John Mulaney They make us laugh while simultaneously revealing something essential about themselves. Instead, Bargatze jokes about doing laundry, getting another dog, or returning a shirt that doesn’t fit.

Relatable stuff. Comfortable stuff. That’s the key to Bargatze’s stadium-sized appeal in 2024, a comedian oblivious to the controversy and chaos out there in the real world. His comedy lives in a sitcom suburb, where picking up the kids after school or ordering the right amount of pizza can fill a half-hour of plot. Bargatze isn’t the type of comedian who does crowdwork in search of viral conflict – you’d probably have to explain Instagram Reels to him before he’d make a whole day’s splash about it.

Bargatze doesn’t break new ground, mainly because he doesn’t intend to. That’s why his audience will stick with him for the next 30 years or so – he’s “Your Friend Nate Bargatze,” the neighbor you can count on to pick up your mail when you’re out of town. The provocateurs are off, but Bargatze looks like it’s going to be hygge for the long haul.