Maria Bamford is the hero we all need!

 

Comedian Maria Bamford's new Netflix comedy series Lady Dynamite is blowing up for all the right reasons. If the old adage that the formula for great comedy is tragedy plus time is true, then Maria Bamford is a true maestro of this method. The semi-autobiographical series follows Bamford and a fantastic supporting cast as she tries to reclaim her career and personal life after a breakdown. Surreal, vibrant, energetic, unapologetic and most importantly hillarious: Lady Dynamite is the most innovative show in comedy right now, bringing hope back to the stagnating situational comedy.

Bamford has a strong career history with three fantastic comedy recordings which reached their zenith with 2008's Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome. The recording really showcases the true genius of her voice acting (she has an impressive CV in voice over work), impersonating and committing fully to absurdity in a way that would make the comedic vocal king Robin Williams proud. While it's scattered composition, darting from thought to thought, perspective to perspective is not only comedically effective but also an honest expression of how the syndrome feels. Bamford who has suffered from this rarer form of OCD (it doesn't present as visibly externally meaning it can be particularly difficult to handle) and Bipolar II shouldn't be condescended as brave for being honest about her experience- this is life for many people with mental illness. However, she should be highly commended for not only offering an honest portrayal, but also making it funny for the right reasons. Her hijinx and eccentricity are empowered, instead of holding mental illness up as a laughing point she shows how often the 'insane' are more able to see the insanity in the rest of the world.

Her 2012 TV comedy special, Maria Bamford: the Special Special Special!, subverted the typically self-aggrandizing format perfectly, she hosted it in her living room to an audience of her mum and dad. With Lady Dynamite Bamford continues to develop this intuitive talent with razor sharp writing and delivery; at times brutally self-deprecating, sometimes uncomfortably honest but always right on point in the best possible way. Witty, visually zingy and with some epic moments of slapstick (*cough* "you must wrestle Patton Oswalt!" *cough*) this is one of the best new comedy shows in a long time.

This article has talked a lot about mental health but in no way should Bamford be solely defined by her engagement with these issues as an artist. The show also deals with racism, sexism and capitalist amorality in intelligent and subversive ways. There are no real simple punch lines in Lady Dynamite, which is what I love about Bamford's comedy, she is all about creating an atmosphere, drawing you into her world and inviting you to take a seat and get a little less rigid. As someone who also suffers from mental illness with a long family history of it and witness to the current mental health epidemic, Maria Bamford is the hero we all need.