Pregnancy is an effective way to get attention and affection from those around you, primarily because growing human life is difficult and dangerous. So, why not fake it?
This is the premise of Amy Schumer’s latest Netflix flick, “Kinda Pregnant.” Surprise: Schumer’s character, Lainy, is, in fact, not at all pregnant.
Instead, Lainy, a recently single 40-something with no hope of finding romance or starting a family, wears a pregnant belly to gain friends and a new man.
Lainy is a loud, rambunctious woman with jokes and quips at her hip, but the gun jams every single time.
Being unfunny is one thing, but being unfunny and a terrible person is a whole other ball game. Fortunately, Schumer is just the actor for this role.
Somehow, “Kinda Pregnant” is almost as terrible as a regular Schumer comedy special. The experience is unusual. Her movies typically produce at least a sharp nasal exhale, but this one falls entirely flat.
Schumer hasn’t been funny, well, ever, but a lot of stand-up comedians have lost their spark in the last few years.
The typical stand-up formula is old, like the beginning of time old. For a lot of people, specifically youths, the potential in it has dried up. Rehearsing and delivering comedy isn’t what a lot of Gen Z is into.
Improvised sets and audience interaction garner a lot more attention from a younger demographic. Of course, these are the people laughing at a picture of cheese captioned “cheese” in large impact font, so take that judgment with a grain of salt.
“Kinda Pregnant” has some valid commentary about growing older and the worry about one’s biological clock ticking down, thus missing out on the joys of family life. Again, though, a lot of young people don’t have this concern.
Not only is having kids becoming less important to young adults, but even a lot of older millennials are still focusing on supporting just themselves, let alone a human dependent or two.
So, maybe it’s time for Schumer, Andrew Shulz and the like to throw in the towel and admit there are greener pastures. They won’t, of course, because selling any amount of tickets is better than selling none.
There are definitely people out there who enjoyed the brashness and labia talk in “Kinda Pregnant.” They might even be someone you love. Check up on those people. Or don’t, lest you end up suffering through a Schumer comedy special with them.
