Maria Bamford's One-Hour Homemade Christmas Special!

December 16, 2009 10:59 PM

Maria Bamford's One-Hour Homemade Christmas Special! by Maria Bamford, stand-up comic and pretty much a native speaker in Pretend Tiger. FYI, if you've heard some of those jokes before... it's a gift! She made it for us, for Christmas, to celebrate her success at selling out this year.
posted by Kattullus (48 comments total)

Maria Bamford previously on MetaFilter.
posted by Kattullus at 11:00 PM on December 16, 2009 [3 favorites]

About four minutes into it now. Does she do that voice thing the whole show? Because she's imitating her mother now and I found what I assume to be her normal pitch a lot more pleasant to listen to.

Sorry, sorry, looking a gift horse in the mouth. Thank you, Maria, it's lovely.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 11:14 PM on December 16, 2009

She also did this series of shows. I got up to episode 11 or so then burned out.
posted by tad at 11:45 PM on December 16, 2009

Thanks for this. I think she's one of the best comics working today.
posted by bardic at 11:50 PM on December 16, 2009 [1 favorite]

She's very funny but that voice, oh my gosh.. why?
posted by june made him a gemini at 12:30 AM on December 17, 2009

She's very funny but that voice, oh my gosh.. why?

Which one?
posted by inconsequentialist at 12:35 AM on December 17, 2009

The one she uses for everything besides her characters. I stuck around for ten minutes because I really enjoy her humor but it was getting far too irritating. Then I went to her site and watched a Comedy Central skit and it was the same thing :/

It's probably been discussed before, but I just don't get it.
posted by june made him a gemini at 12:37 AM on December 17, 2009

These Target ads are ace, though.
posted by june made him a gemini at 12:40 AM on December 17, 2009 [1 favorite]

Maria Bamford is awesome, so thanks for posting this, because I probably would have completely missed it otherwise.
posted by threetoed at 1:12 AM on December 17, 2009

Never seen her before tonight except for the Target ads, which I think are great. She's wonderful, I feel like I've found a new treasure. The mini-shows that tad linked to are hilariously twisted, a little more even paced than the Christmas show.
posted by tula at 1:14 AM on December 17, 2009

I really liked the show she had on the (deceased) Super Deluxe. Nice to know she's still at it!
posted by JHarris at 1:17 AM on December 17, 2009

The one she uses for everything besides her characters. I stuck around for ten minutes because I really enjoy her humor but it was getting far too irritating. Then I went to her site and watched a Comedy Central skit and it was the same thing :/

Yeah, that's actually her real voice, so... Yeah, she tends to use it a lot.

Thanks for this, Katullus. I love Maria Bamford a lot but probably wouldn't have seen it otherwise, so I'm appreciative.

Also those Target ads have been driving me nuts because I totally knew I recognized that lady but COULD NOT place her. She looks/sounds completely different from what I'm used to in her stand-up.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 1:21 AM on December 17, 2009

I've actually seen the video of the guinea pig running up stairs that she mentions near the end. I have two of my own and it's nice to know that Maria Bamford is also a fan.
posted by inconsequentialist at 1:35 AM on December 17, 2009

I saw her live in late August or early September this year, opening for Judah Friedlander. I feel like the billing should have been the other way around. Also, my ribcage hurt after that night.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 1:57 AM on December 17, 2009

ah, so Dana Carvey has a new character.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 2:01 AM on December 17, 2009

I love the Bammer, she fucking kills, thanks for this.
posted by Divine_Wino at 3:09 AM on December 17, 2009

Both of the dogs to her right are obviously bored by all this.
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:13 AM on December 17, 2009

My favorite line so far:

I'm a sea cow. I know the motor boats are going to hit me, but this is where I fucking swim!
posted by diogenes at 4:24 AM on December 17, 2009

The Bammer is so awesome. The characters...the voice...the face.

And I'm not sure I'd call the Target ads selling out. She's not hawking the product exactly. It's more like someone said "Christmas!" at Improv, pointed a camera at her for 6 minutes and then broke it into 30 second segments with Target logo bumpers. (Did that sound too rationalized?)
posted by DU at 4:28 AM on December 17, 2009

Awesome. I've missed the Maria Bamford Show, so this really was a welcome Christmas present.
posted by arcticwoman at 5:54 AM on December 17, 2009

Target ads always veered close to very conscious self-parody. I know members of DEVO were involved in the first ad campaign blitz (the obsessive logo-fetishism and super happy Happy HAPPY faces) where occupies this weird line between parody. (best I can explain it is like "You want happy smiling people and the logo really big? FINE! you'll get it!") so these ads really fit thier history. They're short, punchy, very amusing, varied enough to survive repetition and wow is Maria Bramford selling that character - TO Die For By Martha Steward On The Real Housewives Of Fargo. Love it.

"Days! Literally days! *squirt*


Tee hee hee

Also, SHORT. One joke, bam! Production wise this must've *made* money. One house set, one actress, point them at some props and yell go! Edit it down to a bunch of 30 second spots. that's damn clever production skills right there.
posted by The Whelk at 5:56 AM on December 17, 2009

The Bammer is great.

That is all.
posted by inturnaround at 6:06 AM on December 17, 2009

oh wait just saw the one with the exterior. Dang. Teach me to be trigger-happy typist
posted by The Whelk at 6:07 AM on December 17, 2009

Sounds to me like her mom and dad read Metafilter.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 6:25 AM on December 17, 2009

God I love Maria, she's so sweet and so, so brilliant. Her last album - like Patton Oswalt's last one - made my heart hurt for her because of the struggles she's had.
posted by Auden at 6:36 AM on December 17, 2009

The first episode of the Maria Bamford Show has her knocking on Target (or maybe the weird Target culture), which is odd to see paired with her Target ads.

