Not pictured: Blonde hair.
The moment Cameron Esposito took to the stage in Montreal her fans immediately knew that something was different.
Still present was her trademark look of stylish coif and motorcycle jacket, but that coif? It’s blonde now.
As Esposito puts it, this is her “divorce hair.”
As Esposito works through the new hour of material that she is calling Separately , she talks us through the struggles of being on the forefront of something “new” for the LGBTQ community: divorce. The United States only made the right to marriage universal across all 50 States in 2015 (although it had been legal in some States since as early as 2004). Therefore, with only 4 to 15 years of legally binding unions in the bank, Esposito is definitely a pioneer in the world of ending a same-sex marriage.
All that to say, there is very little in culture to prepare her for the realities of the last year.
There are no pop songs to play on repeat.
No movies that will safely comfort her.
Instead, Esposito has been left to figure things out on her own, with varying degree of success.
From making questionable food choices, to binging hundreds of hours of sappy network dramas. From having to travel alone, to trying to figure out what her hobbies might be. Separately seems most interested in finding out just who Cameron Esposito is in 2019.
As much as she might joke about not being relatable (and honestly, who can relate to someone who pronounces “gif” that way?), Esposito’s experiences are extremely accessible. You don’t need to be queer, married, female or even a talented stand up comedian to find something in Separately that might strike a chord. Esposito’s latest hour is an honest look at what happens to a person’s life when they suddenly find themselves alone when they didn’t expect to be. And if you’ve ever experienced that, you’ll find yourself sympathetic to Esposito’s new material.
In fact, there was a woman behind me who was audibly agreeing and going “mmm hmm” throughout the set that perhaps had a parallel life to Cameron Esposito. Who knew there where so many people who had to endure the social awkwardness of mingling with older women in a country club following their lesbian divorces?
Someone should create a Facebook Group for that.
If reading this has given you the impression that Separately is a downer well, I wish I could say it wasn’t, but it kind of is.
But that’s not to say it’s not funny.
Hearing Esposito navigate through all these different situations is almost continuously hilarious (although there are a handful of genuine emotional gut shots in the set). The reason you might feel a little down is wholly attributable to Esposito’s sincerity. She is so genuinely earnest and open on stage that as an audience member, you just want the best for her.
You don’t want Cameron Esposito to be alone witnessing bizarre hotel celebrity signings, you want her to be able to share that experience with someone else who makes her happy.
If you’re ready to laugh along with the trials and tribulations of being on your own when you didn’t expect to be, check out Separately July 22 to 24 at Katacombes. Tickets and info here.
Keith does all sorts of things here on 9to5.cc, he works with the other founders on 9to5 (illustrated), co-hosts our two podcasts: The 9to5 Entertainment System and Go Plug Yourself and blogs here as The Perspicacious Geek.
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