When my friend Andrea and I found out that Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival—headlined by Aziz Ansari and Amy Schumer—was coming to Massachusetts, we knew we just had to go. She’s a die-hard Parks and Recreation fan and becoming best friends with Amy Schumer is definitely one of my top life goals, so we snatched up tickets, hopped on the train to venture an hour away from campus and (obviously) dropped $20 each on chicken fingers and lemon icees before finally settling into our seats for what was sure to be the best night of our young lives.
…And yeah, it totally was. One of opening acts pointed out that in today’s world, we need comedy more than ever. I think we all expected to have a night of comedy and laughter that would take us out of our own little worlds and away from our problems, and that’s pretty much what happened. But at the same time, both Aziz and Amy tackled important issues of today both beautifully and hilariously.
Only Aziz Ansari could touch upon issues like race, police brutality and the double standards for men and women in the corporate world with both sensitivity and a sense of humor. He acknowledged the lack of diversity in television as well as the every racism that still occurs in our world every day. Of course, he wasn’t all serious—a few stories about his girlfriend (I wonder if she knows how much she’s mentioned during his routines?!), his parents and his undying love for bacon were also highlights of the night.
But it was Amy in particular who hit on a lot of points relevant to any young woman about to enter the professional world. “‘Is right now an exciting time for women in Hollywood?’” she said early on in her routine, recalling being asked that very question in an interview after the release of her megahit movie, Trainwreck. “Um… no.” She cited the strict rules women in show business are required to follow in order to be presented a certain way. With Trainwreck being her movie debut, Schumer was catapulted into this world of dietary guidelines, scrutinizing paparazzi and objectification for the first time at the age of 34.
Sound cynical? She has a right to be. She remembered the young actress who played the younger version of herself in Trainwreck approaching her at the film’s premiere and saying her agent said she wouldn’t get any more roles because her cheeks were too round. Though Amy’s commentary was hilarious, it was sad at the same time—if Amy is affected by these harsh standards at 34, how are they influencing younger women and girls?
But of course, there are plenty of (major) upsides to becoming a Hollywood star, like becoming best friends with Jennifer Lawrence—who has declared that she and Schumer are “creatively made for each other.” Oh, did we mention the two are writing a movie together? Schumer described her relationship with Lawrence as like “being friends with the best-looking possible version of yourself.” Her self-deprecating sense of humor is probably just one of the reasons the two get along so well!
An Amy and Aziz comedy show would be remiss without a few sexual innuendos and a little hard liquor—the festival is called Oddball, after all. But for all of that, you’ll have to go and see the show yourself. It’s highly recommended!