Since she burst onto the New York spotlight scene in the late 2000s, we’ve been watching Amy SchumerHis career has gone through a number of successful and unsuccessful phases: from the noted “sex comic” to the Hollywood movie star to the famous activist to The New York Times best-selling author. These days, she accused of causing a shortage of tampons as a spokesperson for Tampax.
However, anyone who has memorized the lyrics of “Girl, you don’t need makeup“Or walk into a McDonalds and immediately think”Dining room“Knowing that her funniest work to date is the Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumeris now back for the long-awaited fifth season.
The series, available now on Paramount+, is returning with significantly less demand than in previous years. After its debut in 2013, the sketch show became a major contender in its third season, earning a Peabody and one of several Emmys. Clearly, the rise of fourth-wave feminism and calls for female representation in standout comedy spaces have fueled the show’s rise in visibility, as well as that of Schumer’s. For the most part, the 41-year-old woman and her team of writers — including the author and Big mouth actress Jessi Klein — was able to deliver a specific, non-apologetic, and knack for feminism thoughtfully telling rape jokes.
Remarkable, unlike many Schumer’s Early RiseInside Amy Schumer has aged pretty well (though I’m sure some bored TikTokers can exploit past seasons for some questionable moments). Although Schumer – an outspoken, wealthy white woman – could never represent all groups of women in her social and political commentary, she went above and beyond when she did. turns on the absurdity of perversion as an accepted fact and how it manifests in almost every aspect of a woman’s life. Some of her most powerful sketches illustrate the consequences of being seen as transgressive in a sexist society. Most famous, she is completely silly and cynical 12 angry men framing her medium-sized body and liberating sex habits is a crime worthy of death.
Part 5 of Inside Amy Schumer is another delightful introduction to the comedian’s ingenuity as she sticks to what she knows rather than trying to comment on a larger set of issues, like too many progressive comics want to do. . Similarly, it’s a relief when Shipwreck the star was able to show some maturity (like fighting off her original obsession with racially ill-advised jokes) without completely modifying her comedy elements that actually work. she.
That being said, in the first two episodes at least, you’d be hard-pressed to find sketches that garner as many YouTube clicks or zeitgeist attention as they did in their heyday. program. Overall, the series’ post-Trump comedy feels more relaxed and less anxious about having something important to say. Sometimes the lack of urgency or the desire to feel timely is refreshing; some shows are in strong opposition to Ziwe or Saturday night live. Other times, the show has shown no interest in its own existence.
For example, the first episode of Season 5 opens with a faint spoof about a psoriasis commercial put together by a sketch lamp woman who receives extensive surgeries they consider it’s self-care. Then it took longer than usual to land for a Schumer bit. And the dialogue between the women — including Olivia Munn, frequent guest star Bridget Everettand Cazzie David — doesn’t feel entirely accurate or immediately recognizable in the description of the health-obsessed Gwyneth Paltrow.
Elsewhere, a parody starring Ellie Kemper and highlighting Trump-ness of Hallmark movies feels like a classic. Inside Amy Schumer but it makes us wait too long to experience any kind of comics being released. At most, the large overhang at the end causes a slight chuckle. What’s more interesting – and distracting – is the use of Kemper, who was said to be a “KKK princess” on Twitter last year after users unearthed her previous participation in an event organized by the Masked Prophet. For those undercover about that scandal, the spoof is like a self-referential PR cleanup. This endeavor (maybe just a coincidence) would be less awkward if it was, honestly, more fun.
On a positive note, this season shines in more amusing moments, like a Jesse Williams-supported sketch involving a “deflated park,” one of the dumbest things ever. I watched in recent memory. In episode two, there’s a recurring ad for a company called HomeSpanx that offers Spanx for almost any situation, even nudity. It’s a hilarious takedown of the ubiquity of bodysuits, especially given that brands like Kim Kardashian’s Skims limit the marketing of garments as all-purpose and even comfortable. Later in the episode, we see this pressure to maintain (and often pretend) a perfect silhouette for the coffin industry.
Viewers enjoying Schumer’s slices alternating between sketches were out of luck this season. But the short snippets of talking heads, including some of the show’s writers, like Jon Glaser, are equally funny and poignant. Overall, Schumer, who is arguably the most popular female comic right now, seems more interested in presenting this season of the series. Inside Amy Schumer as a group effort. She even generously lent the last minutes of episodes to famous comedian Ron Weiner to perform silly songs about stealing napkins and fast food joints offering pizza.
Based on the show’s extended hiatus and its new home at Paramount+, the fifth season of Inside Amy Schumer would never become the kind of must-see, attention-grabbing television that helped propel the comedian’s career. Still, it’s proof that Schumer is still a star, despite the general dismissal she often receives online for her strong, feminist brand of humor.
Even in skits that aren’t outright amusing, Schumer maintains an inherently humorous personality, whether she’s portraying some kind of innocent, fake woman or a straight girl. The Emmy winner may have rested on her laurels this latest season, but she still delivers more than most other sketch shows can manage.
