Amy Schumer’s ‘Leather Special’ lacks originality

Amy Schumer’s Leather Special released on Netflix exclusively on March 7.

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Amy Schumer’s Leather Special released on Netflix exclusively on March 7.

Madison McGirr, Business Manager

With a bottle of wine and in a tight fitting, unflattering, full body leather outfit, Amy Schumer steps on stage to perform her stand-up comedy Netflix special, “Amy Schumer: The Leather Special,” at the Bellco Theatre in Denver. As someone who has followed her stand-up comedy career for years now, this wasn’t a shock. I thought the get-up was funny and humbling, since it wasn’t the most flattering choice of clothing for her. She has always specialized in shock humor, which used to be original, but with Kevin Hart and Louis C.K. on the scene as well, it feels like her “shock,” isn’t so shocking.

The special starts with her telling a story about how she posted a nude photo on twitter and how all the news outlets that covered the viral picture called her “brave.” Little did I know, but this would be one of the few jokes I would laugh at during the entire special.

The rest of the special contained sex, politics and fame- something I expected from Schumer. Not that I have anything against those topics, but Schumer seems to follow a pattern of those subjects. Her sex jokes seem stale and unoriginal, which makes sense since she was accused of stealing jokes last year.

While I do believe humor can be applied to most topics, her excessive vulgarities ruin the skit, typically not the topic. Her political jokes were about gun control, a typical hot-spot for comedians. A gun control centered clip from Jim Jefferies’ stand-up piece “Freedumb” went viral in 2015. Schumer lacked a genuine passion for the topic. Jefferies was yelling in his clip,  showing true anger towards the lack of gun-control, and even used statistics during the skit. Schumer’s skit couldn’t even manage to get a chuckle out of me. She lacks enthusiasm which makes her jokes seem boring and offbeat, something I almost never notice about most comedians.

I watched Schumer’s rise in Hollywood by watching her Peabody Award winning skit comedy show, “Inside Amy Schumer.” I was a huge fan of her earlier seasons that threw in clips of her old stand-up routines, and even looked up to her as an icon for body positivity. Say what you will about Schumer, but there’s no denying she is a huge feminist icon and continues to break barriers for female comedians. There’s something to be said by becoming the first woman to make Forbes’s Highest Paid Comedians of 2016 and coming in fourth on the list overall. While I may not be a fan of her comedy, I’m a fan of her work as a business woman. Her movie “Trainwreck” earned her the Satellite Special Award for Breakthrough Comedian and Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in a Comedy. She went from being a stand up comedian in Manhattan, to owning a show on Comedy Central, to writing and starring in her own movie. That’s an amazing progression for any stand-up comedian, and the fact that she’s a female makes it even more impressive.

Overall, I think she banked off of profanity and shock humor in this special, something that shouldn’t surprise most people. The jokes were unoriginal and tacky, and gathered a 2.5/5 on Netflix, where the special is exclusive. While this is another disappointment for Schumer, I  have a feeling she’ll be coming out with more original content soon. With her success from the past, I’m sure she can bring up her bad reputation with future projects.

Rating: 2/5