In the sole bit of stand-up on tonight's Inside Amy Schumer, Amy Schumer talks about how she doesn't like when celebrities get involved with politics. "I remember when Scarlett Johansson endorsed Obama, I was like, who gives a fuck?" she says.
But then Schumer discusses why she got politically active after this past summer's shooting at a showing in Trainwreck in Lousiana. "I met with people, victim's families, and they have like buttons with pictures of their children," she explains. "And they're like, 'Will you help us? No one listens to politicians, they listen to you idiots.' And, what, are you going to be like? 'No, I don't want to annoy people on Reddit.'"
All this is a justification of why much of the half-hour is really, powerfully political. Not that she really needs to explain herself. Inside Amy Schumer often tackles issues more frequently discussed on CNN or MSNBC than Comedy Central. But "Welcome To The Gun Show" feels like her most pointed episode yet.
It opens with a sketch that made the rounds earlier Thursday. Schumer and Kyle Dunnigan play two dopey HSN-type hosts peddling guns. The IAS writers deftly weave actual, horrifying facts about how easy it is to purchase a gun with ridiculous humor. It's worth paying special attention to the chyron at the bottom of the screen, where tidbits like, "All Guns Purchased For Kids Come With A Free Minions Tote Bag" pop up.
At one point a siren blares: There's been a mass shooting, which these two knuckleheads use to manipulate people into purchasing more guns. Amy then cuts to a commercial, teasing how they are next going to sell legislators "whose influence can be purchased for much cheaper than you think." As chaos ensues — Kyle shoots his foot — the names of the "top recipients of gun lobby money in Congress" flash on the screen. That's not a joke.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Schumer worked with Everytown For Gun Safety on the sketch, and Everytown gets name checked later in the episode. Schumer conducts her "Goes Deep" segment with Brina Milikowsky, the organization's chief strategy officer. While Schumer gives Milikowsky a platform to highlight how women are specifically affected by gun violence, she also asks some traditionally Schumer-esque questions. For instance, she inquires as to how Milikowsky's vagina reacts if she meets a hot guy at a bar who turns out to be an NRA member.
But the episode isn't all about guns. Schumer also took on fun stuff — I kid — like GamerGate and the harassment that women face online. That sketch centers around a tech talk show called "Chip Chat" during which a female Twitter spokesperson introduces a "new feature." What is it, you ask? An "I'm going to rape and kill you" button! The woman cheerily discusses how the button makes it easy to send violent threats. She explains that the "I'm going to rape and kill you" button evolved from a "you're fat" button, but people like typing that insult themselves so they can misspell "you're." As the segment concludes, her sunny attitude changes. The male host uses the "I'm going to rape and kill you" button to target her.
Celebrities do pop up in "Welcome To The Gun Show," but in two sillier sketches. The main gag in the Game of Thrones sketch, which features David Spade as a director, is that Amy has an irrational fear of horses, which she refers to as "tall monsters." The parody does make reference to the graphic nudity and sexual violence on GoT, but its goal isn't to satirize Thrones ' approach to women. In another sketch, Schumer takes a back seat to Liam Neeson, who plays a funeral director named Don Cheadle. Neeson/Don Cheadle runs the "I Don't Bury Cowards Funeral Parlor." It's all a riff on Neeson's growly Taken persona, which, frankly, feels a little stale.
Truly, this episode is best when it's ruthlessly going after pro-gun advocates. Schumer isn't hiding the fact that she's taking a stance, but she miraculously doesn't sacrifice the funny for the statement.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The New Heir To The Iron Throne Will Shock You
Sick Of TV? These Shows Will Get You Addicted All Over Again
This TV Show Taught Me Everything I Need To Know About Being Engaged