On Monday, Samantha Bee’s new talk show, “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” premiered on TBS. Those who know Samantha Bee likely recognize her as a former correspondent on Jon Stewart’s "The Daily Show."
She is also a successful comedian, author, and media critic. Now Bee is the host of her own late-night satirical news show, and she is ready to break up the late-night boys’ club and provide her fresh take on the news.
In her first show, Bee addressed the obvious distinguishing factor between herself and her late-night colleagues. At the start of the show she addressed the (sexist) question on some people’s minds: can a woman successfully host a late-night show? In a mock press conference, she fielded questions such as “How can I watch your show as a man?” and established her rightful place as a late-night host with her unapologetic acceptance of her role. However, there is much more to Bee than just her gender.
Standing unobstructed in front of the camera, a bold decision she made to avoid being labeled a “lady behind a desk,” Bee launched into her biting opening monologue. She covered the remaining presidential candidates, making an attempt to mock both the Democrats and Republicans.
While her jabs at the GOP were no doubt more acerbic, it is clear that Bee will not hesitate to call out BS when she sees it, something she may have learned from her ex-boss, Jon Stewart. Each joke consistently hit its mark, eliciting great laughs from the audience. While the format of the monologue was nothing revolutionary, Bee established her persona as a no-nonsense whistleblower, one who is not afraid to reveal political hypocrisy and douchebaggery.
After the first commercial, however, the show hit its stride, showing what Samantha Bee can do unlike any other host on television. The segment following the monologue took a closer look at Kansas state Senator Mitch Holmes’ attempt to institute a dress code for only women testifying before a state committee because men “already know” how to look professional. Bee was not shy to call out the sexism in the senator’s statements and his political propensity for “controlling women and celebrating the groups that exclude them.”
While still playing up the comedy in the situation, pointing out that she has no right to bar the senator from wearing his “finger-painted” tie, Bee used this segment to express her passion and fire and bring to light an example of sexism that might have been otherwise overlooked by the traditional comedy show. Bee’s feminist perspective is new and important.
Aside from Bee’s sharp comedic delivery and ability to entertain, I am most excited to see the way she uses her feminist perspective to tackle issues. In an interview, Bee discussed her plans for the show and said, “Women’s issues are extremely important to me. It’s not going to be the only thing we talk about...but it’s definitely a passion that we will end up delving into.” In fact, an upcoming episode of the show will focus on the difficulties wounded female soldiers face at Veteran Administration facilities.
These are issues that many late-night shows don’t dare to cover. In just her first episode, Bee proved that she has the scathing wit, intelligence, and passion to cover important issues, including women’s issues. Samantha Bee is already pushing boundaries, and I am excited to see how she will make her mark on the late-night scene.
