We Have To Be Careful Regarding The Use Of Our Resources

May 23, 2017 11:03 AM

Maria Bamford delivered a sneakily practical commencement speech about the value of education, money, and valuing yourself at her Alma Mater, The University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur (10 comments total)

She is the absolute best. She always says how much she's paid for gigs, and how much she pays her opening acts, which is INVALUABLE information for people in an industry that is as notorious for keeping quiet about such things as it is for wanting to rip you off.

That young woman she brought up onstage at the end couldn't have been more surprised or happy at the end. It made me tear up. I love Maria Bamford.
posted by xingcat at 11:20 AM on May 23, 2017 [17 favorites]

I love her to death.
posted by bondcliff at 11:21 AM on May 23, 2017 [4 favorites]

I worked with Maria Bamford many years ago and she's just as delightful in person.
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:30 AM on May 23, 2017 [8 favorites]

The dude to her left in the front clearly should have watched some of her stand-up before this so he wouldn't look so terrified.
posted by radicalawyer at 11:37 AM on May 23, 2017 [6 favorites]

I have always loved her standup. I think about parts of her acts daily. I admire her honesty about the bad part of her life as well as the good. She's a delight.

I wish Lady Dynamite had been a bit better but I remember enjoying it too.
posted by darksong at 12:04 PM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]

I really enjoyed her last Netflix special, which was cut together from multiple performances in multiple locations, most of them intimate settings like people's living rooms. It was both a fun gimmick for a comedy special and an interesting behind-the-curtain kind of moment. Everybody "knows" that comedy specials are edited-together highlights of multiple performances, but Bamford's special goes out of its way not to hide that.

(Apropos of nothing, the Lucas Brothers, who are featured in the "White Trash" episode of Lady Dynamite and then have a few cameos later, also have a comedy special on Netflix. And it's also really, really funny.)
posted by tobascodagama at 1:20 PM on May 23, 2017

The special that she does for her parents in her house is the most amazing thing. (The Special Special Special, I believe it's called.) Includes breaks for cookies and to give medicine to her dog!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 1:33 PM on May 23, 2017 [3 favorites]

oh frick yes another monologue where she equates my sexuality to a schedule ii drug addiction because she had a bad relationship with one guy before most of the audience there was even alive!

see i love her too, which makes it so much more painful when she does that. every time it's like getting punched in the face by an adorable squirrel who was eating the peanuts of shared mental illness survivorhood out of your hand ten seconds ago. the lady dynamite episode dealing with it in particular was ugly in a way i thought orange is the new black had a lock on in terms of netflix-sanctioned biphobia.

she handled it relatively well in that last special and i thought oh cool, maybe she's finally realized that was bigoted, but nope, looks like she'll go back to that well for an easy laugh every time. i don't understand how someone who is by all accounts as good-hearted and honest as her work (mostly) makes her appear can be so consistently, thoughtlessly cruel on this subject.
posted by beyonce coming out of her well to shame mankind at 1:37 PM on May 23, 2017 [6 favorites]

Link to the actual video... skipping the contributes-nothing Digg wannabee ...
posted by Twang at 4:26 PM on May 23, 2017 [3 favorites]

Discovered wealthsimple because of this link. She's dope. Appreciate the post.
posted by Silo004 at 4:35 PM on May 23, 2017