Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years

In Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years, he shows us that the fiery ginger has lived long enough to become the villain.
61/10033928
Starring
Bill Burr
Director
Ben Tishler
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Comedy, Stand-Up
Release date
March 14, 2025
Where to watch
Hulu
Overall Score
Rating Overview
Is it Funny?
Non-Wokeness
Rating Summary
Drop Dead Years fails to recapture the sharp humor Burr was once known for. While his delivery remains strong, the special is bogged down by misguided takes on politics and social issues. A brief return to his old style offers some relief, but overall, it highlights the contrast between his past brilliance and current mediocrity.

Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years is a deeply personal and introspective hour in which Burr explores themes like male sadness, aging, and relationships. The special also touches on political and social topics. It was filmed at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington, and marks his return to stand-up after three years.

Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years Review

While never a conservative himself, thanks to his fearless takes on feminism, a shared loathing for weak, ineffectual men, and his distinctly masculine rage at the treatment of men in modern society, Bill Burr has been a fan favorite for many on the Right for years. However, over the past decade or so, noticeably starting with his mark-missing observations on religion in his 2014 Netflix special “I’m Sorry You Feel That Way,” Burr’s perspective has been slowly sliding from purple to death-of-his-career blue.

One wonders at the change. Burr has lived in Los Angeles since the 90s, but it seems not unreasonable to guess that both his recent rise to prominence and affluence, as well as his marriage to a vocal leftist, has had something to do with it. After all, both of those occurred at roughly the same time– a little over 10 years ago. Has the California Bubble finally got him, has he been Yoko’d? Who can say? Those who have been paying attention lament the onetime firebrand’s apparent transition into a wealthy liberal white woman.

bill burr and his wife smiling
Bill Burr and wife

Only days ago, Burr criticized Elon Musk for giving what Burr claims was a Nazi salute at a rally as the fiscally pragmatic billionaire awkwardly attempted to express his love and gratitude to a crowd of supporters. This is a goose-stepping 180° turn from the man who just a few years ago pointed out the liberal tendency to label anyone whom they didn’t like Hitler.

Regrettably, for any holding out hope that his newest special, Drop Dead Years, would mark a return to the angry curmudgeon who once split our sides with edgy observations about how to win an argument with a woman, you will be better off watching the old stuff and forgetting about what the one-time great has to say now.

Drop Dead Years isn’t a terrible stand-up special. Burr is a seasoned pro whose timing and delivery remain top-notch. However, his opening ten-minute riff on the nature of war is so detached from reality that it lacks the fundamental “truth” that underpins great comedy, leaving the bit amusing only to those who share his deeply misguided perspective. There’s a reason that the special was filmed in Seattle.

This rocky opening casts a shadow over much of Drop Dead Years, further weighed down by a string of equally flawed takes on racism, gun ownership, and politics scattered throughout. The stark contrast between the old and new Burr becomes especially apparent when he performs a bit within a bit, reflecting on how his younger, “less evolved” self would have tackled a situation. For a brief moment, he resurrects the Burr of the past, launching into one of his classic rants about refusing to waste a rare day off on something lame—and it hits harder than anything else in the special.

Burr also spends a not insignificant amount of time discussing men’s emotions in the special. Although it’s among the funniest bits of Drop Dead Years, it’s also well-trodden territory for him that fans of his old routines will recognize as barely reworded retreads.

The fall of great men is never an occasion to celebrate, and Burr’s descent into mediocrity should be mourned. It’s not just the loss of his once razor-sharp wit that stings, but the realization that a performer who once seemed fearless in his comedic exploration has become bogged down by trite political rants and repetitive tropes. What was once a thrilling voice in comedy now feels watered down and devoid of vision, and that is a genuine tragedy.

Woke Report

WOKE REPORT

You're Only Getting Half the Picture.

This section is our site's secret sauce, and what truly separates us from the rest. If you don't read it, you haven't read our review.

Have the filmmakers chosenradical progressive messaging over story?
Unlock the insightsthat could change your viewing experience and protect your family.

James Carrick

James Carrick is a passionate film enthusiast with a degree in theater and philosophy. James approaches dramatic criticism from a philosophic foundation grounded in aesthetics and ethics, offering insight and analysis that reveals layers of cinematic narrative with a touch of irreverence and a dash of snark.

Leave a Review
  1. Gug March 19, 2025 at

    His wife turned him into a soy boy

  2. dontbothermeplz March 23, 2025 at

    Burr took the Tim Heidecker route. Be one of the funnier people in comedy and get absolutely overtaken by politics. I don’t care if the comedians I watch or liberal or conservative, just be funny. Unfortunately liberal comedy is just usually elitist and smug talking points.

  3. Bushblocker August 5, 2025 at

    Bill Burr has become another lesbian feminist who isn’t funny.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

No audience reviews yet. Be the first to leave one.

 

X Marks the Spot - Follow us Today!!

 

 

'; win.document.open(); win.document.write(html); win.document.close(); return true; } function escapeHtml(str){ return String(str || '').replace(/[&<>"']/g, function(ch){ return ({'&':'&','<':'<','>':'>','"':'"',"'":'''})[ch] || ch; }); } function renderShareOptionsWindow(win, landscapeUrl, squareUrl, shareUrl, heading){ if (!win || win.closed) return false; var safeHeading = escapeHtml(heading || 'Share options'); var safeLandscape = escapeHtml(landscapeUrl || ''); var safeSquare = escapeHtml(squareUrl || ''); var safeUrl = escapeHtml(shareUrl || ''); var html = '' + '' + '' + safeHeading + '' + '' + '
' + '

' + safeHeading + '

' + '' + '' + '
' + '