Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo (2015) Reviews

• Recognize that if you prevented Schumer from talking about sex and food, her material would struggle to fulfill the length requirements of an SNL skit

  StevePulaski2015-11-04

  In Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo, Schumer's hour-long HBO special filmed at the glorious Apollo theater in New York, Schumer expresses shock at the fact that she's been labeled as a "sex comic." She makes the understandable assertion that a male comic could come on stage, whip out his genitals, and still be labeled as a thinker while she has immediately been branded as a comic who focuses largely on sex and grossout humor. Her point would have validity if you weren't able to take all the parts that talk about sex, semen, sex acts, and other wonders and insights about intercourse out of Live at the Apollo and be left with roughly twenty-five minutes of material. And considering Schumer's breakout movie Trainwreck featured a character who was hellbent on having as many one-night-stands as a weekend would allow and her show Inside Amy Schumer features a great deal of racy music videos, I find it pretty appropriate to bill Schumer as a sex comic. There's nothing wrong with that label, but when a comedian makes an effort to reject the label and then continues to talk about the content that makes her earn the label, then something is drearily wrong with her ability to look introspectively at herself. Schumer's comedy is as bold as it is repetitive; it's a different kind of self-deprecation that basks in the sort of revealing and subversive attitude Schumer is so unapologetic about. If nothing else, she's not afraid to hide behind any kind of celebrity name or beat around the bush; she's not afraid to say things that will make you wince every now and then. Consider how she opens Live at the Apollo, by saying she met one of her goals this year, which was to take off a pair of underwear and have them not look like she blew her nose into them. She even goes on to talk at great length about how semen is under-appreciated and that Oprah could've easily ended up on a woman's breasts and that Michelle Obama likely has to clean up Barack Obama's "troops" from between her legs every week or so. This kind of humor and comedic brazenness (and honesty) is welcomed, but with that should come the ability to highlight and make note that your label of a sex comic is a fairly accurate one even if you say it isn't. Live at the Apollo is mostly good fun, but the repetitive aspects come when Schumer, like many comedians and young people today, feels the need to constantly reiterate her love for food and eating much of it. These jokes are tired, and are terrible attempts to pander to young people who go nuts on social media when Jennifer Lawrence says something at the Academy Awards about simply wanting to know where the food is. The obsession comedians have when they talk about their excessive dietary habits are tired, worn clichés of the highest order, and Schumer noting that she often has two lunches and wants to pour the entire bag of popcorn over her face while on a date at the theater is nothing new or funny, despite her acting like it is. If nothing else, this special showcases Schumer's composure and charisma when talking about the raciest subject matter. She always keeps a straight face and never seems to be laughing at her own material, and at an hour, her stay is welcomed and not overlong or noticeably underwritten. Her schtick only grows tired and worn if you recognize that if you prevented her from talking about sex and food, her material may struggle to fulfill the length requirements of a Saturday Night Live skit. NOTE: Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo will air throughout the entire month of November 2015 on HBO. Directed by: Chris Rock.

• Absolutely PATHETIC!!!

  qobalt76842019-04-28

  She straight up stole Ron White's shtick!!!! GET YOUR TALENTLESS, UNFUNNY SELF OFF THE STAGE, AMY, YOU'RE EMBARRASSING AMERICA!!!!

• She is painfully hilarious

  nikashvili2015-10-19

  My face muscles hurt after one hour constant laugh. No matter how big fan of Amy you are, you still should appreciate her frank humor. I consider her self- defaming jokes to be a really funny way to talk about so many important issues and mostly the over judgment women are still facing. Live at the Apollo is Amy's one of the bests. It combines old and the most hilarious jokes with the fresh ones and builds up in an hour long joy. The whole stand-up is exceptionally well written. But most importantly, Amy owns the audience, she keeps everyone on her side and makes people laugh about things, in other circumstances they would be grossed out about. Live at the Apollo is something I am gonna rewatch many times, because it needs to be.

• A woman like we all want.

  deloudelouvain2018-06-17

  Labeling Amy Schumer as only a sex comic because she talks alot about sex is just not right. If she wants to joke about sex it's her right and if you don't find that funny then just don't watch it, it's not that complicated. I enjoyed the entire show and I would watch it again in the future. Amy Schumer can laugh about herself, and that is essential for any good stand-up-comedian. Her not having 'the perfect figure' and laughing about it makes her even better. I don't think she has a bad figure at all actually. She has a great sense of humor, great stage presence, interacts with the audience, everything you need to be a good stand-up-comedian. I will certainly watch more of her shows as for me she stands out from the many average comedians.