EXCLUSIVE: Next month, comedian Gareth Reynolds unveils a new special, Why Aren’t You Bigger?, in partnership with 800 Pound Gorilla. It’ll premiere exclusively on their streaming service Gorilla Comedy+ on October 19 before premiering on YouTube at 7 p.m. CT on November 10.
Filmed at The Den Theater in Chicago, Why Aren’t You Bigger? is an hour about life in an increasingly automated America. From the robo-takeover of everyday life and the strange demands of an algorithm-driven culture to the healing power of animals and the uphill battle of making a living in modern entertainment, Reynolds finds the absurdity in a world that feels less human by the day. He also turns his attention to America’s billionaires, arguing that they are not only wildly powerful and deeply troubling, but embarrassingly lame.
In the obligatory joke statement, Reynolds said, “It feels like it’s been a long time since comedy has had a special. I decided it was time for one to be released.”
Reynolds is well known for his podcasts The Dollop (with Dave Anthony) and We’re Here to Help (with Jake Johnson). The latter advice show debuts new episodes on Hulu before they can be found elsewhere; we scooped the deal, marking the streamer’s entrée into third-party podcast licensing, in February.
Reynolds’ first album, 2019’s Riddled With Disease, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Comedy Charts. The comedian jokes that his first special, the self-released England Weed and The Rest, hit No. 1 “in the hearts of many.”
Reynolds has also written on shows including Arrested Development and You’re the Worst, in addition to performing on-screen roles in New Girl and Maron. He is repped by Gersh, as well as Logan Potter of Authentic Talent and Literary Management.