The Top 5 Feminist Sketches from Inside Amy Schumer
By Julia LaSalvia
Comedy Central used to be the TV network equivalent of a frat house. This became clear to me when I was in third grade and watched The Man Show for the first time. For those who‘ve never seen it, The Man Show was a sketch comedy series that lasted six seasons (from 1999–2004) and starred a just-about-to-become-super-famous Jimmy Kimmel and a no-longer-relevant Adam Carolla.
One of the most memorable segments of the series was called “Girls on Trampolines”. At the end of every episode, models, referred to lovingly as the “Juggies”, jumped on trampolines as the end credits rolled. While most of the show’s sketches were intentionally hyperbolic in an attempt to show the absurdity of hyper-masculinity, the bombardment of objectified women combined with the relatively few actresses actually featured in sketches painted a pretty accurate picture of how Comedy Central looked at the time— relatively bleak when it came to comedy from the female perspective.
In the years following The Man Show, the landscape has improved significantly. Series such as Broad City, The Sarah Silverman Show, and Inside Amy Schumer, are bringing a much needed dose of gender balance to what was previously (and still is, for the most part) a total sausage fest.
Fortunately for us, we have a new season of Insider Amy Schumer to turn that sausage fest on it’s head (confusing visual, I know). As the third season of Inside Amy Schumer garners more attention, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that Schumer is one of the most hilarious voices in Hollywood, regardless of her gender.
And the ratings prove it.
When Inside Amy Schumer premiered on Comedy Central, it received higher ratings than the two male-led premiere shows at the time, the Jeselnik Offensive and Kroll Show. But, instead of playing it safe (as one might expect), she’s using her platform to expose a society that consistently undervalues women.
And she’s doing it in such an honest way that we are laughing too hard to know what has taken place until after it’s over. Schumer manages to avoid getting preachy— her characters are too hopeless and naive for viewers to ever see it coming or be offended by it.
Rape culture, sexual assault in the military, birth control access, unrealistic beauty standards, and the hyper-sexualization of women in the media are just a few of the topics she tackles in the third season of Inside Amy Schumer. While the first two seasons had feminist undertones, the third season has become decidly more political.
And we couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
So now, let’s watch a few of the most hilarious feminist sketches from all three seasons of Inside Amy Schumer… and then end the patriarchy if we have time afterwards.
**Warning: These skits will make you want to laugh, cry, and high-five your TV at the same time. **
The Top 5 Feminist Sketches from Inside Amy Schumer
5. Focus Group
In this sketch from the second season, Schumer addresses America’s obsession with criticizing women’s appearances. She also touches on one of the great feminist contradictions — the desire to stop women from being sexualized while wanting to be sexualized sometimes.
4. Compliments
In this more melancholy skit from season one, Schumer takes on the social pressures that cause women to constantly undervalue themselves and respond to praise with self-effacement.
3. Birth Control
In one of the most-viewed skits from the third season, Schumer shines a light on how absurdly difficult it can be to get birth control in this country. The parody is especially poignant considering the recent increase in legislation attempting to limit access to affordable birth control.
2. A Very Realistic Military Game
This season three skit starts with Schumer and her boyfriend playing a Call of Duty-esque game. When Amy picks up the controller to choose the female avatar and begin playing, she quickly realizes enemy fire is the least of her concerns. Inspired by the documentary The Invisible War, A Very Realistic Military Game focuses on the prevalence of sexual assault in the armed forces.
1. Football Town Nights
In my favorite sketch from the current season, Schumer takes on rape culture in a hilariously accurate Friday Night Lights parody. The skit ends when a fictional Coach Taylor, played by Josh Charles, gives a powerful speech to his players,
“How do I get through to you boys that football isn’t about rape — it’s about violently dominating anyone who stands between you and what you want. You’ve got to get yourself in the mind-set that you are gods, and you are entitled to this! That other team, they ain’t just gonna lay down and give it to you! You’ve got to go out there and take it!”
0. Gang Bang
I know standard countdown protocol dictates I end at the number one, but there were too many to choose from so I’ve added one more. In this skit from season one, Schumer plans a gang bang sponsored by Sea Spray Cranberry Juice (lol) to prove she’s empowered and in control of her sex life (“Look men, you are not penetrating our vaginas, we are engulfing your penises”).