Give Jena Friedman a Damn Talk Show Already!

Soft Focus with Jena Friedman was one of the funniest comedy specials of 2018. For the uninitiated, the first installment of this unconventional Adult Swim marvel memorably featured Friedman’s interview with Gilberto Valle III, also known as the infamous “Cannibal Cop.” The comedian’s subtle, matter-of-fact conversation with Valle about human cannibalism truly proved that a deft performer can mine explosive amounts of humor out of literally any subject. Friedman’s nimble interviewing skills are once again on display in her latest installment of Soft Focus, which premieres Friday, January 25 at midnight on Adult Swim.

Created by, directed by, and starring Friedman, the newest edition of Soft Focus actually manages to surpass the original, a true pop culture rarity. Sure, Friedman’s incisive segment on sexual harassment in gaming once again finds a way to inject humor into a sensitive issue, but much like the first Soft Focus, it’s the comedian’s virtuosic interviewing skills that steal the show. Herein lies my biggest takeaway: Jena’s interviews are so wonderfully bizarre, so uniquely funny that they highlight the literal pop culture crime that is Friedman’s lack of a full-time talk show.

I propose a simple solution to this oversight: Give Jena Friedman a damn talk show already!

In Soft Focus 2: Still Soft, Still Focused, Friedman has a friendly sit-down interview with noted cyber security entrepreneur and Belizean fugitive John McAfee. If you’re unfamiliar with McAfee’s oeuvre, it’s a lot. Surrounded by four armed security guards, the wide-ranging interview packs an absurd amount of humor into ten short minutes, buoyantly bouncing from subjects like the #MeToo movement and bitcoin to the linguistic semantics of what it truly means to eat your own dick. One of the many reasons I love watching Jena Friedman go one-on-one with an unconventional guest is because she treats absurd situations with a faux earnestness before swiftly pivoting to unleash her razor-sharp wit.

“Let’s say I’m a female voter,” Friedman asks McAfee, a former and current presidential candidate. “I’m fed up with both the Democrats and the Republicans. I don’t know you’re wanted for murder in Belize. How do you win my vote?”

After I implored my colleague Kayla Cobb to watch the newest installment of Soft Focus, she compared Friedman’s interview style to that of Nathan Fielder, which is basically the highest compliment we can bestow upon someone here at Decider. My only complaint about Soft Focus is that we’re only treated to one special a year.

The second installment of Soft Focus with Jena Friedman premieres Friday, January 25 at midnight on Adult Swim.

Where to stream Soft Focus with Jena Friedman