Reserection

Robert Schimmel’s body spent the years preceding this recording trying to destroy him, but his response on stage is to treat his mortality as another setup for a dirty joke. Returning to stand-up after surviving non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Schimmel frames his cancer battle through the lens of physical embarrassment. The title itself is a crude hybrid of his return from the brink of death and his preoccupation with his libido. He does not ask for sympathy. Instead, he treats sterile hospital rooms and the bleak realities of chemotherapy like they are highly inconvenient disruptions to his sex life. Released in 2004, the audio set serves as the comeback record for a comic whose career was derailed by his 2000 diagnosis, right as he was on the verge of launching a network sitcom. Recorded live at the Irvine Improv, the performance showcases his signature blue style, keeping the focus squarely below the belt even while discussing life-saving medical procedures. Notable bits track his struggles with a reduced sperm count, the historical absurdity of ‘dick wigs,’ and the grim reality of bargaining with God in the hospital. Tracks like ‘Juggling One Ball’ find comedy in physical decay, delivered with the anxious, conversational energy that made him a favorite of Howard Stern.