Clean Comedy was once a perjorative in some stand-up circles.
It evoked an edge-free humor that sacrificed laughs for squeaky clean gags that wouldn't offend a fly.
That label was wrong from the jump. Just ask Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Newhart or many other comic geniuses who made us howl with G-rated material.
Now, clean comedy is all the rage, with stand-ups like Sebastian Maniscalco, Jim Gaffigan, Brian Regan and Leanne Morgan selling out arenas with nary an F-bomb between them. Dry Bar Comedy generates millions of views on YouTube, forcing comedians to drop even references to drugs and alcohol in their routines.
And Nate Bargatze is the unofficial king of today's clean comic wave. He even made "Saturday Night Live" briefly relevant again with his 2024 sketch where he played George Washington.
Now, Bargatze is looking to expand his media empire to the big screen. The May 29 comedy "The Breadwinner" finds the 47-year-old comic updating "Mr. Mom," the 1980s comedy with Michael Keaton and Teri Garr. Bargatze plays a father and husband forced to be a stay-at-home pappy when his wife (Mandy Moore) lands a major deal.
Wacky high jinks ensue, with Bargatze leaning into his Everyman shtick for good measure.
The film is perfectly suited for his comic sensibilities. It's rated PG, lets the comic riff on ordinary elements of faith and family life and features able support from veteran co-stars like Kumail Nanjiani, Colin Jost and Will Forte.
it helps that we haven't seen many broad appeal comedies in recent years, and the studio behind the project is offering lower ticket prices to lure in cash-strapped families.
What could go wrong? Plenty, of course.
Nothing is guaranteed in Hollywood. The "Mr. Mom"-like premise feels stuffy in 2026. Many Dads either serve as stay-at-home parents or conduct their traditional jobs from a home office. "Mr. Mom" clicked because it spoke to a generational matter that faded over the decades.
Plus, the trailer isn't nearly as funny as Bargatze's stand-up shtick. There's another reason for pessism that Bargatze can duplicate his stand-up success on the big screen.
The aforementioned Sebastian Maniscalco.
The Chicago native's physical comedy seemed perfect for the big screen. and he, too, sold out arenas with his (mostly) clean material. He previously flexed his acting chops with smaller roles in projects like "The Irishman," "Green Book" and "Tag." So when he uncorked a semi-autobiographical comedy called "About My Father" in 2023 with Robert De Niro, he seemed bound for big screen glory.
And then the box office results dripped in. The film earned an anemic $12 million in US theaters and half that amount outside the country. Maniscalco's HBO Max series, "The Bookie," also ended after just two seasons. And he's unlikely to headline a feature film anytime soon.
Will Bargatze be different?
The comedian co-wrote "The Breadwinner" and was deeply involved with its creation. Win or lose, it's an example of an artist banking on his appeal to win the day. And, if the film flops, he's already got a backup project.
He's plotting a $350 million park called Nateland. He may be rich and famous via his Everyman shtick, but this dad has ambition to burn.
