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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Confirmed Kills

Iliza Shlesinger

Netflix · 2016 · 77 min

High-energy physical comedy tackling modern womanhood and social double standards.

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Iliza Shlesinger stalks the stage in combat boots, relying on intense physical comedy, goblin-like voices, and sudden animal noises to frame her take on modern womanhood. Her signature “Party Goblin” character, representing the gremlin inside your brain that demands one more drink at 2 a.m., gets some of the loudest cheers, but the act is equally driven by high-energy rants. She spends a chunk of the set imagining history if women had always been physically stronger than men, painting a picture of a jacked-up 1910 housewife fueled by horse testosterone shoving her husband out of the way to go vote.

Filmed at the Vic Theatre in Chicago and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, this 2016 release came at a point when Shlesinger was cementing her brand as an outspoken voice for millennial women. She focuses on the absurdity of the television show Shark Tank, the logistics of post-sex etiquette, and the unrealistic expectations of women’s fashion. The production also features a distinct, somewhat polarizing choice: on-screen hashtags like #CushionScar and #ChinaTownDrunk popping up in the corner of the screen, a blatant nod to social media sharing.

While some reviewers felt the material leaned occasionally preachy compared to her earlier specials, the performance showcased her distinct physical style. Her ability to morph from an alpha club-goer into a snorting creature remains her strongest asset.

The set list

5 bits

  1. The Party Goblin

    Personifies the chaotic, drunken alter ego lurking in the back of the brain that awakes when one claims they will only have 'one drink,' leading to irrational midnight decisions and hangovers.

  2. Jacked-up 1910 housewife demanding the vote

    Riffs on how history would differ if women held the advantage in physical strength, portraying an early-twentieth-century housewife fueled by horse testosterone shoving her husband aside to go to the polls.

  3. Shark Tank

    Routines imagining attractive women unraveling while pitching on a live episode of the reality business show.

  4. Search Claw (#SearchClaw)

    Demonstrates the designated claw-like hand women use when blindly digging into giant handbags in public.

  5. Grandfather's nickname (#ConfirmedKills)

    Contrasts an overly cute, silly grandfather nickname like Pip Pop with the sobering reality that he survived World War II with confirmed kills.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, biting, observational, candid, and confrontational.
On stage
Intense, observant, clubbing party girl aesthetic paired with physical grotesquerie, act-outs, snorting, contorting, and an analytical 'alpha' persona.
Pace
Loud, intense, club-thumper physical tempo; rapid cadences mixed with goblin character act-outs and vocal contortions.
About
The 'Party Goblin' and blackout drinking mistakes, Female social behavior and relationships, Feminism and female physical empowerment, Millennial culture and social media habits, Dating, attraction, and catcalling, Reality television ('Shark Tank')

What the critics said

Met with divided assessments: praised by some for sharp physical energy, relatability, and intelligent feminist social commentary cloaked in rants, while criticized by others for an overreliance on voices/grotesque noises at the expense of coherent punchlines and an awkward ideological balance.

In the room: Initially cold due to an absence of standard opening local banter, but quickly warmed up to her vivid characterizations and high-energy crowd rapport.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, vaguevisages.com, letterboxd.com, decider.com, npr.org, usatoday.com, vulture.com, esquire.com.

Backstory

Reflecting on turning 33, millennial culture, female relationship dynamics, and shifting towards a more explicit feminist perspective in her comedy while avoiding overt sex-based material.

Details

Released
Taped
The Vic Theatre, Chicago
Runtime
77 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Bobcat Goldthwait
Topics
Before
Freezing Hot (2015)
After
Elder Millennial (2018)

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