Pizza Mind
Prime Video · 2017 · 73 min
An experimental, sketch-heavy debut hour from the SNL alumnus.
Instead of a standard stand-up hour, this debut is structured as an experimental hybrid, blending traditional stage time with pre-recorded sketches, musical segments, and animated sequences. The approach lets a performer known mostly for ensemble work find her own lane on her own terms. Rather than racing from punchline to punchline, the delivery leans on a relaxed, deliberate pace that allows her to build off-kilter vignettes, like an opening bit where she confronts her own self-doubt in a mirror.
Filmed at the Civic Theatre in New Orleans, the special arrived in early 2017 during a turning point in Sasheer Zamata’s career. At the time, she was wrapping up her run on Saturday Night Live, a high-profile stint that began under intense media scrutiny regarding the show’s lack of Black female cast members. She uses that baggage to her advantage, delivering a standout bit about an encounter with an SNL fan who confidently confuses her for Kerry Washington—an actress who had previously guest-hosted the show to satirize that exact diversity crisis.
The hour is at its strongest when she relies on her sketch background to elevate personal anecdotes, such as recounting the casual racism she witnessed while working at Disney World or translating her mother’s sudden interest in public speaking. Released on the short-lived comedy streaming service Seeso, the special divided some critics; while some praised the variety-show ambition of the multimedia segments, others felt the transition from highly produced sketches to the quieter, more sporadic energy of the live stage made for a disjointed watch.
The set list
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Being mistaken for Kerry Washington by an audience member or fan.
Examines her experience as a Black woman on Saturday Night Live and the irony that Washington hosted an SNL sketch poking fun at the show's lack of Black female cast members prior to Zamata's hiring.
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America as a pizza rather than a melting pot.
Challenges the traditional melting pot metaphor by arguing that melting dissolves individual flavors, suggesting America is better understood as a pizza where separate ingredients remain distinct and held together by grease.
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Dating white men and fixing partners for their future exes.
Riffs on predominantly dating white men and the absurd stereotype of Black women acting as life coaches, asking white men to share their secrets of societal success.
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The sci-fi origin of her first name.
Reveals that her name is not of African origin, but was taken by her parents from an alien flower-like crystal in a Star Trek episode.
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The closer (spoiler). Show it
Closing choreographed musical number.
Sings and dances in an elaborate musical finale, cheekily asserting that she created and performed her debut special without requiring a ghostwriter.
How it plays
- Tone
- Astute, sharp, socially conscious, and playfully unconventional.
- On stage
- Intimate yet searing, chill, and autonomous, balancing candid self-examination with sharp social critique.
- Pace
- Praised for masterclass pacing, word economy, and deliberate comedic momentum.
- About
- race and racism, relationships and dating, politics and the Trump era, drugs and psychedelics, Disney racism, representation in media and Hollywood
What the critics said
Praised as sharp, hilarious, and refreshingly unconventional, successfully merging traditional stand-up with sketch, animation, and musical performance to highlight Zamata's multifaceted comedic voice.
In the room: A New Orleans theater audience that provided a funny, slightly awkward pause when SNL was mentioned rather than automatically erupting in applause.
Backstory
Filmed in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election and following Zamata's high-profile hiring at SNL after widespread public debate regarding the show's lack of diversity.
Details
- Released
- Taped
- Civic Theatre, New Orleans
- Runtime
- 73 min
- Where
- Prime Video
- Director
- Chioke Nassor
- Topics
- After
- Pizza Face (2017)
More from Sasheer Zamata
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The First Woman
YouTube
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Pizza Face
Seeso
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