Comedy Central Presents: Lizz Winstead

Lizz Winstead took the stage in 2004 to deliver pragmatic political satire at a time when the Bush-Kerry election was looming and post-9/11 anxiety was still in full force. Her set is an exercise in progressive critique that targets the political establishment with cold logic rather than standard setup-joke rhythms.\n\nShe tackles the anxieties of the era head-on, explaining exactly why she refuses to fear terrorists and offering a strategic pitch to convince Republicans to back marriage equality. Winstead also zeroes in on the hypocrisy surrounding the hunt for weapons of mass destruction, the complicated math of Medicare, and the realities of mid-2000s unemployment.\n\nTaped at the Hudson Theatre in New York City, the half-hour special caught Winstead at a busy peak in her career. The same year, she co-founded Air America Radio and was co-hosting its morning show, Unfiltered, alongside Chuck D and Rachel Maddow. This performance is a snapshot of her transitional phase, bridging her work as the co-creator of The Daily Show with her growing reputation as an activist and a progressive broadcaster.