The Clean Comedy Machine

Nate Bargatze is doing everything right – except follow the Hollywood formula.

Stand-up comedians often jump on the first big-screen project that comes their way. Not Bargatze, who still hasn’t made a feature-length comedy all his own. Others snag a sitcom deal promising a lifetime of residual checks if the stars align.

Think — Tim Allen, Roseanne Barr, Jerry Seinfeld, Brett Butler, Martin Lawrence and other funny folks.

Bargatze isn’t going that route. He’s content to Hoover up money on the road. He was 2024’s most successful comedian, earning nearly $80 million in ticket sales. That’s in a landscape where Jim Gaffigan, Kevin Hart, Sebastian Maniscalco and others happily roam.

His Prime Video special, “Nate Bargatze: Hello World” became the streamer’s most popular comedy special in less than a month. He even scored a viral “Saturday Night Live” sketch at a time when the NBC showcase rarely rocks the zeitgeist.

That “Washington’s Dream” clip earned more than 19 million views as well as a video sequel with nearly 9 million more.

He’s a clean comedy machine, and he’s unabashedly heartland friendly.

Bargatze’s red state appeal is no monkey trick. He’s from Tennessee, and his gentle southern accent is just one giveaway. A 2022 profile describes his Tennessee home as surprisingly modest, understanding he could afford a home that would make Architectural Digest readers swoon.

He’s opened up about his Christian childhood with tenderness and humor.

“I think Jesus had more fun than I did [growing up],” he said playfully on the stand-up circuit. “I’m not complaining. My parents did a great job, I was just naïve a little bit longer than most kids were.”

His self-effacing shtick scores with fans, and he’s never more self-critical than when he describes his marriage.

He also loves to pay it forward. His Nateland Entertainment YouTube channel features both his podcast and shows featuring fellow comedians who lack his national presence. If Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” helped launch stand-ups in the 1970s and ‘80s, podcasts like “The Joe Rogan Experience” and “Nateland” do something similar for today’s cutups.

Bargatze’s runaway success is part of the larger, clean comedy revolution. The term “clean” once meant “clunky,” “edge-free” or just plain dull to some. Now, with superstars like Gaffigan, Maniscalco, Brian Regan and Bargatze working the comedy circuit that’s hardly the case.

Established comics like Adam Carolla wash their own mouths out with soap to appear on Utah’s Dry Bar Comedy circuit.

It’s worth noting Bargatze is the opposite of an overnight sensation. He’s been telling jokes for more than 20 years, but for much of his career he wasn’t a household name. Blame social media clips, Netflix specials, or just a never-say-die spirit. He’s now the biggest name in comedy.

Podcaster and actor Marc Maron called it years ago, telling Rolling Stone magazine Bargatze was “a comic who should be big.” Finally, America agrees.

Perhaps his gentle brand of humor, observational and endlessly kind, is just what we needed in troubled times.

Rebel comedians aren’t hurting for work, either. Tony Hinchcliffe’s nasty jab at Puerto Rico during that infamous Madison Square Garden Trump rally could have hurt the mogul’s re-election chances, but Hinchcliffe emerged from the non-scandal bigger than ever.

Comedy podcasters like Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Tim Dillon and Andrew Schulz throw razor-sharp elbows and have made themselves rich in the process. There’s room for all shades of comedy in 2025.

Still, Bargatze can’t imagine that cobalt blue approach.

“I was always uncomfortable making people uncomfortable. I’d be sad if I made somebody feel bad. That would break my heart. I didn’t realize my purpose was to be a relief, but the people who come to my shows — all different backgrounds, political belief, ages, especially since the pandemic — you can feel the relief when you hear them laugh.”

The funniest part of his shocking rise to fame? A Slate.com profile attacking him for ducking the culture war battles.

Of course, Bargatze’s neutrality is a politicized stance in its own right. His dogmatic avoidance of controversy might be celebrated in progressive circles, but it also renders his catalog incapable of addressing any of the glaring frailties in American culture.

As it turns out, Bargatze has been waiting to make his big-screen closeup on his terms. He recently signed up to star and co-produce “The Breadwinner,” a comedy with few details available at the moment. It’ll be his first starring role in a feature film, and the pressure will be immense.

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There’s zero chance it’ll duplicate the bawdy antics of a “Hangover” or “Old School” style romp. Bargatze has wisely protected his brand up until now. Why fix what isn’t broken?

“I was never great at auditioning for other people’s movies. So I kind of figured I would have to just make my own. I want to be able to create movies that hopefully the whole family can come out to. I believe people still want to go to movies and [that they] still like appointment-type television.”

Be warned. Sebastian Maniscalco took that path last year with “About My Father,” a story based on his life co-starring Oscar-winner Robert De Niro. It flopped. So did Bert Kreischer’s “The Machine.”

There’s no shame in sticking with what works.

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Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at HollywoodInToto.com. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.