Today’s the day, folks. Big Jay Oakerson, the undisputed king of crowd work, is dropping the first part of his two-part special Them / They—and he’s doing it on YouTube, where comics can finally cut out the middleman and drop specials on their own terms—no network suits, no bullshit, just raw, unfiltered stand-up the way it was meant to be. Them premieres today, February 20, 2025, for free, and that means there’s zero excuse not to watch, share, and run up the numbers to prove a point to certain streaming platforms that didn’t see the vision.
Netflix Shit the Bed
If you’ve been paying attention, you probably already know the deal. Oakerson didn’t just wake up one day and decide to drop this for free—this special had a different trajectory before Netflix, in their infinite wisdom, decided to pass on it. Their loss is our gain. Instead of sitting behind a paywall or getting sliced up into algorithm-friendly, corporate-approved chunks, Them is out in the wild where it belongs and entirely in Jay’s control.
What to Expect from Them
Filmed live in Denver, Them captures everything that makes Big Jay Oakerson one of the best in the game. No pre-written bits. No polished monologues. Just Jay, a mic, and an audience full of unsuspecting people about to get roasted, interrogated, and thrown into hilarious chaos. If you’ve seen his last special, Dog Belly, or his classic What’s Your F@%king Deal?! series, you know exactly what you’re in for—unfiltered, in-the-moment comedy at its finest.
Check Out the Trailer
Pump-up The Volume
That heading isn't just a shameless plug for my post about Pump-Up the Volume, where pirate radio host Happy Harry Hard-on wins over the hearts and minds of a generation. No, I would never shamelessly plug a 90s cult classic. Instead, it is an analogy, and Big Jay is our Happy Harry Hard-on, so spread the word and fight the power. We need to make sure this special gets millions of views. Not just because it’s hilarious (it is), but because Netflix and the other streaming suits need to see what they missed out on. Let’s send a message that Legion of Skanks fans show up and support their own.
So here’s your mission: watch 'Them', share it, comment, like, and get everyone you know to do the same. Because if we make this blow up the way it deserves, maybe next time, Jay won’t have to self-release it—maybe the streaming giants will actually cut the check instead of cutting corners.
And remember, this is just Part 1—'They' is set for release 4-20-2025. Let’s make sure by the time it drops, the world is paying attention.
