Stream these 5 comedy stand-ups on Netflix

With the pandemic raging on in ebbs and flows, we certainly could use some humour in our lives. Thankfully, Netflix has more than a fair share of rib-tickling stand-up comedy shows worth streaming. So if you're looking for a laugh or two, here are the top 5 comedy stand-ups you can watch right now.

Bo Burnham: Inside

With a runtime of an hour and a half and an IMDb rating of 8.7/10, Bo Burnham's well-executed slew of silly songs and sketches about the pandemic is the stand-up of the season. Though a comedy special shot in the absence of an audience or even a crew makes for a quirky stand-up set, Burnham's material successfully resonates with a large audience. Capturing the late pandemic feel with hilarious sketches about reaction videos to video game streaming, self-written songs, and an appearance that gets shaggier as the special proceeds, Inside is a comic portrayal of every single person going stir-crazy during quarantine.

Taking social distancing norms with comical seriousness, Burnham wrote, performed, and directed the special all by himself. The result is a mixture of satire and hilarity in equal measure. From songs of pure comedy like 'FaceTime with My Mom' to biting satire, Inside gets increasingly darker, until the comedian sings "It will all be over soon", and you're left wondering if he's talking about the standup, the pandemic, or the world as we know it.

Ali Wong: Baby Cobra

By now Ali Wong has claimed her spot among the best female comics of our time, but her best set to date remains Baby Cobra. An hour-long special that earned an IMDb rating of 7.5/10, Baby Cobra is a rib-tickling portrait of female transition - from young adulthood to marriage and then motherhood.

The first of its kind to feature a heavily pregnant woman delivering some of the raunchiest punchlines, Wong looks like she's going into labour any minute, which makes this special even funnier. Stand-up is no stranger to feminist comedy but seeing things from Wong's unique hip-hop loving, Asian-American perspective is like watching the invention of her subgenre of comedy.

Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark

Running for 67 minutes (and flaunting an IMDb rating of 7.2/10), Trevor Noah's Afraid of the Dark is a household name in standup. Whether you're a fan of The Daily Show or Noah's charismatic brand of impressions and accents, you're bound to laugh out loud watching his special. Despite being a comedy superstar, Trevor Noah seamlessly merges his wide-eyed foreigner status with cheeky commentary on culture and politics. 

As no stranger to apartheid policies, Noah is the perfect person to cast a light on topics of nationalism and the American way of life. While on paper that sounds like serious stuff, the star comedian delivers it in a way that makes you laugh at the moment and think much more about the addressed issues later.

Seth Myers: Lobby Baby

The former host of the Weekend Update and a household name in late-night shows, Seth Meyers is no stranger to comedy. With an IMDb rating of 7.5/10, Meyers' stand-up special Lobby Baby is a must-watch if you have an hour to spare. While most other stand-ups lean towards dissing more serious issues, Meyers simply talks about stories from his life. And when the life stories involve the time his wife had a baby in a lobby, you've got the makings of effortlessly hilarious stand-up. A step away from current events and politics which are the bread-and-butter of Meyers' television stints, Lobby Baby brings out a different side of the comedian - a side that is very humanely flawed and family-oriented.

But the most noteworthy thing about Lobby Baby may be the 'Skip Trump Jokes' button that most stand-ups from 2019 sorely lacked. Rife with classic late-night host charisma and charm, Seth Meyers's Netflix special is a hilarious jab at himself, which earns the audience more than a few laughs.

Donald Glover: Weirdo

Grammy-winning rapper or a promising actor, when it comes to stand-up, Donald Glover is an effortlessly funny man and a self-proclaimed weirdo. Glover's Netflix comedy special of the same name shows audiences a glimpse of the comedian before his ascendance to musical superstardom.

With an IMDb rating of 7.4/10 and a runtime of 65 minutes, Glover's unique brand of storytelling reminds the audience that he is just a weirdo at heart, and isn't afraid either to cash in his quirkiness for some quick laughs.