Iliza Shlesinger: Unveiled

Iliza is my kind of woman, in so many ways.

If you don't like her other specials, you probably won't be swayed by this. But I love everything she does.

She's getting better with age. Each show a spot check on reality through the years. She's 30 something now. Her facial expressions and agile energetic performance are worth watching with sound off. Let me rephrase, one needs to watch the closely. Her presence amplifies the power of the jokes.

And sometimes funny and/or ironic BUTTTT delivered with W A A A A Y too much energy. Trying too too hard. At five minutes in I felt exhaustion and annoyance.

Too bad 'cause, as I said, she makes some good points. I just can't stand to watch her.

Don't get me wrong it's decent but not her best. It's important that we all be able to laugh at ourselves and this special certainly spends a lot of time pointing out all of the absurd things women tend to do, especially all of the over-the-top wedding related situations we put ourselves and our loved ones through. While I definitely chuckled at some things, I found myself kind of apathetic through most of it.

Finally it hit me why I didn't love it: laughing at ourselves is often the best medicine but in this special the jokes are structured in a way where it seems like Iliza is mostly laughing at "others". Most of her jokes seem to observe other women as the ones behaving absurdly with the implied premise that Iliza herself is an exception to this behavior. It felt a little bit like an hour of her desperately trying to prove what a cool girl she is putting other girls down. Maybe a touch holier-than-thou?

Don't get me wrong, it's a comedy special not a speech to the United Nations. No lasting harm to womanhood is done, no protests will occur and no grudges will be held. It's just a bit one-note and not particularly compelling or nuanced. I found that with topics at hand, I was expecting some more layered, introspective, and self-aware jokes.

Sure, the material isn't old, but it feels old. It feels overused and while her schtick hasn't changed much over the years, I guess it's just not as on poin as it was? I expected the punchlines, and the voices and the "twists" in her jokes,so I was .. at best, mildly amused, at worst, I started playing candy crush. I guess it's worth watching, but that's the most I can give it.