Michael Che talks about ‘Shot in Minnesota,’ his Netflix special filmed on First Avenue

Editor’s note: This story contains explicit language.

Michael Che loves Minnesota.

“I like the fact that it’s cold. I like everything about it,” the comedian, “Saturday Night Live” writer and “Weekend Update” anchor told MPR News. “It’s such a great place to do shows. They receive everything well, and I just think with the political climate of the last five years, there’s so much going on there that they would probably appreciate it.”

Che released his third Netflix special, “Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota,” on Tuesday. It was filmed in August over four shows at First Avenue in Minneapolis. The title is ironic, Che said.

“It’s sort of an allusion to the subject,” Che said. “It felt inclusive. Whether it happened in Minnesota, Missouri, New York or any place where we’ve seen a lot of violence and a lot of tragic rebellions, it could happen to any of us. It could be anyone. It could be me.”

The special opens with black-and-white images of downtown Minneapolis and the exterior of First Avenue with its wall of painted stars. In 59 minutes, Che spends about 60 seconds discussing Minnesota.

After a lengthy introduction about the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, President Trump’s mental capabilities and his continued use of slurs against people with intellectual disabilities, Che mentioned the state for the first time.

“You know what I’m talking about, because every time I listen to the news, Minnesota is fighting a bunch of retards,” Che said to cheers from the crowd. “Meaning regressive. A bunch of assholes trying to take away all our rights.”

Many in Minnesota might think a comedy special called “Shot in Minnesota” would cover the police killings of Daunte Wright and Philando Castile, or the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents earlier this year during Operation Metro Surge.

Che said the title was intended to be taken more universally.

“It’s not necessarily about these people individually,” Che said. “You have to be very careful, making jokes about things like that, and keeping the mood for a special – you know, it’s a comedy special – I didn’t want to invoke these names jokingly and kind of kill what we were trying to do. But it’s really more about the frustration of what’s happening, as opposed to the nuts and bolts of everything that happened.”

In the special, Che made another reference to Minnesota.

“I also do a lot of business in Minnesota. You don’t know this, but I own about three daycares,” Che said, stopping to applaud. “Say what you want, it’s a great no-show job, I promise.”

The joke referenced allegations of fraud against Somali-run day care centers in the Twin Cities, but Che told MPR News it was more of a “wink to the people in the crowd.”

Although the special is aimed at the world, Che said he wanted to let people know: “I’m careful and I know where I am, and something to surprise them.”

Minneapolis comedian Comrade Tripp watched the special and noted that the joke sounded like a throwaway line.

“I would like more than a wink. A wink is a dog whistle that even fewer people can understand,” Tripp said. “This stigmatization of corruption and fraud – spreading that doesn’t help. »

Tripp said he saw the special as a tighter, exploration of Che’s identity and relationships with celebrities.

“Any reference to Minnesota is limited. This is more of a personal comedy special. It’s not an hour-long ‘Weekend Update’ segment,” Tripp said.

Tripp said he also saw how Che formed a personal connection to Minnesota.

“Every time he’s in town, he supports local independent comedy venues,” Tripp said, noting Che’s past stops at Sisyphus Brewing and Comedy Corner Underground in Minneapolis. “The same cannot be said of any other comedian of this caliber.”

Che remembers the time he came to Minnesota in 2022 to do a “college gig” at Winona State University and stayed in Minneapolis, visiting local comedy clubs and bar shows.

“It was a really good time. It was kind of the beginning of this material, of a lot of bones,” Che said. “It feels good to have come full circle.”