Chelsea Handler: a Pioneering Face for Female Comics

Women in Hollywood have withstood quite a lot through centuries of patriarchal brainwashing. More than anyone, female celebrities and actors are often held at an impossible standard when it comes to beauty, behavior, demeanor, and even in their very craft, whether it’s acting, singing, dancing, or performing in general, women, God forbid, remain mediocre. Making people laugh as a profession is male-dominated in its core, which often plays a huge role in the way people digest information and absorb to cultural phenomena. Comedians are a rare breed who must do and say every fact and opinion in a funny way to be taken seriously in its very irony. The versatility, wit, and level of empathy comedians have are often overpowered by punchlines but female comedians who would deviate from the usual structure of comedy are magnified to it very core. Funny women like Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, and Chelsea Handler have challenged the accepted demeanor of how women in comedy tell their jokes. 

Handler, who is a force in comedy has built a career in being a foul-mouth woman that didn’t hold back on speaking the truth. The 44-year-old is another multi-hyphenate who thrives as a comedian, actress, activist, TV host, and published author of six best-selling books. Up Close and Personal, Again Chelsea Handler does not shy away from a good roast session and thrives on the frankness comedians. The This Means War actress just released her latest memoir titled “Life Will Be the Death of Me” today, April 9 via the Spiegel & Grau publication. The New York Times Best-selling author is not new to the process of writing a book, with the success of “Uganda Be Kidding Me” later turned into a Netflix special tackles introspection and self-sufficiency in her follow up memoir. 

According to Variety, Handler says the book will not be limiting any of her crude humor but does find a balance of sad, “super-honest” with ubiquitous truth and vulnerability from the comic. The memoir will also be laid out with a comedy tour that taps into Handler’s classic take on self-deprecating humor and comical depiction of her journey on self-discovery. Handler wishes to extend a certain lesson she’s learned from becoming more active in personal advocacies and in politics; that people “look around more and pay attention to the people who really need attention, not to the ones who are trying so hard to get it.” The culture of showbiz that the entertainment industry continues to perpetuate in the media and social media create a huge gap between what’s real and what’s not. Handler has always been notorious for criticizing personalities in the industry and has been applauded to the point that there’s no room left to question her righteousness. Reminiscent Past In her memoir, Handler shares on several podcasts like On Purpose with Jay Shetty and Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, some details of her rebellious past. The Chelsea Lately host exposed the reckless behavior that drove her parents insane, which she grossly detested in a sit down with Dax Shepard. Handler also expresses her self-seeking new attitude when it comes to mindfulness and sensitivity in the latest podcast episode of On Purpose with Jay Shetty. According to Self, in a personal essay, she wrote for Playboy’s Freedom Issue, Handler details the two abortions she had when she was sixteen years old saying, “We all make mistakes all the time. I happened to f*** up twice at the age of 16. I'm grateful that I came to my senses and was able to get an abortion legally without risking my health or bankrupting myself or my family.” Handler was never adamant to being a flawed human that makes mistakes and continues to use her platform to show that foul-mouth lady comedians like herself still have a lot of growing to do and since Donald Trump’s election, she had quite the journey in terms of finding the light in an oppressive time in her country’s history. Handler also details her experience with her intellectually simpatico psychiatrist. Life Will Be The Death of Me, the stand-up tour teases a few topics that include bits about a shaman, weed edibles, and “an overweight, emotionally withholding Chow Chow.” according to the Rolling Stone. Life will Be the Death of Me is available to order on Amazon and Amazon Kindle, and also has an audiobook version on Amazon Audible.

In conclusion, Chelsea Handler has always been a pioneering face for female comics who wish to deviate from the usual humor audiences are used to, with her latest memoir and upcoming tour, comedy fans are in for a more in-depth take on personal pain and pleasure with a few nabs on self-deprecation and classic Handler roasting.