Then what the critics say is right.

I don’t understand this part. Which cirtics are you referring to?


If you say all she is is a shock comic, fine. I think it isn't funny and I don't think she's talented. Anyone can do that. Other people can think she's funny but she shouldn't be compared with great comedians.

I completely disagree with you and yet I totally agree with you. I think she’s talented and funny. I too think she shouldn’t be compared with great comedians.


The issue starts with people saying she is like Lenny Bruce or Pryor and that she's ironic. If people admit she's just shocking then there's no discussion. People then just differ in their response to shock humor.

THAT’S exactly what I was trying to say with my post you replied to. I’m of the mind she’s not trying to do anything bigger and therefore I won’t criticize her just because some people think she is, and that she’s succeeding at it to the levels of Bruce & Pryor. People obviously TOTALLY differ in their response to shock humor, which is what I think Silverman’s race material is. For some people race is a taboo subject for a white girl to shock with.


Exactly. Most of her "jokes" are that a pretty "open-minded" girl is saying crazy shit. THe only irony is that she knows better than to say these things but still says them. Very few of her jokes are "jokes". When she deals with feminine or Jewish issues she does a much better job at getting to the irony of it, but even then a lot of times she just says random shit like in her song where she sang "I love you like Jews love money." That's not funny. That's just shocking to hear her sing it. The only "irony" is that she and her audience know better than to say or think such things.

I couldn’t describe it better nor will I try. You and I agree, at least I agree with you, on the presentation and summarization of what it is, but we differ on our opinion of is it funny or not.


Here's another difference:
Sarah has a joke where she says something like "I was raped by a dentist which was bittersweet because I'm Jewish". It's dark comedy. She takes a stereotype and fucks with it. Do I think it's all that funny? Not really but I can appreciate the irony.

I don’t even get that one.

Her saying "I wouldn't mind being black but I like being pretty." is just not funny or ironic. What's funny? What's ironic? What's the joke? It's like if her previous joke was: I wanted to date this one guy, but he wasn't a dentist. How is she playing with the stereotype? What is she bringing to the table? What is ironic besides the fact that she should know better than to say that?

As for the rest of your post, it seems like you are acting like people saying she isn't funny is an indictment against people who think she is funny. Some people like shock humor. Other don't. It's fine. Doesn't mean you are bad or believe it. The issue here IMO is people saying that Silverman gets credit for being ironic or edgy when really most of what she is is little more than shock value.

After reading that joke and thinking a bit I had a brief idea that’s far-fetched and perhaps a cop-out but bear with me if you will. Her saying such terribly racist things straight faced like the “black girl/pretty” joke above in hopes of getting a laugh may not be “funny” but perhaps its not meant to be? We don’t only laugh at funny stuff. I’ve been in movie theaters when the most horrific violence suddenly and unexpectedly flashes on the big screen and it’s greeted with guffaws and loud laughter. So maybe it’s the shock humor shtick taken to brutally shocking lengths and she’s just figuring “laughter is laughter is laughter…”. I admit it’s a stretch…