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Promotional art for Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents: Fortune Feimster
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Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents

Fortune Feimster

Comedy Central · 2014 · 21 min

A cheerful set about family dynamics and late-in-life lesbian realization.

Fortune Feimster commands the stage with the easy confidence of someone who knows exactly how her Southern accent is working on the room. She uses her affable, loud delivery as a Trojan horse for stories about her gay realization, contrasting a traditional Southern upbringing with her present-day life. The set is built entirely on charm and self-awareness, relying on her ability to make a theater feel like a neighborhood bar.

Filmed at the Royale in Boston as part of Comedy Central’s third season of The Half Hour, the 2014 set caught Feimster at a pivot point in her career. She was wrapping up her run as a regular writer and panelist on Chelsea Lately and transitioning toward acting.

The material leans heavily into her family dynamics, peaking with a runner about the absurdity of coming out to her dad at a music festival. Feimster understands the utility of her own persona, noting that she is often the reason straight boyfriends get dragged to comedy clubs by their partners—and usually the reason they end up having a good time.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Yoga

    Observations on attempting yoga and fitness.

  2. Tuesday night strippers

    Reflections and comedic commentary on visiting a strip club on a Tuesday night.

  3. Drinking with her mother and Southern family stories

    Stories exploring her quirky Southern mother's neuroses and phone calls.

  4. Coming out of the closet

    Personal narrative about realizing her sexuality and coming out to her family.

How it plays

Tone
Self-deprecating, lighthearted, silly, and autobiographical.
On stage
Self-deprecating, warm, and approachable Southern storytelling persona punctuated by unexpected bursts of rage-yelling.
Pace
Easy-going and conversational with lively outbursts and comedic shifts in volume.
About
Yoga, Tuesday night strippers, Southern upbringing, Mother-daughter relationship, Coming out as gay

What the critics said

Praised by Vulture as arriving at the perfect moment to showcase Feimster in her element before reaching major mainstream stardom, highlighting her signature blend of self-deprecation and Southern mother stories.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: tvmaze.com, mijnserie.nl, uk2.vidfound.com, whatsafterthemovie.com, vulture.com, citybeat.com, en.wikipedia.org, ayearofreviewcom.wordpress.com, imdb.com.

Backstory

Filmed for Comedy Central's 'The Half Hour' (later titled 'Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents') Season 3, arriving as Chelsea Lately was preparing to end its run and Feimster was expanding into headlining standup.

Details

Released
Taped
Royale Theatre, Boston
Runtime
21 min
Where
Comedy Central
Director
Ryan Polito
Topics
After
Fortune Feimster (2017)

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