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Live at Bimbo's

Natasha Leggero

Comedy Central · 2015 · 41 min

A wealthy persona skewers hipsters and impending marriage in San Francisco.

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Natasha Leggero takes the stage draped in faux fur, dripping with pearls, and clutching an e-cigarette, leaning hard into the hyper-affected, high-society persona she has spent years refining. She immediately sets the tone by puffing on the vaporizer and remarking that it is so new, literally no testing has been done. What follows is a sharp, condescending, yet self-aware interrogation of the middle class, hipster culture, and her own upcoming marriage. She acts as an elite looking down on the plebeians, yet her comedy works because she is always the first to mock her own ridiculous lifestyle choices.

Filmed at the historic Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco, this 2015 Comedy Central special arrived at a high point in Leggero’s career. Her satirical Gilded Age sitcom Another Period had just premiered to strong reviews, and her appearances on celebrity roasts had cemented her reputation as a formidable insult comic. Rather than standard stand-up storytelling, the special opens with “Diamond Pussy,” a lavish, five-minute rap music video featuring Thomas Lennon. On stage, Leggero skewers everything from the logistical horrors of Burning Man to dumpster-diving boyfriends, and even pauses her set to play matchmaker, forcing two unsuspecting audience members into a highly uncomfortable live date.

The set list

7 bits

  1. Diamond Pussy music video intro

    Opens with a five-minute rap music video where she pitches network executive Thomas Lennon on naming the entire special 'Diamond Pussy'.

  2. E-cigarettes on stage

    Puffs an e-cigarette and jokes about how thrilling it is to use a product so new that literally no testing has been done and side effects are unknown.

  3. Children vs. replacement dogs

    Examines the absurdity of having kids compared to dogs, observing that while dogs might die in 12 years they can easily be replaced and her 'diamond pussy' stays tight.

  4. Republican hypocrisy on abortion

    Imagines trying to access an abortion in Utah, blasting Republican male politicians who protect a fetus but slash health care, pay minimum wage, or send the person to war once born.

  5. Burning Man concerns instead of wedding vows

    Targets hipster men who attend Burning Man, declaring her disgust for the festival as one of her formal 'concerns' for her future husband.

  6. TLC network programming

    Proposes TLC rebrand to 'Toddlers, Lunatics and Cake,' mocking the network's canceled shows featuring child molesters, bizarre addictions, and teen moms.

  7. Vocal fry and the Kardashians

    Mocks women who speak with upspeak or vocal growls, questioning how the Kardashian family captured the heart of the country.

How it plays

Tone
Biting, satirical, haughty, elitist, and irreverent.
On stage
Haughty, out-of-touch, blue-blooded heiress/socialite dripping disdain and diamonds; unapologetic, politically incorrect, and working blue in high-glam evening wear.
Pace
Feisty, fierce, and deliberate under the artifice of pearls, fake fur, and affected vocal stylings.
About
Having children vs. pets, Impending wedding and marriage, Burning Man and hipsters, Conservative Republicans and abortion rights, Reality television (TLC), Modern dating apps (Tinder) and ride-sharing services

What the critics said

Critics highlighted Leggero's steadfast commitment to her subversive, glamorous elitist persona against the backdrop of casual comedy, noting that while the stage standup runtime is concise, the social commentary is sharp, fierce, and unapologetic.

In the room: Atmospheric club crowd at Bimbo's 365 Club; later screened for a focus group whose ambivalent reactions Leggero secretly observed.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: primevideo.com, themoviedb.org, tv.apple.com, paramountplus.com, vulture.com, gq.com, thecomedybureau.com, thecomicscomic.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Impending marriage/nuptials (she married Moshe Kasher in 2015) and societal commentary on modern culture, reproductive rights, and womanhood.

Details

Released
Taped
Bimbo's 365 Club, San Francisco
Runtime
41 min
Where
Comedy Central
Director
Troy Miller
Topics
Before
Comedy Central Presents (2011)
After
SXSW Comedy By Natasha Leggero Part 1 (2016)

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