She's had good press, I even saw her on Global TV at midnight the Sunday before the Fringe, when they run the local newsmagazine show. But I never know how that translates, does someone have a good hook, are they good at publicity, or does it reflect their actual show?
Jessica Salomon is the one who had people dressed as waiters with trays of shot glasses, printed with "Doing Good" at the Fringe For All. One of the better gimmicks, that night or maybe any Fringe, but while that makes her stand out, it still says nothing about her show.
I was indifferent, but when I went to see "Venezuela" (luckily they had one night of shows on Thursday, before the Fringe began) she was one of the Friends. Yes she was funny, so I went to see her show. Another heroin reference, give away the sample to lure them in. Sadly, I saw much of standup when she opened for "Venezuela" so for some of the really good jokes, I saw them coming and didn't laugh as much as the first time. The key part of the show was more like storytelling of her time in law. She name drops Kofi Annan, who was then Secretary General of the UN. (I can name drop, on June 7th, 1982 when we arrived at the UN, the assistant Secretary General came out to welcome us. I can't remember his name, or anything he said. I do remember Corretta Scott King greeting us after we crossed the street). But in telling the stories, she's making them funny, it's no dry history.
I remember over a decade ago, Martha Chavez was part of a benefit for the Fringe, and I did see something different in her jokes, which got me to the Comedy Nest a few times. She organized a few nights of women comedy there (the Comedy Fest later took over the concept, with a different host).
The big thing I remember is that it was safe to sit in the front row, you might get pulled into the show, but you wouldn't get attacked. I found I did react differently to the women comics, I'm not sure if it's because the jokes are different, or if it's a sexual thing, they being women I am less inhibited in my laughing (or is it that laughing is a vulnerability so I feel I can be more vulnerable and thus laugh harder, when it's a woman telling the jokes)? Seeing women tell jokes is a treat, it shouldn't always be men doing the work of making people laugh.
I remembered all that as I sat in the front row seeing "Doing Good". I did react well on hearing some of her best jokes the first time. I loved the one about the sleepover, it's right up there as a sex scene with the one in the movie "Big" where Tom Hanks claims the top bunk. I didn't think the show was particularly "dirty", I thought they jokes were funny, and sex should be fun. I an see women dragging their boyfriends to this show, as foreplay, just like women would drag men to see Shakti dance when she came to the Fringe (it was never clear if they were excited because it was dance their boyfriends would see with them, or if they saw it as foreplay for later in the evening).
