Roy Wood Jr. believes that civilization is doomed if we don’t find a way back to social normalcy.

In a recent interview with TheWrap, the former “Daily Show” correspondent explained why he decided to start off his new Hulu comedy special “Lonely Flowers” with a despairing statement about modern society’s lack of connection — a theme he digs into through his work onstage.

“I enjoy the idea of starting with a joke before saying hello, but I kind of also wanted to almost state the thesis of the paper before presenting my work,” Wood, who kicked off the the special with “We ain’t gon’ make it,” told TheWrap. “I feel like, if we remain in the same state that we’re in as a society, we’re not going to make it, it’s only going to get worse. So let me start with a comedic declaration of pessimism,...