From stand up specials to roasts to memoirs, Sarah Silverman has become one of the most iconic comedians of this era. She’s known for her edgy humor, social commentary, and speaking her mind. Whether she’s voicing a cartoon or addressing serious subject matters, Silverman has a distinctive style that’s all her own.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we are looking at some of Sarah Silverman’s most iconic moments.
We Are Miracles Wins an Emmy Award
Sarah Silverman burst onto the scene by lending her voice to a lot of wacky roles, including the phone prank show Crank Yankers. It soon became apparent that Silverman, despite her big doe eyes, was willing to take on controversial topics and politically incorrect humor, winning her a lot of fans.
This HBO special came out in 2013. It won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. It was a very small venue with a small crowd, something that Silverman loved since she could see everyone’s reactions to each joke. The extremely raunchy special solidified Sarah Silverman as one of the most iconic stand up comedians of the 2010s.
Sarah Silverman On Inspiring Young Women
One of Sarah Silverman’s best feminism quotes continues to stand out to us: “We need to stop telling girls they can be anything they want when they grow up. I think it’s a mistake, not because they can’t, but because it would have never occurred to them that they couldn’t.”
While she’s often cracking jokes or being sarcastic, this raw and genuine moment has stayed with us since she said it. Hopefully it inspires young girls to go after anything they want, whether it’s raunchy comedy or voicing cartoon characters. Nothing’s off limits!
Sarah Silverman On Judaism
One thing we love about Sarah Silverman is that she has never shied away from being true to herself. She’s always been open about even the toughest parts of her childhood, including growing up in a town with no other Jewish children, her parents’ divorce, and dealing with anxiety. Silverman identifies as Jewish both ethnically and culturally, so it’s always been a topic she doesn’t shy away from. This includes even the darkest of jokes, but this one was definitely more lighthearted and silly.
“I wear this St. Christopher medal sometimes ‘cause I’m Jewish and my boyfriend’s Catholic. It was cute the way he gave it to me,” Silverman joked once. “He said if it doesn’t burn through my skin, it will protect me. Who cares? Different religions. The only time it’s an issue, I suppose, would be if you’re having a baby — you gotta figure out how you wanna raise your baby. Which would still not be an issue for us, because we’d be honest. We’d say, ‘Mommy’s one of the chosen people, and Daddy believes that Jesus is magic!'”
Roasting Big Celebrities
Comedy Central has hosted a wide range of celebrity roasts, including James Franco, Justin Bieber, Pamela Anderson, and Bob Saget. These iconic roast specials feature a wide range of comedians and stars taking turns roasting a controversial celebrity. Silverman has been featured in many of these Comedy Central events thanks to her cutting edge insults, quick wit, and quirky delivery.
Sarah Silverman on Casting More Jews
Sarah Silverman has often brought up the concept of “Jewface,” when a non-Jewish person plays a Jewish character in a television show or movie. She described it as also featuring a “big fake nose” and putting on a “Yiddish-y inflection.”
She has also pointed out a lot of impactful Jewish roles being given to non-Jewish women, including Rachel Brosnahan playing Miriam Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Felicity Jones playing Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The lack of Jewish female representation in major films and popular television shows has definitely left Silverman frustrated.
Silverman added: “Right now, representation f—ing matters. It has to also finally matter for Jews as well. Especially Jewish women.”
PG Humor Still Works
Even though Silverman is known for her often shocking humor, she was cast as the voice of Vanellope von Schweetz in a Disney film called Wreck-It Ralph. In one interview back in 2012 (the movie is that old??), Silverman admitted that Disney had to keep reminding her “this is a children’s movie.” This was after she had said “Q*Bert does coke” in an earlier interview.
Despite the initial slip-up, Silverman did an amazing job keeping it PG yet wickedly humorous in Wreck-It Ralph and its sequel. Her unique voice and personality definitely shine through in the Disney film even without her signature dirty jokes.
Sarah Silverman On Believing In Yourself
Silverman is clearly an icon in the comedy world for her honesty and wit. Her stand up specials, movie roles, and memoirs are impactful and memorable. But Silverman has also continued to inspire others with inspirational quotes. And no, she isn’t being facetious.
“Take lots of time for yourself, discovering yourself- pursue not only a profession but other life passions, I always make time to rock climb or hike of write a few short stories. Also, find good people and surround yourself with them. Most importantly, always believe you will, unequivocally,” Silverman said.
Noted.