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Freezing Hot

Iliza Shlesinger

Netflix · 2015 · 71 min

A highly physical stand-up set about dating, drinking, and the Party Goblin.

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Iliza Shlesinger’s comedy runs on intense vocal parody and aggressive physicality. Here, she treats dating and social interactions as high-stakes combat, deploying a frantic pace and a catalog of sound effects to map out the mechanics of social survival. The material is heavy on dramatization, whether she is acting out the impulses of the “Party Goblin”—a primal alter-ego released by alcohol—or capturing the physical agony of refusing to wear a jacket on a freezing night out.

Filmed at the Gothic Theater in Denver, Colorado, the hour was her second for Netflix. It arrived as she was building out a large touring audience following her win on Last Comic Standing and her debut release.

The set centers largely on dating and gender dynamics. Shlesinger talks through Pinterest wedding boards, the awkwardness of the first-date kiss, and a highly specific bit about raptor vaginas. While a few comedy critics found the battle-of-the-sexes material overly familiar, her sheer commitment to the characters drove the show. It firmly established her style as a headliner, complete with a walk-on cameo from her dog, Blanche.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Pinterest and wedding planning

    Compares Pinterest to 'porn for white women' and 'the Call of Duty for women,' culminating in a theatrical mental breakdown over obsessive wedding boards.

  2. Girl logic and winter clothing

    Explores contradictions in female thought processes through women wanting cold weather but refusing to carry a jacket.

  3. Planning group lunches and tapas

    Impersonates entitled friends demanding tapas at lunch in a mock Valley Girl accent while badgering restaurant staff.

  4. Beauty products and marketing

    Critiques cosmetics brands for profiting off female insecurity with ridiculous product names like 'Flirty Girl' and 'Bad Gal.'

  5. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    The dream breakup closer

    Performs an intense, dramatic scenario detailing an idealized, cinematic fantasy breakup.

How it plays

Tone
Aggressive, biting, raunchy, and candid.
On stage
Aggressive, honest, confident, and commanding, punctuated by mock voices, character impressions, and sudden screams.
Pace
High-octane, fast-paced, and intense, marked by manic delivery, physical act-outs, and exaggerated body language.
About
differences and struggles between men and women, girl logic and internal contradictions, dating and relationships, lifestyle habits and superficial interests of women in their 20s and 30s, beauty products and advertising

What the critics said

Divided; praised by Exclaim! for her layered writing, dynamic high-octane dramatizations, and stage command, while criticized by The A.V. Club for relying on rote, predictable sitcom-style gender tropes and repetitive delivery.

In the room: Energetic room response that she described as 'killing it,' bringing the house down with her intense physical bits and screams.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: variety.com, imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, vulture.com, avclub.com, exclaim.ca, tvinsider.com, digitaltrends.com.

Backstory

Filmed as part of Netflix's aggressive expansion into original standup comedy specials in 2015, following the success of her acquired special War Paint on the platform.

Details

Released
Taped
2014, Gothic Theatre, Englewood
Runtime
71 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Ryan Polito
Topics
Before
War Paint (2013)
After
Confirmed Kills (2016)

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