Amy Schumer brings lots of laughs in comedy special
There’s no doubt that this year has been a big one for comedian Amy Schumer. From writing and starring in the summer blockbuster Trainwreck to locking down an Emmy win for her sketch comedy show Inside Amy Schumer and successfully hosting Saturday Night Live last weekend, Schumer has established herself as a multifaceted tour de force. Her upcoming HBO special, Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo, is another success to add her to her laundry list of accomplishments.
Though it might seem like she has suddenly appeared on the scene, Schumer has actually been around the comedy world for quite some time. She got her big break while competing on the show Last Comic Standing, in which she placed fourth, and bounced around small gigs within the Comedy Central vicinity until she started being widely recognized for her work. No doubt Schumer is a stand-up veteran, and in her special, she touches upon what it’s like to be launched into Hollywood’s big leagues as a female comedian, saying it can be a recipe for disaster, albeit a hilarious one. Schumer discusses some of these issues she’s come across on her recent journey to fame, including the fact that all residents of Los Angeles are too pretty for their own good. After meeting Kate Upton, she said she realized, “I’m not a real woman, I’m just harvesting organs in case one of them ever needs a liver or something for one.”
Additionally, Schumer has joked that her new celebrity personal trainer, after getting her to lose 10 pounds by cutting alcohol from her diet, acted “like he’d taught Helen Keller how to read.” And, as pretty much anybody would assume, since she and Bradley Cooper had a conversation that lasted longer than 30 seconds, it definitely means that they’re dating. Perhaps most appropriately, she walks on stage accompanied by a bottle of wine instead of a glass of water, and takes a swig every so often after an especially flippant joke.
Expectedly, the performance is also chock full of her signature irreverent and often inappropriate humor; Schumer even admits she doesn’t mind being labeled “that sex comic.” Realistically, the fact that Schumer is a woman with “dude humor” makes her more relatable and brings a refreshing change to the ranks of Hollywood women. She is able to break stereotypes when discussing situations and topics that are often reserved for men by holding her own and beating the guys at their own game. Her comedy often touches on feminist subject matter, as she speaks freely about the challenges of gender inequality, sexuality and femininity — saying all the things about UTIs that everyone thinks but is too embarrassed to say out loud and addressing the fact that all women have thought at one point, “Am I maybe … gorgeous? I just haven’t found the right hairstyle yet!” The only downside to the special is that it is a bit predictable, but perhaps those who are fans of Schumer flock to see her perform because they expect to see the raunchy and spirited humor she has branded as her own.
Schumer’s fans don’t belong to a specific demographic — they range from teenage boys who appreciate her explicit humor to 20-something women who both idolize and empathize with her, as well as middle-aged parents who respect her daring comedy. Most will be pleased with Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo, as the program offers a sampling of the best things everyone loves about Schumer.
Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo premieres Oct. 17 at 10 p.m. on HBO.