Stand-up comedy is usually about ego, but for Brad Williams, it's about perspective. You've probably seen him on your feed—the high-energy guy who makes dwarfism the punchline before anyone else can. But back in 2016, things got a lot more personal with the release of his Showtime special. Brad Williams: Daddy Issues wasn't just another hour of "short jokes." It was a pivot point.
Honestly, it’s the special that solidified him as more than just a "niche" comic.
He wasn't just talking about being a little person in a big world anymore. He was talking about the man who raised him. The guy who, instead of shielding Brad from the world, basically threw him into the deep end of the pool to make sure he learned how to swim.
Why the Name "Daddy Issues" Isn't What You Think
Usually, when someone says they have "daddy issues," it implies a mess of trauma or a missing father figure. Brad flips that. The "issue" here is actually his father's relentless, almost legendary refusal to treat Brad like he was fragile.
Most parents of kids with achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism) might be overprotective. Not Brad’s dad. He’s the guy who once told Brad to go out for the football team. He’s the guy who mocked him just as hard as he’d mock anyone else.
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This upbringing created a comedian who is essentially bulletproof.
In the special, Brad recounts how his father’s "tough love" shaped his stage presence. There’s a specific brand of confidence you get when your own dad is your biggest heckler. It’s why Brad can stand in front of a sold-out crowd at the Sony Hall or the Lobero Theatre and own every inch of that stage. He isn't looking for pity. He's looking for the laugh, and he’ll go to some pretty dark, "politically incorrect" places to get it.
Breaking Down the 2016 Showtime Special
If you haven't watched it lately, Brad Williams: Daddy Issues is a masterclass in pacing. He jumps from the physical realities of using a public urinal—which, yeah, is as awkward as you’d imagine—to the social dynamics of "Short King" energy before that was even a trendy term.
- The Reverse Technophobia Bit: One of the funniest segments involves how different generations handle technology, but seen through the lens of someone who literally views the world from a different height.
- The "Nasty" Comedy: Brad doesn't hold back. He’s known for being "pound for pound" one of the raunchiest clean-looking comics out there. He talks about sex, dating, and the absurdity of how people perceive his romantic life.
- The Father in the Front Row: There’s an incredible tension in knowing his dad was actually in the audience for many of these sets. Imagine telling a joke about your most intimate moments while the man who changed your diapers is five feet away.
That’s the core of the special. It’s a tribute wrapped in a roast.
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The Impact on the Comedy Scene
Before this special, people knew Brad from Mind of Mencia or his early appearances on The Tonight Show. But Daddy Issues did something different. It proved he could carry a narrative. It followed his first hour, Fun Size, which was already a hit on Showtime.
But Daddy Issues was more successful. It prompted The New York Times to claim that nobody was doing stand-up more hilariously at the time. That’s high praise for a guy who started his career because Carlos Mencia saw him in the crowd and dared him to come on stage.
Brad’s style isn't just "I'm short, look at me." It's "I'm short, and here is why you're the weird one."
Beyond the Jokes: A Legacy of Resilience
What most people get wrong about Brad Williams is thinking his comedy is self-deprecating. It’s actually the opposite. It’s self-assertive.
He talks about "Operation Willow Drop" and his run-ins with protesters who thought he was exploiting himself. In one famous story, a group of little people protested his show with "picket signs" (which Brad joked were just 3x5 cards). He invited them in. He showed them that he wasn't the butt of the joke—the world's reaction to him was.
By the time the credits roll on Brad Williams: Daddy Issues, you realize the "daddy issues" he’s talking about are the reason he’s successful. His father taught him that if you can’t laugh at yourself, the world will laugh at you instead of with you.
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How to Watch and What to Do Next
If you're looking to dive into the Brad Williams rabbit hole, don't stop at the 2016 special. His career has exploded since then. He became the first stand-up to headline a Cirque du Soleil show (Mad Apple in Las Vegas), and his 2024 special Starfish shows a more "mature" (well, for Brad) version of his comedy as a father himself.
Here is the best way to experience his work today:
- Watch "Daddy Issues" on Amazon or Apple: It's still the definitive look at his origin story and his relationship with his father.
- Check out "Starfish": It’s his first special as a dad, bringing the "Daddy Issues" theme full circle as he navigates raising a daughter who also has achondroplasia.
- Listen to "About Last Night": His podcast with Adam Ray is where you get the raw, unscripted version of his wit.
The takeaway from Brad’s work is pretty simple: your "shortcomings" are only weaknesses if you let them be. If you own them, they’re material.
To get the full experience of how his comedy has evolved from those early "Daddy Issues" days, you should compare his 2016 set with his recent performance in Starfish. Seeing how he transitioned from talking about his father to becoming a father provides a rare, honest arc that you don't often see in the world of raunchy stand-up comedy.