Rory Scovel Made the Best Stand-Up Special Trailer Ever

For all the artistic and stylistic evolution comedy specials have undergone in recent years, their accompanying trailers haven’t always kept apace. Often, they consist of frenetic cuts between out-of-context joke fragments, big physical gestures, and hokey taglines scored by cheesy music. On merciful occasions, they skip these flourishes and feature just one great joke. Still, they’re rarely revolutionary, which might be why, when it came time to cut a trailer for his upcoming Max special Religion, Sex, and a Few Things in Between, comedian Rory Scovel took matters into his own hands.

The trailer begins unassumingly enough with quick jokes about parenting and porn addiction before taking a turn for the weird. “I’ve got this gangbang video I’m trying to watch,” Scovel tags the latter joke before getting faux-somber and looking down at the stage in exaggerated regret. “Nah, I’ve never been in a gangbang,” he says as melodramatic piano begins to play. He walks off the stage as if too overwhelmed to continue then adds, “Can this please be the trailer for the special?” Thankfully, the marketing overlords at Max granted his request. The music intensifies from there, crescendoing with Scovel calling out in anguish, as the trailer’s editor replicates the aesthetic of a three-wolf moon shirt with Scovel’s face.

Executive-produced by Conan O’Brien and Conaco, Religion, Sex, and a Few Things in Between was filmed at the Goodale Theater in Minneapolis and directed by Jeff Tomsic. In addition to the titular subjects, it will tackle doing mushrooms, parenting an 8-year-old, and COVID vaccines, among other topics. Plus, in true Scovel fashion, just like this trailer turns inward on itself, so too does his stand-up. Reward Scovel for his innovations in marketing by watching his special when it hits Max on February 22.