Iliza Shlesinger is a name we should all know. She's a stand up comic from Texas who took the comedy scene by storm by being the first woman to win NBC's "Last Comic Standing" in 2008 and has had a presence in the industry ever since. I initially found her content in 2015 on Netflix when the trailer (ya know how Netflix does that freaky thing with the trailer when you hover over it for a bit...yeah that thing) started to play, and I remember laughing so hard in those 45 seconds that I inevitably had to click on it. And she's fucking funny.
As a girl who loves comedy, it was fresh to see standup content that I could identify with. Cause jokes from middle-aged dudes talking about how bad they are at sex can only be so relatable.
Interestingly enough, I did a project about her back in my junior year of high school. It was a comparative analysis of gender and the disparities that come along with it, specifically in stand up comedy. My subjects? Iliza and Bo Burnham. While Bo Burnham poked fun at his white privilege in his song "Straight White Man," one of Iliza's bigger bits of the night surrounded the ideals of Pinterest and how it turns women into gremlin-like versions of themselves (it was hilarious, but listen to my point).
I noticed the differing levels and seriousness of the content and noted that, while men can talk about virtually anything and be funny, women have pre-established niches of opportunity: making jokes about our bodies, talking about emotions, and just not mentioning politics of any kind. But keep in mind, this was nearly four years ago. Now, it's 2018 and my queen Iliza is tearing up the friggin' stage with her incredible social commentary, guided by feminism and the overall theme of women hyping up other women. AND I AM SO HERE FOR IT.
And I know there are many other notable female comics, but there's a way that Iliza empowers other women through her content, and that amazes me. In my opinion, it separates her from the rest. To dive more into this, we're gonna talk about her in comparison to fellow comic Amy Schumer for like a second. I have my own problems with her, but my only real critique is how she seeks laughs from making the female body seem gross (i.e. The Leather Special).
She talks about her underwear being smelly, compares herself to a barnyard animal and talks about how it's embarrassing to have her bf go down on her because vaginas are scary and weird. Like, guys already think vaginas are scary and weird, why would you give them that verification!?! This isn't helping!!
And it's not specifically Amy Schumer that I dislike in this scenario. I dislike the idea of degrading oneself to get laughs and the praise of men just because they are a larger part of the demographic that consumes comedic content. I say, f*ck that. People should be able to create what they want to without needing to appeal to one specific audience.
My rant is over, but, the point is, Iliza has created a brand where she's empowering to women and goddamn hilarious. She serves as proof that you don't have to choose between one or the other, but you can be both.
With that, go support Iliza! All four of her specials can be found on Netflix! I personally recommend watching them in this order: "Freezing Hot," "Elder Millennial," "Confirmed Kills, "then "War Paint." But, in actuality, watch them in whatever order you want; they're all hilarious, and you will enjoy them all.
