Amy Schumer “Live at the Apollo” Review

By Rachel Smith ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Copy Edited by: Brooke Hoppe

The year of Amy Schumer continues with the premiere of her one-hour comedy special on HBO and, like everything else she’s done in 2015, it’s perfection. Schumer is one of the most quotable personalities, from her late night appearances to her hit TV show, but tonight’s special adds to the vault of ridiculous, on-point Amy quotes. Her material ranged from Hollywood experiences to weirdly named sex positions; somewhere in there is a joke for everyone.
Chris Rock directed and did a pretty good job of showcasing the comedian from all points of view. She appears genuinely excited when walking on the famed Apollo stage. The audience was just as elated to see the blond comedian. Having so many jokes about body image you’d think she’d be self-conscious, but Schumer looks completely at home on that stage, a confidence that has been honed over eleven years performing across the country.
In those years, she says she’s been labeled a “sex comic,” and calls attention to the fact that a male comic could be doing the same material and they’d call him “a thinker.” Much applause came from the largely female audience. Don’t worry, guys like Schumer’s comedy too, especially one particular young man who called attention to himself in the audience. This moment was the funniest of the special, and was one hundred percent not planned. Put simply, a teenage boy raised his hand to offer the explanation of a sexual act and Schumer bates with him so long we find out he’s sitting with his mother who’s beyond mortified. This painfully funny and awkward moment was basically the final bow for the show. This is not to say the written material wasn’t up to par.

Live at the Apollo is Schumer’s best special. She’s found her voice, she’s found her audience and knows exactly how to push the right boundaries. Staying true to form, she had to include UTI jokes and the dynamics of “catching dicks” in New York versus Los Angeles, but now she has stories to tell. Her movie was a hit so she talked about the process of making the movie. She’s thirty-three now; she’s talking about getting older and is giving pseudo-advice to her younger fans. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry from laughing so hard, and you’ll tweet the funny thing she said that you totally relate to. Eating habits, weight loss, and dating in the digital age, these are things she’s not shying away from. She’s honest in some brutally, hilarious ways.
This special is more substantial than her old shows. They were very funny and were a good starting point. They got people to notice her, but now she can be known not just for being the girl that talks about sex. She has a name. That name is Amy Schumer and she won’t let you forget it.
Grade: A