I'm Just A Person

June 11, 2016 9:07 AM

A couple of days later, I stood in front of a mirror and slowly unbuttoned my shirt. When I looked down, what I saw turned out to be just a flat chest with fresh scars on their way to looking healed. My stitches had dissolved. I took my shirt off and stared at myself, thinking, “Lake was right, I can do this.” - Tig Notaro on luck, love, family, friends, fame, stand up, her new book, and life after breasts
posted by nadawi (11 comments total)

I just love Tig so much.
posted by palomar at 9:35 AM on June 11, 2016 [7 favorites]

Tig's incredible. I was lucky enough to win tickets to a sold-out show of hers via our local public radio station about a year and a half ago. I've never seen a comedian hold the entire room in the palm of her hand like she did that night. In my mental dictionary if you look up "rapt" I'm going to immediately picture that event. And this was a Monday night at a (pretty crappy, tbh) music venue.
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:40 AM on June 11, 2016 [7 favorites]

This interview was great too: Tig on Conan
posted by Roger Dodger at 9:54 AM on June 11, 2016 [4 favorites]

I love Tig! The gig at Largo, when I downloaded it from Louis CK's site, lived up to the hype. She's amazing. This article (and her excerpt) made me a bit choked up. Her honesty is inspiring.
posted by asavage at 10:16 AM on June 11, 2016 [9 favorites]

Her documentary is amazing too. Oh, and the Amazon Prime pilot for One Mississippi as well; really hoping the next episode is out soon. I love her like Taylor Dayne.*

*One of the first cassette tapes I ever purchased was none other than Taylor Dayne's.
posted by iamkimiam at 1:07 PM on June 11, 2016 [2 favorites]

I suddenly landed right back into my body, feeling like the world’s most experienced and knowledgeable infant. Breathing was as easy as doing nothing. I was ready to embark on a new life."

What a great description of how she worked through her trauma. Wonderfully put.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:29 PM on June 11, 2016 [2 favorites]

My mom died the evening of June 2nd (expected, was doing at home hospice at the time) - my aunt and I sat in mom's dining room and listened to Live twice that afternoon while laughing our asses off. (My mother was non-responsive that day but she'd heard the album many times over the last few months.) That album has been pretty comforting and a really good anchor the last month. It was great before then too...just particularly comforting the last month.

I have the book pre-ordered. Looking forward to reading it.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 2:57 PM on June 11, 2016 [10 favorites]

This profile is also interesting for the bit about Amy Schumer:

I tell her I was struck by something Amy Schumer once said to Vanity Fair about Notaro: “Looking masculine and being gay, the challenges of the road are 20 times harder for Tig than other female comedians. People fear what they don’t understand.” Has she found that to be true?

Anger sparks in Notaro’s normally calm eyes. “I don’t know what she was talking about. It sounds like offensive nonsense to me. I find that so offensive and weird,” she says, looking down, trying to control her very audible irritation. “If you knew me well, you would never say that.”

I thought the two of you were friends, I say, surprised. Schumer has spoken in the past about taking care of her “great friend Tig”.

“Ummm…” Notaro says, looking away. Did you just work with her? The atmosphere, previously relaxed, has palpably prickled.

“I’ve worked with her. I worked with her for the first season [of Inside Amy Schumer],” she replies curtly. Ironically, the episode in which Notaro appeared was about Schumer exaggerating their friendship and using Notaro’s cancer to look good in front of other people.

“Let’s leave it there,” Notaro says, closing down the subject.

posted by asterix at 3:24 PM on June 11, 2016 [14 favorites]

For some reason I really want to know the identity of the guy who shouts "this is amazing" during the Largo show.
posted by 445supermag at 4:47 PM on June 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

Notaro and Allynne are expecting twins, due later this month via a surrogate.

Yes! All the best to them!

Aw I remember seeing Tig on Conan - was it the No Moleste bit? - and was just, absolutely, delighted by her gentle absurdity, her easy style - watched whatever I could find. Then there was that gig - incredible. "Just a person", sure, but also, special, so special.
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:02 PM on June 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

I love how deadpan she is.

I first heard her on "By the Way: In Conversation with Jeff Garlin". Their interaction is ...I honestly can't tell when she's being honest and when she's being sarcastic, and it's completely hysterical (the Goldilocks bit/interaction/something is also awesome).
posted by Deoridhe at 12:18 AM on June 12, 2016 [2 favorites]