Iliza Shlesinger is undeniably hysterical and honest in sixth Netflix comedy special, second book

The hilarious and marvellously talented comedian Iliza Shlesinger released her sixth Netflix special titled Hot Forever on Oct. 11, the same day as the release of her second book, “All Things Aside: Absolutely Correct Opinions,” and she’s not holding back on her honesty, or comedy.

“It’s my mission to make people feel heard and included, and to express the things that perhaps we're not supposed to say, that I think we're all feeling,” Shlesinger told Yahoo Canada. “I did that through talking about things that are uncomfortable.”

In Hot Forever, Shlesinger starts off on a very strong point, “the dancing on TikTok was never sexy independent of the app of TikTok.” Shlesinger takes you through exactly why that’s the case, while also sharing some dating advice and wisdom by calling out all the oddities that occur between men and women the first time they have sex.

That’s followed by the comic talking about the concept of “ugly bra,” the one with thick straps and multiple hooks, the one where function supersedes beauty.

What Shlesinger does expertly, in both her book and her most recent Netflix special, is seamlessly weave the humour and jokes with incredibly valid, and important social commentary.

For example, in Hot Forever she talks about the commodification of feminism and the use of what she calls “glitter speech,” like “sassy b-tch,” “boss bi-ch,” “yas queen,” and other things that are written on everything from clothing to reusable water bottles. Shlesinger says what the real truth is, which many don't want to admit, that society is still uncomfortable with a woman who is strong and makes money.

“As a comic I'm just like, enough is enough, let me just say the thing that we're all thinking and you can judge me for it later,” Shlesinger said. “I think women deserve to be heard and we deserve to not feel bad about very normal things, that's at the root of it.”

“Especially as someone that was always labeled weird growing up, or as a stand up comic, or just being a woman, you think you're alone, you think you're on an island and society has set it up that way."

In Hot Forever, she goes on to talk about all the vile things that are said to women online, famous or not, and an anger towards women that exists when we don’t give an adequate amount of attention to men.

“Gentlemen, if you are not having sex…and the narrative of your life is that you are not having sex because women are b-tches, women are whores, your a nice guy and you deserve better, that is nature’s way of saying you should not be having sex for you fail to adapt and evolve, and there should be no more of your kind,” Shlesinger says in the Netflix special.

At the end of Hot Forever, Shlesinger talks about how she had a miscarriage, and how it’s not something that’s often talked about publicly. Shlesinger also has a miscarriage essay in her book where she goes into more detail about the distressing experience, in an effort to normalize discussions around women's health.

“It’s a scientific fact, the more people hear things, the more they start to accept them,” she said to Yahoo Canada.

'I think I'm writing it for my younger self'

If you enjoy Iliza Shlesinger's Netflix specials her book is a must-read (really, it's a must-read for everyone, whether you've watched the specials, or not). It exemplifies how great the comic is at crafting comedy that, first and foremost, makes you laugh, but she's also able to so effectively comment on society.

What stands out instantly in the book is that Shlesinger includes asides in each essay, written in different font from the rest of the text, which feels like she's going one step further to write out the comments that most people would be whispering in your ear. That tool makes the content feel even more personal for the reader, whether you're reading about her very serious experience with a stalker, or simply a list of nostalgic things "Elder Millennials" love.

One thing is certain for anyone who reads Shlesinger’s book “All Things Aside: Absolutely Correct Opinions,” every single woman (as Margaret Cho writes in the foreward) is going to wish they had access to the comedian’s words when they were growing up.

“I'm part of a very, very, very long list of women telling it like it is but I never found those things and I was sort of alone. No one's fault, it's just maybe it is lack of access,” Shlesinger explained. “So I just do it because I think I'm writing it for my younger self, this is what I would have liked to have heard.”