EXCLUSIVE: Veteran comic Eddie Pepitone is preparing to release a new hour of stand-up, The Collapse, which will debut on streaming platform Veeps on July 17 and be released as a comedy album via Blonde Medicine on August 15.
Exec produced by Patton Oswalt and directed by Steven Feinartz, The Collapse is described as a true Pepitone rant-and-romp as he barrels through the heightened emotions and anxieties of modern life. Over the course of the hour, he pores over several micro topics and some self-deprecating examinations of his behavior, unpacking notions like the “self-loathing that attaches to your face like that thing in Alien.”
Said Pepitone, “The special for me is always an accumulation of rage and tension that has to be let out. I always remember that my first job is to be funny, so I always talk about my personal collapse and hypocrisies, while addressing the societal collapse. My penchant for self-loathing, while not a pretty thing to expose in a special, connects with so many people who are struggling with the same issues.”
Known for kinetic comedy gravitating between social rage and self-doubt, Pepitone has been working as a comic since the late 1970s. His last special, 800 Pound Gorilla’s For the Masses, was named as part of the Best Comedy of 2020 by the New York Times. Outside of stand-up, the veteran performer — nicknamed the Bitter Buddha — is also a well-known character actor. Most recently, he’s featured in Max’s Harley Quinn spin-off Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, Hulu’s Ramy, and Nickelodeon’s Rock Paper Scissors. Among other projects, he’s also appeared on numerous comedy series, including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rick and Morty, Reno 911!, Ten Year Old Tom, The Life and Times of Tim, Will & Grace, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Love, The Sarah Silverman Program, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, After Midnight, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle’s Show, Bob’s Burgers, and Adult Swim’s Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell. Pepitone is repped by Stewart Talent and AGI Entertainment Media & Management.
This story originated as part of Deadline’s new Comedy Means Business newsletter. Sign up here.
