The Prodigal Daughter is one of the bravest stand-up specials, as it premiered during the most divisive period in human history. Can it be said that, as a species, we are going through our most divisive period? Because when people hear that, they always cite some historical episode where wars were fought over religious beliefs, women were persecuted for having an IQ higher than the ambient temperature, and the shadow of a lower-caste person was forbidden from touching a higher-caste person to prove that things were bad back then, which means they must be better now. Then, the same people defend the most intolerant opinions of their grandparents, saying they are "a product of their time."
Director: Taylor Tomlinson
Writer: Taylor Tomlinson
Stars: Taylor Tomlinson
If the name and setting of the comedy special aren't a clear indication, yes, Taylor Tomlinson's "The Prodigal Daughter" focuses primarily on the topic of religion. Every one of his anecdotes, his interpretation of Bible stories, and what he thinks God must be doing in heaven is hilarious. I won't comment on that, because I don't want to get into trouble; I'm not as brave as Taylor. What I do want to talk about is this very important point she makes about all those people who misinterpret religion. Taylor is agnostic; I'm an atheist, but we both agree that those who use their belief in God, or sometimes the lack thereof, to hurt others are the scum of the earth.
We can debate all we want about whether there's some supernatural being, type, or non-binary person sitting on clouds, but I don't think that disagreement should lead to violence. A difference of opinion about religion should never lead to death or the disenfranchisement of others. If you kill or discriminate against other human beings to "protect" the image of this being (which may or may not be entirely imaginary), then you're not religious at all. You're just a monster using religion as an excuse to act out your most depraved fantasies.
Taylor observes that humanity's lack of knowledge about what happens after death is one of the main reasons for the existence of religion, and I wholeheartedly agree. Whether you believe in the afterlife or not, I think you'll find his jokes about his plans for after death amusing. I mean, it never occurred to me that I could torment people after I die without necessarily doing anything traumatic. But when I heard Taylor talk about tormenting all your family members, or perhaps someone in particular, by expressing your wish that your ashes be scattered in a place that's a true nightmare, I felt inspired.
I don't know if I'll be able to do it, especially if I die prematurely or am struck by an illness that robs me of my sense of humor, but I'm very keen to carry out Taylor's idea. I think Taylor could have been a bit more imaginative in choosing his favorite and most perplexing place where he'd like to send his relatives to scatter his ashes; Toledo might be a luxury for many people. At the time of writing, several cities in South Asia top all the world's pollution lists. So, yes, if any of my relatives are reading this, please be kind to me, or you'll be taking my ashes to one of those filthy places.
Taylor's segment on homosexuality is great because he talks about coming out as bisexual and points out that dating women is much more fulfilling than dating men. And as a straight, cisgender man, I totally agree. Men have sunk so low that when women decide to date a man, I just think, "Why?" I understand that it's very difficult to unlearn the teachings of patriarchy, but does it really hurt to try to deviate from what has been considered "the norm" for centuries? If "the norm" were so productive and efficient, do you really think society would be the hellhole it is today? I mean, it's 2026. There are wars everywhere. Water scarcity is skyrocketing.'
It seems like the end is near, and you still want to spend the rest of your life with a cisgender, heterosexual man? How sad. I hope this doesn't sound offensive, but women are better than men in every way, and given that the concept of heterosexual communion has failed miserably, I think that, for the next few decades, we should all try to embrace some form of queer identity. At the very least, it will solve the population problem. And yes, I also agree with Taylor that she doesn't see the beauty in the process of giving birth. I don't know how women do it, or how men subject their other half to that. You can always adopt.
Taylor's final segment for Prodigal Daughter, where she talks about performing in a church and what she'll do if it gets canceled, is hilarious. I always love it when comedians use the stage creatively, and whoever edited that montage of Taylor's old jokes and then helped her with the costume design deserves a huge round of applause. If Taylor did it all herself, well done. Also, I find it incredible that he's been doing stand-up comedy in churches, especially since it's the first time I've ever seen anyone do it in a religious establishment.
That's something that's always bothered me about religious people: they don't know how to take a joke, even though they keep claiming they have a direct line to God. I mean, religious people never stop criticizing those who don't follow their rules, but if you do the same to them, you're going straight to jail for blasphemy. At this point, I don't know if anything will be solved if religious people wake up tomorrow and develop a sense of humor, but it will certainly be the first step toward progress as a species. Anyway, I had a great time watching Taylor's comedy special on Netflix, and I highly recommend everyone watch it.
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