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The Leather Special

Amy Schumer

Netflix · 2017 · 57 min

Explicit raunch and Hollywood self-deprecation in a tight leather bodysuit.

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Amy Schumer walks onto the Denver stage encased in a skin-tight black leather jumpsuit, immediately acknowledging the sweaty, regrettable choice of wardrobe. The attire is a nod to the grandiose stand-up specials of the 1980s, but the material is firmly rooted in the self-deprecating, hyper-explicit personal history that made her a household name in the mid-2010s. Much of the hour relies on her familiar targets: the indignities of dating, the double standards of female beauty, and detailed, graphic oversharing about her physical health and sex life.\n\nFilmed at the Bellco Theatre in Denver, Colorado, The Leather Special arrived at a transitional moment in Schumer’s career. Coming off the success of her movie Trainwreck and her Peabody-winning sketch show, she was among the first megastar comics to secure a massive Netflix deal. On stage, she plays with this shift in status, joking that she has become “very rich, famous, and humble.” Some of the best-received bits examine the absurdity of her new reality, such as a viral topless photo that commentators repeatedly described as “brave,” a term she notes is never a compliment when you are nude.\n\nThe special is perhaps best remembered not for its actual jokes, but for the online firestorm that followed its March 2017 release. It became the target of a coordinated campaign by online trolls who flooded Netflix with one-star reviews, a backlash Schumer publicly shrugged off as an attempt to silence her. While critics offered generally lukewarm to positive marks for her transition to stadium-level comedy, the sheer volume of negative audience reviews contributed to Netflix’s decision to scrap its star-rating system altogether shortly after.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Wearing the leather outfit

    Jokes that every comic has a leather special that they eventually regret, comparing her tight leather bodysuit to looking like an actual trash bag.

  2. Viral nude photo described as 'brave'

    Riffs on how 'brave' is the last word anyone wants to hear applied to their leaked or posted naked pictures.

  3. Uncensored descriptions of sex and intimacy

    Candidly details sexual encounters with her partner, comparing herself during sex to a frozen silver street performer and acting out explicit bedroom scenarios.

  4. Connecting explicit sexual humor to gun control

    Downshifts sharply from graphic sex jokes to address the Trainwreck theater shooting and mock gun advocates, arguing that someone can engage in explicit sexual acts and still advocate against loved ones being shot in a theater.

How it plays

Tone
Raunchy, bawdy, crude, unapologetic, and pointed.
On stage
Clad in a black leather bodysuit, presenting an unapologetic, sexually liberated, self-deprecating, and highly confident persona willing to mock her own fame and appearance.
Pace
Energetic and deliberate, utilizing strong punchline timing followed by offhand trailing remarks, shedding her earlier coy cadence for an aggressive, forward delivery.
About
sex and intimacy, dating and relationships, body image and feminine hygiene, absurdities of fame and Hollywood double standards, binge drinking and blackouts, gun control

What the critics said

Critical reception was moderately positive to mixed; reviewers praised her comedic timing and frank humor, though some critics felt the unrelenting raunch felt dated and less daring than intended.

In the room: The taping took place before an enthusiastic crowd of 5,000 fans in Denver, though upon release on Netflix, user reviews were brigaded with one-star ratings by Reddit alt-right campaigns alongside mixed reactions from general subscribers.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, tvtonight.com.au, allmovie.com, vulture.com, latimes.com, sinkholemag.com, imdb.com, decider.com.

Backstory

Filmed during a 2016 world tour across three continents. In her personal life, Schumer was dating a steady boyfriend and navigating newfound high-profile fame, while also grappling with gun violence advocacy after a fatal shooting occurred at an audience screening of 'Trainwreck'.

Details

Released
Taped
2016, Bellco Theatre, Denver
Runtime
57 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Amy Schumer
Topics
Before
Live at the Apollo (2015)
After
Growing (2019)

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