In only a few short days, 2020 will come to an end, and 2021 will commence. That is, unless we get hit by a massive asteroid, or suffer some other extinction-level event that destroys all of humanity and the construct of time along with it. Wouldn’t that be so 2020? But I digress. Most likely, the former option will prevail. And to our great benefit, Phoebe Robinson and an assemblage of acerbic, quirky, brilliant comedians (all female) will lay to rest the horror of the past 12 months with an Amazon Prime special.
The special, entitled Yearly Departed, hits our living rooms on December 30. According to Amazon, the show is a “series of eulogies” for 2020, covering everything we’ve lost in 2020. Phoebe Robinson, the multi-hyphenate queen (author, podcaster, stand-up comedian, activist, U-2 fan, etc.), exclaims in the trailer, “We have gathered all you ladies here today because 2020 was a trifling hoe.”
Wasn’t it just, though? The special features established stars such as Sarah Silverman, Tiffany Haddish, Natasha Leggero, and Rachel Brosnahan. One guest you should be particularly excited about is Ziwe Fumudoh, who hosts her own show on Instagram Live and YouTube called Baited with Ziwe. On it she interviews other celebrities, often white people, and hilariously attempts to bait them on issues of race.
Fumudoh, who goes by the mononym Ziwe, has recently garnered some overdue praise. The New York Times named her in their Best Comedy of 2020 roundup, and The Hollywood Reporter called her one of 2020’s breakout stars. Ziwe has been hosting Baited since 2017, but began her career as an intern for Comedy Central. She has written for The Onion and Our Cartoon President, among other projects.
The broadened acknowledgement that we do not live in a post-racial world, as many (including our soon to be unemployed vice president) claim, is one good thing that came out of a year that saw more and more murders of innocent Black Americans. Shows like Ziwe’s highlight racial tensions that very much exist and need to be addressed. Showtime recently announced that Ziwe will write, produce and star in her own variety show on the network.
Also performing in Yearly Departed are Natasha Rothwell of Insecure and Netflix’s The Characters, and genius of deadpan humor Patti Harrison. It seems impossible that this special won’t be funny. But it is still 2020 so who the hell knows.
Amazon’s press release about the show reads in part: “After a year of societal upheaval, plague, murder hornets and banana bread, Yearly Departed will give 2020 the huge send-off it deserves, from some of the world’s funniest women.”
Can’t wait.
