Quick, how do you feel about comedian Sarah Silverman?
There are three responses to that question. They are “Who?,” “I hate her” and “She’s awesome.” These are the only acceptable answers and I can guarantee no one possibly feels differently.
Sarah Silverman was previously the most polarizing voice in underground comedy. However, with her TV show “The Sarah Silverman Program,” she quickly became a much more visible star who was still willing to push the envelope with edgy, obscene comedy.
I don’t intend to change anyone’s mind about Sarah Silverman. I may be a fan, but by no means do I want to convert anyone to her cause. Most of the comedy embraces a sort of “Kids Say the Darndest Things” filtered through a poop and sex-filled mind. Silverman gleefully will teach children songs about poop, huff paint with the homeless and try to tell inspirational stories about abortion all with a voice that rings with childish eternal optimism.
It’s not so much about the jokes as it is about the mix of wild imagination and either genitalia or mind-numbing violence. In the last week’s episode, Sarah sang a song about how children should wear wooden gloves so they would not be stabbed in the eyes with knives.
“The Sarah Silverman Program”
isn’t for everyone, and that has nothing to do with the quality of the show. Silverman is a performer who depends on shock value and falling back on obscene irony, and quite simply this is not the kind of comedy that appeals to everyone.
However, it’s a wild ride for viewers. If only they could remove the songs.