Silverman Bombs in London

(Sometimes) funny woman, Sarah Silverman, bombed so hard in London that audience-goers began chanting for their money back. As an encore, she gave a Q&A session.

Silverman's act is always politically-incorrect and often confrontational in nature. However, her material sometimes falls short. In particular, her Comedy Central show, The Sarah Silverman Program is more "miss" than "hit" - especially since she insists on including some insipid musical piece in every episode.

While her early career sparkled with promise, it was based largely on the strength of her political-incorrectness and the oblivious character she affects. Some 10 years on, the act is neither fresh nor unexpected and Silverman misfires more often than not.

In her defense though, America and the English, in general, have wildly different comedic tastes - neither of which translate well across the Pond. The UK's current darling du jour, Ricky Gervais, found success in America several times over with his television work, but his stand-up show in New York was soundly panned.

Silverman needs to drop the potty-mouth routine on which she has come to rely and write actual material - because her more thought-provoking routines are genuinely comedic. She knows how to structure a joke - set-up, follow-through, and punchline - but nearly always prefers the scatological, off-the-wall, fratboy humor most often associated with lesser comedic "talents" like Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell. She has good timing and a polished on-air performance (as evidenced in star turns on her own show and Monk), so if her stand-up chops have lost their flex, maybe she should focus on her acting career.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008