By Clare Martin | July 27, 2022 | 2:03pm
Photo by Zac Popik, courtesy of Netflix
Whether you know David A. Arnold from his years on the club circuit or from his work as a writer on Fuller House or you’re just hearing about him for the first time, his new hour It Ain’t For the Weak is a strong second Netflix special.
Arnold’s animated physical comedy elevates his jokes. When he arrives onstage, he immediately sets the mic stage toward the back so he can skip on an imaginary playground or eat bland potatoes at a Bakersfield prison. He can really set a scene, both with subtle movements and his impressions. Arnold uses his voice to the fullest—both literally and figuratively—by bringing us from a whisper to a bellow and focusing on his own personal experiences. He’s a straight-talking club comedian who’s clearly honed his craft.
You could peg Arnold as a curmudgeon; much of the start of It Ain’t For the Weak has a “back in my day” bent to it. However, instead of simply declaring how things were better when he was coming up, Arnold examines the lessons he gleaned from his various father figures (his grandfather, stepfather, and dad) and those he wants to impart as a father himself.
