Amy Schumer (The Leather Special) – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)
I’d like to think I enjoy vulgar comedy. After all, the majority of comedians I like can’t do a complete stand-up performance without some mention of bodily fluids, sex, or cursing. Much less, I’m a fan of the people Judd Apatow made famous. Yet, while I loved Trainwreck, I felt reminded why I have never…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux-x1GnUuqY
I’d like to think I enjoy vulgar comedy. After all, the majority of comedians I like can’t do a complete stand-up performance without some mention of bodily fluids, sex, or cursing. Much less, I’m a fan of the people Judd Apatow made famous. Yet, while I loved Trainwreck, I felt reminded why I have never watched Amy Schumer’s comedy show.
The Introduction
No matter how famous Amy gets, she is still just a girl from Long Island with a dream. One which gets on stage and talks about blacking out from drinking, dealing with her and her boyfriend’s bodily fluids, as well as various aspects of her body, but specifically her vagina. All the while, getting paid for it. I mean, what more could a girl want right?
Highlights
It Included Pictures For Reference
Something I kind of wish more comedians would do when telling jokes, is include pictures. A lot of the time they got these huge ass screens for the people in the back and they just show their image. They aren’t used to accentuate a joke or put it over the edge. For Amy though, when making fun of how magazines embellish on her and her sister’s style, among other things, she uses those screens to try to make you laugh.
Low Points
It’s A Prime Example Of How Vulgar Does Not Equal Funny
Talking about how her vagina smells is likely a relatable topic, as well as when her boyfriend takes too long to cum or asks where to cum. However, there isn’t a joke amongst this or even a compelling story. Instead, it is a bunch of awkward moments strung together with a few whiny voices for some attempt at comedic effect. Plus, I don’t think it was even me who didn’t find it funny. The audience seemed dead and the camera shots of people laughing just seemed about trying to make you feel weird about not laughing.
But perhaps the real problem here isn’t the topics, but it seeming Amy believes they have shock value. For honestly, there were moments it seemed she thought a joke would have led to a laugh and she got silence. So she just gathered herself up and moved on. Hoping that the next joke, be it dealing with her blackouts, how she got food poisoning, or her going to the Peabody awards and Inside Amy Schumer being nominated alongside Malala and Ebola fighters, maybe something may stick. Maybe there will be one joke she can revisit for when the audience gets quiet and she can be like “Remember that joke 5 minutes ago? Yeah, good times.”
Overall: Negative (Don’t Watch)
With Netflix heavily investing into comedy specials, to the point there is going to be at least one a month, I do hope they aren’t looking for quantity over quality. Much less, not focusing on name recognition vs. being the hosts for potential classics. For if this special, and even Trevor’s to a point, are supposed to be a sign of things to come, Comedy Central and HBO have nothing to worry about in terms of not having these big name acts.
I went to see Amy a few months ago in Chicago. Real disappointed as I was with this special. Not funny anymore at all as she seems to be mailing it in. To be honest these comedians that go on stage are amazing as it must be so challenging. Her comedy does not do it for me anymore.
A part of me thinks everyone is trying to follow Kevin Hart’s blueprint of saturating the market just enough so that you consistently have something premiering in theaters or on TV. Not realizing that Kevin is exploiting his brand to the fullest and of he isn’t careful, he’ll end up in the place Will Smith is in now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx9A0ABUV-I&t=753s
The special sounds awful
It was funny. I laughed out loud through out the whole thing. Maybe some people are just too conservative to hear a woman talking about these things.
I’m glad you laughed but I think the reason behind the negative reviews isn’t because of some people being too conservative when it comes to a woman talking about the topics Amy does. If this was the 90s or 80s, maybe that would apply. However, between Sarah Silverman, Whoopi Goldberg, Mo’Nique, and the huge amount of comics who gained notoriety and fame before Amy has reached her peak, I think that reasoning isn’t addressing the real issue.
Now, there could be the thought that people were expecting something of the realm of what was in Trainwreck but with the Amy we got in the stand up and the movie not that different, I don’t believe that was the issue. To me, the nicest way I can put it is, Amy needed to work on her material more before this special was made. After watching a handful of comic documentaries, it really did seem she was still working on what material worked and what didn’t, how to connect her jokes and stories together into one fluid thing, all the while dealing with that uncomfortable leather suit.
So, at worse, she suffered a flop like Rhonda Rousey. But at least, like Rousey, her movie career is still there to fall back on and she could always make a comeback. Plus, what matters is that people like you found it funny and got a break from life to get a few laughs and giggles in right?
I thought it was odd that you mentioned Rousey, but then I thought… maybe you’re right. The connection is that both of them spent too much time doing movies / TV shows, and not enough time doing what got them there in the first place – training to fight, and writing / working out jokes in clubs.
I think comedians are rushing their specials now, with some doing one every year, because there are so many more outlets for them to be released on, which means it’s easier to get a deal.
And that’s the problem. Even with comedians like Kevin Hart. It is like that skit in the beginning of his film gets longer and longer and his actual set shorter. Their diversifying is understandable, but at the cost of their base. Especially since they are worried about quantity over quality.
You and Amari Sali should read the reviews on IMDB to get a real perspective on just how bad her skit is. It sucked royally. Even her own fans were embarrassed for her. Being conservative has nothing to do with being a terrible comedian. If you laughed at this, then there is seriously something that has gone amiss in your life or you’re simply a ringer…
Omg, I love edgy and cringy comedy, but this is just awful and not funny at all. Maybe, just maybe it is funny for you, because YOU are too conservative? Think about it. Do you like 50 shades of gray? Exactly.