In ‘Wet Heat’, Dusty Slay Is A Little Too Laid Back For His Own Good

Let me be clear — I like Dusty Slay. He’s a funny observational comic with relatable blue-collar appeal and a hint of freewheeling, improvisational weirdness. But I just wish he’d relax. Sure, his nervous delivery might be a part of the package, and his familiar “we’re having a good time” mantra is his trademark bit, but in Wet Heat, as was the case in Workin’ Man, it can give the wrong impression. Sometimes, he seems too laid back for his own good, and in his second Netflix special, which runs for comfortably over an hour, you can feel his welcome starting to wear out.

With the Southern twang and cadence of Theo Von and the general demeanour of Shane Gillis doing an awards show or SNL monologue, Dusty takes to the stage as if he’s not supposed to be there. Multiple times throughout the set, he acknowledges a joke trailing off or getting a muted reaction, immediately deploying the usual “we’re having a good time” reassurance. But who’s he reassuring? The audience or himself? I suspect the latter, since the audience, a bit of wavering interest notwithstanding, does seem to be having a genuinely good time. And this is my point.

Dusty’s funnier than his demeanour suggests he is. All of his comedy is observational, but he has that rare ability to riff on almost anything and make it funny. His Nashville trailer park background is once again deployed to humorous effect, but it doesn’t feel off-puttingly narrow as a subject because he mostly relates his personal experiences to something more universal. The special’s title, Wet Heat, comes from a throwaway bit about dry heat that builds to a point of ridiculousness but is also later called back to in a writing flourish that proves Dusty’s becoming a seasoned big-stage comedian.

There are a couple of great bits in this. Gags about milk are all well and good, but the extended analysis of country music lyrics is genuinely excellent, hitting that perfect sweet spot of feeling very on-brand but also universally relatable. Another riff on his glasses being reminiscent of Jeffrey Dahmer’s is great, really suiting Dusty’s uncertain delivery. He has the just-right style and approach to nudge against potentially risky subjects without seeming like he’s trying too hard or being needlessly edgy.

If Wet Heat were a bit tighter, and perhaps a bit shorter, I think it’d be a real starmaking special for Dusty, who impressed mightily in Netflix’s The Standups — he appeared in Season 3 — but arguably failed to capitalize on that in Workin’ Man. He’s an immediately recognisable character with a very specific and indescribably likeable vibe, which is gold dust in a performative, look-at-me industry like stand-up comedy. Being funny suits him. I wish he’d wear it more openly.

But perhaps I’m in the minority. After all, if Dusty wasn’t selling out shows already, he wouldn’t have been given a second special on the biggest streaming platform in the world, however uncomfortable it might sometimes feel when a comedian’s entire career seems inextricably strung to a corporate entity. I can see big things in Dusty’s future, all the same, and I sincerely hope he finds more mainstream interest. Maybe that’d settle him down a bit.