The Twist...? She's Gorgeous
Netflix · 2022 · 61 min
A theatrical blend of cabaret and stand-up about millennial self-obsession.
Stand-up is rarely this theatrical, but Catherine Cohen’s debut hour is less of a traditional set and more of a stylized cabaret act designed to mock modern validation-seeking. Backed by Henry Koperski on the piano, Cohen struts across the stage in a rhinestone romper, leaning heavily into a persona of hyper-stylized millennial narcissism. The charm of the hour lies in how she balances a massive, theatrical ego with deep, hyper-specific insecurity. She shifts from dramatic vocal runs to rapid-fire oversharing about her sex life, reproductive health, and the exhausting requirement to be constantly perceived.
The material evolved from Cohen’s residency at Joe’s Pub in New York City, where this special was taped, and won her the Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019. Delayed by the pandemic, the show finally hit Netflix in 2022, arriving as a slightly belated time capsule of pre-COVID millennial angst. Memorable segments include musical numbers about how a lack of teenage male attention drove her to comedy, and reading short, dry poems with titles like “Poem I wrote after you went down on me and then called me ‘dude.’” While the relentless theatricality and stylized catchphrases might grate on purists who prefer standard club comedy, the sheer density of the jokes and her commanding stage presence make it a distinct, highly polished hour of musical stand-up.
The set list
-
Singing about her origin story and need for attention in the song 'Look At Me'
Explains that boys never wanting to kiss her in school drove her to pursue comedy and demand the spotlight.
-
Accidentally taking a selfie while trying to photograph her own vagina/infection for her doctor
Mocks the horrifying dead-eyed expression captured during an attempt at private medical photography.
-
Ordering the hottest sauce at Chipotle
Acts out transforming into a cartoonishly helpless, grotesque baby when questioned by the employee behind the counter.
-
The struggle of shopping for fashionable plus-size clothing in the song 'Take My Money'
Satirizes clothing retailers and beauty standards while demanding chic wardrobe options.
-
A weekend getaway to upstate New York
Parodies treating a trip upstate as an ultra-glamorous, high-class retreat.
How it plays
- Tone
- Glamorous, campy, self-deprecating, unfiltered, and satirical.
- On stage
- An unfiltered, glammed-up cabaret diva and self-absorbed, insecure theatrical persona adorned in rhinestones and go-go boots, oscillating between high confidence and vulnerability.
- Pace
- Boundless, high-tempo theatrical energy featuring choreographed movements, hair flicks, posture changes, and musical interludes.
- About
- relationships and dating, modern feminism, body image and sexuality, need for attention and validation, millennial culture
What the critics said
Critics praised Cohen's immense stage presence, musical talent, and committed performance, though some noted that the gap between the material's 2019 creation and its 2022 release slightly diminished its novelty, while one reviewer felt the cabaret spectacle lacked traditional standup joke construction.
In the room: Energetic, receptive, and fully engaged with the intimate cabaret atmosphere at Joe's Pub.
Backstory
Originally developed in New York and locked in at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the taping was planned for 2020 but delayed until late 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Details
- Released
- Taped
- 2021, Joe's Pub, New York City
- Runtime
- 61 min
- Where
- Netflix
- Director
- Steven Brill
- Honors
- Best Newcomer Award at the 2019 Edinburgh Comedy Awards (Edinburgh Fringe Festival)
- Topics
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