Rafe Octagon Pontificates 2.0

I tuned in expecting stand-up comedy; what I got was sometimes humorous, at other times poignant, but always an exploration. Rafe Octagon is trying to find themselves, looking at their life experiences through the lens of humor. It’s a comedic and cathartic journey that’s authentic in its emotional rawness. As listeners, there are moments we don’t know if we should laugh, cry, clap, or somehow reach through the airwaves to give them a hug. This is a new comedian testing the waters, trying to find the right timing and delivery, grappling with punchlines, experimenting with audience reactions. Sometimes Rafe is in the groove; other times, they wander off track while straddling the lines between exposure and vulnerability, awareness and anger, joy and surprise, pathos and humor. At its heart, this podcast is a hero’s journey. Maybe the suave James Bond that Rafe sees in the mirror is not far from the reality; it takes bravery and daring to lay oneself bare before an audience while working out the comedic kinks and exploring life. It’s interesting to watch how the sausage is made. Rafe may make you laugh, cry, or scream, but the fun, bumpy road is worth the ride—and you’ll find yourself rooting for them to succeed.

Rafe shares her travails with honesty and humility, and still manages to keep it entertaining. She’s the life of the party who always has a crowd around her and laughs the loudest at her own foibles. Keep it coming, Rafe.

I don’t know how to give you a feel for this show. But pretend that there’s a factory where specials like Nannette are made: Rafe Octagon Pontificates is the shop floor where, with a lot of messy work, a lifetime’s worth of queerness, mental illness, political struggle, and story are made stage-worthy. It’s funny and, as you might expect from a former attorney and professor, smart. It’s also candid to a fault. That’s where things get interesting. The first four episodes consist of Rafe’s very first, very short performances. In less than an hour, we’re introduced to a person who can a) laugh about puking on themselves and b) estrange every comedian they know. This isn’t a success story with a few hiccups. It’s a risky look at a work in progress by a fascinating person brave enough to do something new in midlife. Like a cryptocurrency, you don’t know if Rafe Octagon Ponificates is going TO THE MOON or not—and that makes it all the more worth your time.