Sarah Silverman: like Jesus, only Female, American, and less bleedy in the hands

And by the way, Jesus is Magic
says her new film
called, um, "Jesus is Magic."

I first saw Sarah Silverman live in Stella in the late 90s when I realized she was my living idol.
I was stunned.
Are people really laughing at a beautiful woman's jokes?
Are people applauding her?
Is this woman really, truly funny- forget that she's a smokin hot chick?
yes yes yes

Not funny for a girl, not butchy or dikey, this female commedian is attractive! And people weren't threatened by the lethal combo of female sexiness and being funny as hell. They liked it. They wanted more. Sure there's been Lucille Balls and Carol Burnetts. But Sarah Silverman is the first woman in my generation and style of comedians who is both pretty and successful.

Growing up with the echos of "girls aren't funny" and "you're weird" I finally felt validated watching her. A woman with a mouth as foul as mine, legitimized by her truly funny jokes. She's not the most famous comedian out there, but she's gone pretty damn far. And she's just plain good. My man loves and connects with his Bill Hicks, but I've got my Sarah Silverman, and she just made a movie.


That's what I am here to talk about right? Her new movie "Jesus is Magic", premiered at Tribecca Grand on Tuesday night in an event hosted by Fader magazine.

Two main points about the movie-
1) It inspired me and pumped me up. I wrote a bunch of standup material after watching it.
2) It was a little disappointing, but she delivered a consistently great and entertaining performance.

So the movie starts out with a really smart and entertaining scene. And you think it's going to be more of a movie than what it really is, which is a Sarah Silverman PR vehicle and a showcase of her standup comedy- specifically her comedy that deals with offensiveness. She drives the offensive factor to such a specific and intense level that it becomes a very purposeful commentary on all angles of offense. You think about stereotypes, political correctness, attitudes and relationships that people have towards the basic idea of being offended. After all, Sarah claims to give you "Learn-edy" rather than just comedy.

Her striking sense of self-awareness characterizes her stage disposition- and the result is alarmingly powerful. She knows she's attractive too, completely stripping the power from any man to make you feel one way or the other about yourself based on his statements about your looks.


The problem is that at some point everyone, including me, will find her schtick tiresome. If it weren't for the fact that each joke was a wholly clever play on the way that people generalize and react to ideas about social identity- the audience might give up halfway through the show. Her subject material is the very same kind of thing you're hearing at hundreds of depressing open mikes on every night of the week in America, only it's different. I have seen her do standup before and it wasn't all pushing the vulgar, offensive and obscene. But she is good at it, and filling an entire movie with that kind of material seems to make a point at the end. But it's always problematic when you see greater potential in material than what you are given. She should have gone more places and done more scenes. To weave standup into a movie is one thing, but to weave a movie into standup is another.

That said, at no point did I nod off or become bored. This is entertaining and very strong material- and yes she does get away with it. "Jesus is Magic" has a lot to offer- especially those outside of LA and NYC who might never have the chance to see her live. And looking at the male dominated state of comedy, they wouldn't likely see her in such a spotlight on TV or in movies without her taking on a project like this. This should open the door for her career a little wider.


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Go Democrats

iBods in Time Out NY quotes my alter ego, Ms Reznor. (worksafe)

And I got an Amex card yesterday. Boy oh boy I am a grown up now! Better go check on my mutual bond investment funds!

PS- I actually wrote this whole thing yesterday and the freakin computer froze and I lost most of it. Don't worry, I punched the computer good and hard. You can't let that techno-scum get away with shit like that.