Sarah Silverman will make you love squirrels in her new Netflix comedy special A Speck of Dust. The comedian is as fearless as ever as she lays down some hilarious sardonic law. From squirrels to martyr puppies, to real martyrs, Silverman knows few bounds, and we’re all better off for it. We should also all collectively thank Netflix for delivering an avalanche of comedy gold.
It feels like Silverman is a Lyft driver who may have
taken a few shots before picking you up.
If you’re not familiar with Sarah Silverman, then let me be the first to welcome you back to reality. She is a comedian with an impressive range of material. The funny woman can be equal parts smart and crass. Of course, the vulgar nature of her sets take most of the attention, but Silverman’s subtle way of crafting clever jokes makes her one of the best in the business.
“I love the aggressively stupid stuff as equally as anything deep I have to say. And I give them equal importance.
Equal parts artsy and fartsy.”
In the Justice League of Comedy, Silverman is Wonder Woman. Albeit, fighting for what’s right with razor-sharp sarcasm as her superpower. Her style is conversational here. It feels like Silverman is a Lyft driver who may have taken a few shots before picking you up. She’s driving fine, but you wonder how she can concentrate while jumping around topics.
The comedian’s leaps of logic aren’t jarring. When she moves from the bible to Game of Thrones, the transition is a fun slide. “I’ve never read the Bible,” admits Silverman, “It’s like bad Game of Thrones fan fiction.”
The comedian spares little for religion, particularly Christianity. Silverman unleashes a bit that chops down faith with one fell swoop. She presents an ultimate test of faith that most every “true believer” will fail, particularly the male ones.
The heartbeat of this show for Silverman is a series of brushes with death. The first few instances were of three essential people in her life: Harris Wittels, Gary Shandling, and her mother. The fourth was Silverman’s surgery for an obstruction in her throat. The comedian’s new perspective inspires her to strip away further the bullshit. As she puts it, “We’re breathing egos acting like we aren’t a speck of dust on a speck of dust on a speck of dust hurtling through space.” It’s an introspection Silverman doesn’t consider something that makes us insignificant but the same.
“Do you think Jesus would be famous if we put him down
like a household pet?”
One of the best bits in the special that exemplifies Silverman’s skill level is about squirrels who like paranoid coke-heads and are necessary parts of nature. “Squirrels can not find 80% of the nuts that they hide.” The audience laughs at the silly fact. “Hold your skulls in because you’re brain is about to explode. That’s how trees are planted.” Silverman deduces that squirrels think everyone is after their acorns.
Silverman is in top-form here. From one-liner winners to detailed stories with a huge punchline, the comedian uses all the tools at her disposal. Along the way, she builds one funny hour of comedy.
