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Brick Wall Comedy
Cover image credit: Thumbnail: YouTube · Comedy Dynamics

Back to the Drawing Board

Lisa Lampanelli

Epix · 2015 · 60 min

An insult comic adjusts to a new body and a recent divorce.

Watch on Epix(opens in a new tab)

Lisa Lampanelli steps onto the stage looking completely different, but the instinct to viciously roast everyone in the front row remains intact. Down over a hundred pounds and fresh off a divorce, the self-proclaimed Queen of Mean uses her physical and personal transformation as the engine for the hour. She attempts to blend a newfound vulnerability with her usual abrasive crowd work, talking about the realities of stomach surgery and the sudden shift of dating as a single woman in her fifties.

Filmed at the Tarrytown Music Hall in New York, the 2015 EPIX release earned a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album. Lampanelli complains about the pressures placed on older women who choose not to have children, occasionally pulling back the curtain on her own life. Still, she never stays earnest for long. Critics at the time noted that whenever the personal material threatens to get too heavy, she immediately pivots back to what she knows best, scanning the theater for easy targets and rapid-fire insults.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Public service announcements on dietary trends and retail culture

    Lampanelli delivers four satirical public service announcements sharing her blunt views on shopping at Whole Foods, eating gluten-free, and dealing with peanut allergies.

  2. Attending a yoga retreat

    Humorous storytelling reflecting on her personal downtime experience participating in a yoga retreat.

  3. Date rape encounter expectations

    Expressed comedic outrage that a known date rapist failed to make an advance on her.

  4. Post-weight loss reality and fat-shaming

    Recounts keeping off over 100 pounds for three years, the frustration of no longer being able to eat without restriction, and calls out subtle fat-shaming behaviors like boarding an airplane.

  5. Animal adoption advocacy

    Underscores her affection for animals and urges New Yorkers to rescue pets from the North Shore Animal League instead of buying from pet stores.

How it plays

Tone
Raunchy, blue, biting, candid, and outlandish.
On stage
The self-described 'Queen of Mean'; brash, bold, loudmouthed, and unapologetic, known for raw candor and functioning as an equal-opportunity offender who charms audience members even while roasting them.
Pace
Raging at full speed with high momentum and quick on-the-fly wit, commanding audience attention continuously across the hour.
About
Weight loss and body image struggles, Divorce and life as a single woman in her 50s, Insult comedy and racial stereotypes, Fat-shaming and airplane travel etiquette, Food culture, diets, and wellness retreats, Gay marriage

What the critics said

Praised by Digital Journal with an 'A' rating as witty, clever, and one of her best specials to date, while DVD Talk commended her quick wit and comfortable delivery while noting it functions as a steady marker of her career's second phase.

In the room: Receptive and engaged; Lampanelli actively engaged the crowd with insult comedy and roasting interactions while maintaining a charming rapport.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: thetvdb.com, tv.apple.com, comedydynamics.com, primevideo.com, vulture.com, digitaljournal.com, dvdtalk.com, imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Filmed following Lampanelli's weight-loss surgery, during which she lost over 100 pounds and maintained it for three years, as well as navigating a recent divorce and adopting a new haircut. It served as her first special for EPIX.

Details

Released
Taped
The Music Hall, Tarrytown
Runtime
60 min
Where
Epix
Director
Jay Chapman
Honors
Nominated for Best Comedy Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards
Topics
Before
Tough Love (2011)

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