Clang, Clang!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Instead of pumping my own work on Super Deluxe, I’d like to draw your attention to my favorite series on the site, The Maria Bamford Show:
Beyond the spot-on impersonations and snappy jokes — both of which I’ve come to expect from Maria — what really makes the show stand out to me is the way it blurs Maria’s reality. The premise of the show is that Bamford suffered a nervous breakdown on stage, ran out of anxiety medication, and moved back in with her parents. The entire show is shot in what is ostensibly her parents’ attic, and when playing herself Maria is almost always shown lying in bed in a state of paralyzed depression. Do I believe that any of this actually happened? No, but based on what I know of Bamford from her work, it’s not hard to believe. Maria’s persona is such a bundle of neuroses that even when you know the material is fiction you’re slightly concerned for her sanity, and that tension is a big part of what makes the show (and her act in general) so much fun to watch.