Ep 2: Maria Gets A Job, Ep 3: Kicked Out, Ep 4: Search for Meaning, Ep 5: Ready for Love, Ep 6: Mother's Day, Ep 7: Show time, Ep 8: Crevasse, Ep 9: Bread, Ep 10: Dark, Ep 11: Will, Ep 12: Faith, Ep 13: Oh-CD, Ep 14: Death and Happiness, Ep 15: Boredom, Ep 16: Acting Out, Ep 17: Horror, Ep 18: Moving, Ep 19: Replacement, Ep 20: Exit.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:36 AM on December 17, 2009 [8 favorites]

Her last album, Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome, was brilliant and aptly named.
posted by HumanComplex at 7:49 AM on December 17, 2009

About seven minutes in and this hand-gesture modeling of the nations of the world is the funniest freaking thing I've seen in weeks. Love this girl. I think it was a great decision to NOT have her making eye contact with the camera, it very subtly reproduces the effect of watching live stand-up and simultaneously enhances the la-la-land nature of her persona. Also, jokes.
posted by unregistered_animagus at 8:28 AM on December 17, 2009

I love her. She is one of my favorite comedians ever, whiny/squeaky voice and all (which I choose to interpret as an homage to Gracie Allen).
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:40 AM on December 17, 2009

I met Maria Bamford at MaxFunCon this year. She's fucking awesome. This is great, too.
posted by ColdChef at 9:01 AM on December 17, 2009

Baby carrots remind her of the genitalia of the crucified Christ.

Seriously. That's fucking great.
posted by ColdChef at 9:03 AM on December 17, 2009

I can appreciate Target choosing to openly mock their customers in their ads. It almost makes me want to shop there. Maybe this is some carefully-researched reverse psychology.

I'll never quite forget the image of Maria Bamford having an emotional breakdown and trashing her bedroom in one of those Wholphin DVDs. She's absolutely compelling to watch at all times, and is not afraid to go to some extremely dark/creepy places with her humor.
posted by naju at 9:30 AM on December 17, 2009

I really want that Bajoran holocaust/East Texas story to be true.
posted by DU at 9:35 AM on December 17, 2009

45 minutes in, she goes into her Star Trek routine. You have to watch at least that.
posted by ColdChef at 9:36 AM on December 17, 2009

I love her so much.
posted by keli at 9:41 AM on December 17, 2009

I think her voice is sexy, and sexy + funny + awesome characters = COMEDY CRUSH WIN.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 10:09 AM on December 17, 2009

I saw one of those Target ads peripherally and thought the actress was the woman who plays Alan's receptionist on Two and a Half Men. I was impressed by her range. Now that I know who it really was and realize the character is well within what I've come to know of Bamford's repertoire, I'm disappointed. Christmas is ruined.
posted by joaquim at 10:17 AM on December 17, 2009

I mean, I remember the first time I saw Maria Bamford doing stand-up, so obviously there was a time when I hadn't heard of her, but I prefer not to dwell on those dark, desolate years.

Those Target ads remind me of Zach Galifianakis, Tim and Eric doing ads for Absolut vodka. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
posted by Errant at 10:58 AM on December 17, 2009

DU: And I'm not sure I'd call the Target ads selling out.

Well, I figured that was what she was referring to when she talked about selling out in the video. And I wanted to link to them because they're suspiciously awesome.
posted by Kattullus at 12:30 PM on December 17, 2009

I saw her live a couple of months ago and she killed. The other guys on the bill were fine, and I laughed at some of their jokes, but she must have hilarious coming out of her skin or something.
Sometimes I think The Bammer is the only standup comedian - the rest are mere pretenders.
posted by smartyboots at 12:36 PM on December 17, 2009

The Bammer on her sister's YouTube home decor (or something) show.
posted by DU at 7:32 PM on December 17, 2009 [1 favorite]

Saw her in Vancouver a few years ago, at the closing show of the comedy fest. Brian Posehn and David Cross were there, too, but The Bammer was the brightest spot.

And I so crush on her, yeah.
posted by ten pounds of inedita at 4:44 AM on December 18, 2009

She was on my show The Sound of Young America a year or two ago. Sometimes I think she's the funniest comic in America. Also she's one of the nicest ladies around. And yes, that's her real voice - she used to do a bit about it.
posted by YoungAmerican at 8:15 AM on December 18, 2009

The first episode of the Maria Bamford Show has her knocking on Target...

Here's a YT playlist for all 20 episodes (the same ones filthy light thief linked).
posted by mrgrimm at 10:29 AM on December 18, 2009

The Bammer is awesome. I saw her live two years ago as a birthday treat. Best birthday present ever. I'm really glad she got these ads for Target, though. While her talent deserves much greater success, these ads mean she's getting more exposure and that's great.

I also think that her bit ragging on Target may very well likely have helped her land the gig as opposed to otherwise.
posted by ooga_booga at 12:53 PM on December 19, 2009

The Bammer on her sister's YouTube home decor (or something) show.

Ok, I sort of take back what I said about her voice. The pitch seems completely normal now that I've seen her talking outside of her act. It mostly the dead-pan, stoic, monotone intonation that rubbed me the wrong way, but that'd bug me no matter the person's pitch.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 6:40 PM on December 19, 2009

I be darned, she is a native speaker of pretend tiger. Thanks for this.
posted by chairface at 12:34 PM on December 20, 2009

Finally had the time to watch this.  Freaking awesome!  I love comedians who make you question their grip on reality, and my concern kept mounting throughout this special. In a good way.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 11:43 AM on January 1, 2010