Not too long ago, I was one of the legions of comedy nerds who thought that Sarah Silverman's act was one of the most brilliant out there in the world of stand-up. Think about it: "She's a pretty girl, but she says all of these offensive things. Look how cute she's being; she doesn't even know how bad she's being!" Etc. When her stand-up act started getting attention a couple of years ago, and especially after her Jesus Is Magic movie hit theaters, her approach to comedy seemed fresh and funny.Now, two short years and a million articles -- fifty percent of which examined the unlikely relationship between her and Jimmy Kimmel -- later, I'm really starting to get sick of Silverman's act. Why? Because we know what it's going to be. "How offensive can she get? Ooh, let's see her look blankly at the audience and wonder why they're laughing so hard!" That's all there is, and I don't see it getting any deeper.
On Thursday, Sarah's long-planned Comedy Central series, The Sarah Silverman Program, debuts, and I plan on watching it, mainly because I'm hoping that she realized that being sweetly offensive isn't going to be enough to carry six episodes, and that she adds other aspects to her comic persona. She's a talented woman, which she's shown to audiences over the last ten years or so. But, looking at the highlights, I'm getting the feeling that her character is going to be the same one who uttered lines like, "I was raped by a doctor. Which is, you know, so bittersweet for a Jewish girl."
Other comics have one-note acts: Don Rickles has been making a mint for the last forty years with his insult humor, and Lisa Lampanelli is now making a mint by doing Rickles' act and mixing in racial jokes. Rodney Dangerfield's "I don't get no respect" schtick is considered genius by many. I never got sick of any of them.
But that points out another reason why Silverman's act is starting to wear on me: I think she can do so much more. She's at a point in her career where she can do an act with real pointed and funny observations about life and society and the human condition. That's what I see in her humor. But she continues to say stuff that, instead of making people think, just makes them say "I can't believe she said that!" Even Howard Stern or Opie & Anthony know that shock humor only goes so far; that's why both shows have a good amount of funny social observation included, as well.
So, what do you folks think? Are you sick of Sarah yet? Still think she's brilliant? Or never liked her in the first place? Let me know in the comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-30-2007 @ 11:49AM
Michael Canfield said...
She's hilarious.
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1-30-2007 @ 11:53AM
Akbar Fazil said...
Never liked her from day one. I think a lot of that stems from everyone always fawning over how awesome she is. To me, I just never got it. I find her fingernail on chalk board annoying. I even avoided seeing "School of Rock" since she was in it.
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1-30-2007 @ 12:03PM
Will said...
Not yet, but I probably haven't seen as much of her as you have. Other than Jesus is Magic and her controversial appearance on Conan a few years ago, I don't think I've seen her in anything. Her show is marked on my calendar and I plan on watching it later this week.
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1-30-2007 @ 12:24PM
baseballbatmitzvahtothehead said...
she's getting play because of jimmy. and he's getting some fine tail because of his show. good for him. she's disposable but she'll hang onto his coattails until he blows his brains out. the next joan rivers.
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1-30-2007 @ 12:28PM
Jim said...
I've liked her comedy for a long time and saw her live once, but agree she's not taking it anywhere new and may fade as a result.
The trouble, I think, is that she can't do anything else. Look at her in "School of Rock" and "There's Something About Mary" -- she's just being Sarah Silverman. There's no acting there.
In particular, I've always felt she stood out like a sore thumb in the "Build Me Up Buttercup" coda to "Mary" -- she's the only person in the whole sequence who obviously doesn't "get" what they were trying to do with it.
Look, you can't fault her for taking her one note and riding it as far is it would take her. I wish I had a note like that -- look how unfamous I am, sitting here at my desk, commenting on someone else's blog. But there's no denying the truth of your observation.
And while I have the floor: I can live very happily the rest of my life without ever seeing Lisa Lampanelli again. Not a shred of funny there, just ugly, and I mean on the inside.
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1-30-2007 @ 12:34PM
Nick said...
It's funny - I was thinking the same thing in the shower today. I'm hoping she breaks out and adds a new angle or dimension on her schtick for the new show.
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1-30-2007 @ 12:53PM
const said...
i was feeling the same way about her.
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1-30-2007 @ 1:05PM
wes said...
she's hilarious.
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1-30-2007 @ 1:15PM
ManekiNeko said...
I'm not swayed by a pretty face, and with this in mind there's nothing I find particularly endearing about Sarah Superbitch. She seems so vapid next to other Jewish comediennes like Judy Tenuta and Roseanne Barr, who make no attempt to mask their hostility. They not only know they're mean and bitter, they're PROUD of it.
JR
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1-30-2007 @ 2:23PM
SamMalone said...
I'm glad I'm not the only one. For a comic with a movie and TV show of her own, in addition to having been in other movies and shows, she should develop a more diverse act.
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1-30-2007 @ 3:08PM
roLLF said...
Not trying to be a hater but.....
I never liked her act and always thought she was a one trick pony who frankly was only famous b/c ".....gosh shes a pretty Jewish girl saying offensive things"....funny funny funny.....ah no..
You have also misjudged her talent...she has reached the apex of her career and when the inevitable break up with Kimmel occurs you can stick a fork in her....
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1-30-2007 @ 3:17PM
GuyK said...
I'm bored of Sarah Silverman too!
And the reason is simple - she just doesn't deliver. She's the next it girl for what, five years maybe, and she's still the next one. Either do something big or get off the ride, it's just tiring watching a potential and not a comedian.
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1-30-2007 @ 3:48PM
Lee said...
She was never funny.....
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1-30-2007 @ 4:24PM
CJ said...
I've always liked her... she was great in "The Aristocrats". but I agree with this post. I always get frustrated by her because I expect so much and then it just sinks into.... oh, that's the same bit she did last time.
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1-30-2007 @ 4:50PM
Jay Ewing said...
I don't think she is that great of an actress and I will give as my proof the episode she did of Star Trek: Voyager. I wonder if she even admits that she did that. It was a two-parter and she kissed Tom Parris (How low can you get). Overall it was a pretty lame episode and she was very obnoxious in it, of course it was Voyager. Anyone else remember that?
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1-30-2007 @ 5:58PM
jgreene said...
shes still hot
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1-30-2007 @ 7:12PM
Derek Bill said...
I'm jealous of her energy level and her tolerance for THC. But she's too skinny for me and I think her incredible mind would wear me out in no time. That doesn't mean I'd not be willing to give it a go, however.
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1-30-2007 @ 9:32PM
Nathaniel said...
Self-indulgent blog posts are starting to bug me.
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1-31-2007 @ 2:30AM
GhaleonQ said...
I'd agree with GuyK. She's always teetering at grasping greatness (see: "The Aristocrats"), but she can never hold onto it. Oh, well.
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2-01-2007 @ 4:41PM
Doogla61920 said...
Sarah has had the trouble everyone seems to be describing all of her career. She was fired from Saturday Night Live ten years ago or so, according to Bob Odenkirk, an SNL writer at the time. He said that she is simply "Sarah" she cannot become the character, the character becomes her. She will always be Sarah, like her or not.
I don't think she's riding Kimmels coat tails, she was on the scene long before he was, and I don't think she'll slip into oblivion once that relationship ends. Kimmel's not that great anyway!
I certainly remember her in that Voyager episonde. Wasn't Ed Begley, Jr. in it as well?
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