justin matchick gets sketchy …
If there is any channel that believes there is still a viable market for sketch comedy it has to be Comedy Central. Tonight’s debut of Inside Amy Schumer makes it the fourth sketch comedy show currently airing on Comedy Central, along with Kroll Show, The Ben Show, and Key & Peele. Though it may seem weird that Comedy Central seems so attached to the sketch comedy genre, it’s clear they are still hoping for another hit like Chappelle’s Show. The effects of Chappelle’s Show are still being felt in the world of entertainment, where the shows intensely meteoric rise into the public eye changed the way people think about comedy, especially from a racial standpoint. The subsequent controversy of Chappelle leaving the show and network at the peak of his popularity has forever changed the way Comedy Central deals with its talent, and led them to constantly seek out another overnight sketch comedy mega-hit.
Inside Amy Schumer has a wide variety of different bits, including on the street interviews, stand-up comedy, one-on-one interviews, and regular old comedy sketches. The problems with the show began to arise once the show had actually ended, and it occurred to me that I couldn’t even remember half of the sketches. The show seemed to end before it even got started, and almost none of the sketches left that huge of an impression on me. I hate having to compare these new Comedy Central sketch shows to Chappelle’s Show since it seems almost unfair to cast these shows against such a legendary program. But when the first episode of Chappelle’s Show featured the groundbreaking “Clayton Bigsby” sketch that helped kick off the show’s massive success, I can’t help but feel a bit cheated when the first episode of Inside Amy Schumer ends and I have to literally replay the episode to remember most of the sketches.
The on the street interviews, stand-up comedy, and one-on-one interview are nothing too special; whenever I laughed at these segments it was more because of the interview subjects rather than Amy herself. Schumer’s stand-up style seems to be half-gross out and half observational, and some of her jokes get tiring before they are half over. The actual comedy sketch portions of the show fair a bit better than the other parts. The main sketches include Amy interviewing for an acting gig that turns out to be the infamous internet shock video “Two Girls, One Cup”, Amy and a one-night stand having very different reactions to the seriousness of their possible relationship, and a parody of the documentary show I Survived… featuring Amy as a woman grief stricken that she had to endure a mildly annoying flight. Schumer is the focal point of every sketch of course, and the quality of the sketch largely depends on how funny she is in it. Schumer doesn’t exactly have the best comedic timing in the world, but she was still able to keep it mostly together through the first two sketches. The I Survived… parody falls flat on its face thanks to Schumer’s lackluster and rather annoying turn as a traumatized airline passenger. Not even an appearance by the great Michael Showalter as a man who has his arms eaten by owls can save the sketch.
Inside Amy Schumer is not a bad show by any means. I still got a few good laughs out of it and I imagine it can run on Comedy Central for a good long while even with its excess of sketch comedy programs. The real problem I have with Inside Amy Schumer is that it doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, relying on a fresh face to tell old jokes instead of actually going out and finding someone who’s making something truly special. Being “just okay” isn’t a bad thing, but when the looming shadow of Chappelle’s Show creeps back into your mind, “just okay” becomes “just isn’t good enough”.
That “I Survived” spoof was one of the funniest I’ve seen ever!!! I’ve been trying to find it on the internet since it aired. I am not easily amused but that skit had me laughing out loud. She is completely hilarious and might be the next funniest female comedian of this era. I really think she has what it takes!