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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Out There

Lea DeLaria, Bob Smith, Suzanne Westenhoefer and 4 more

Comedy Central · 1993 · 60 min

Network television's first all-queer stand-up comedy showcase.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Out There arrived on Comedy Central in 1993 as network television’s first all-queer stand-up showcase. Hosted by Lea DeLaria in a double-breasted suit and no shirt, the broadcast oscillates between observational material and aggressive crowd work aimed directly at straight viewers. DeLaria sets the tone early by shouting punchlines and informing the crowd she simply does not prefer penises on men. Suzanne Westenhoefer takes a different route, cheerfully endorsing the military’s ban on gay service members because she refuses to wake up early. She then encourages straight men to deploy so lesbians can stay home and take care of their wives.

Filmed at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall on National Coming Out Day, the special doubled the network’s usual ratings for the time slot. The lineup features early national sets from Bob Smith, who delivers a dry routine about growing up gay, alongside performers like Steve Moore, who jokes about weaponizing his HIV status to scare a redneck at a bar. The mainstream critical response at the time was predictably divided, with newspaper reviewers praising the historical milestone while complaining about the hostility. The showcase proved a successful launchpad regardless, landing both Westenhoefer and Smith their own solo half-hours on HBO the following year.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Experimenting with heterosexuality in college

    Bob Smith confesses that he once experimented with heterosexuality by sleeping with a straight guy because he was drunk.

  2. The military ban on gay service members

    Suzanne Westenhoefer questions whether a ban is so bad, sarcastically waving goodbye to troops departing for war and promising to take care of their wives.

  3. Watching Love Connection

    Marga Gomez remarks that only gay men and lesbians watch Love Connection because seeing straight dating fails makes them feel good about their own lives.

  4. QVC parody featuring a drag kit

    All-Black comedy troupe Pomo Afro Homos satirizes home shopping networks by hawking a 'Fierce Black Drag Queen kit.'

  5. Living with HIV

    Steve Moore candidly incorporates jokes reflecting his experience being HIV-positive.

How it plays

Tone
Positive, satirical, irreverent, and groundbreaking.
On stage
Lea DeLaria presented an unapologetic, friendly 'big butch dyke' stage presence; Bob Smith performed as a relatable 'boy-next-door' comic; Marga Gomez utilized a dry, deadpan delivery.
About
LGBTQ identity and coming out, Gays in the military, Television and popular culture, AIDS and HIV diagnosis, Dating and sexuality

What the critics said

Hailed by contemporary critics as a significant cultural milestone bringing gay stand-up comedy into the cable mainstream, with the Boston Globe noting DeLaria's humor scored strongly.

In the room: Taped live before an enthusiastic audience at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall on National Coming Out Day.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, movdatas.com, latimes.com, tayfunmovie.herokuapp.com, ew.com, nytimes.com.

Backstory

Filmed on National Coming Out Day (October 11, 1993) during the ongoing AIDS crisis and intense public debates over military bans on gay service members; produced as the first all-gay stand-up comedy special on cable television.

Details

Lineup
Lea DeLaria, Bob Smith, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Scott Capurro, Marilyn Pittman, Karen Williams, Reno
Released
Taped
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
Runtime
60 min
Where
Comedy Central
Topics

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