Amy Schumer – Mostly Sex Stuff – Brett Watson review

The most interesting thing about Amy Schumer’s new stand-up comedy DVD “Mostly Sex Stuff” is that she spends most of the show talking about politics.  Actually, no, she talks mostly about … well, sex.  Just sex.  For an hour.  Does it work?  You betcha.

That fact is what actually makes this special stand out.  How many comics could talk for an hour on essentially a single topic and make it work?  Not many.  Gary Gulman has a classic 10 minutes on grapefruit, but doesn’t do a whole show on fruit.  Jim Gaffigan has an amazing 10 or so minutes about bacon, and does talk at length about food, but changes topics frequently.  Amy Schumer manages to do a solid hour mostly focused on sex and relationships, with only a handful of tangents.  That takes talent, and it should not go unnoticed.

This site’s other reviewer commented that he felt insulted that Schumer repeated some of her material from her prior album “Cutting” (which made our 2011 top ten comedy list) on this special, and that the special suffered as a result.  In a limited respect, I agree.  Schumer is a young comic, and a young comic will frequently repeat some material from their first comedy audio album when they get their first video special.  So, I do not fault Schumer for repeating a few bits.  However, I agree with the other reviewer in that Mostly Sex Stuff Amy Schumer should not have opened her show with a repeat bit.  Opening a new special with a joke already known by your fans is lazy.  We expect to be hit with new and hilarious material, with perhaps some repeat bits sprinkled throughout.  However, once you get past the opening, the balance of the show reveals Schumer’s skill at crafting an incredible and fresh show.

Amy Schumer’s style is mostly long-form stories, but she often breaks up the stories with transitional one-liners.  One criticism I have is that while most of the long-form stories are fantastic, many of the one-liners seem rather uninspired, and are meant mainly for shock value.  For example, at one point she asks the audience, “do you know the worst part about being a female comic?”  Her answer, “the rape.”

The DVD contains, as a bonus, Amy Schumer’s bits from a couple Comedy Central Roasts, the same as with Anthony Jeselnik‘s new DVD release, Caligula.  Side note, Schumer and Jeselnik apparently dated for a while.  That would be one hilarious couple.

In sum, this is an above-average comedy special, one that I believe you will enjoy.  But, I think Schumer can (and will) do better.  I fully expect greatness from Amy Schumer. Check out our Comedy Central page

Mostly Sex Stuff
Amy Schumer
Stand-up Comedy DVD
Comedy Central 2013

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