Whatcha reading? Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman

I picked up The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee after seeing Sarah Silverman on the Marriage Ref. I had known of her as a comedian for a long time, but the only thing I had seen was the “I’m f*cking Matt Damon” video. I found her hilarious on that show and in the video so I decided to learn more.

The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee reads like a long stand up act. Each chapter is filled with vignettes from a particular period of her life. This makes it a little disjointed to read, but I have to admit I laughed out loud several times.

One highlight is her retelling of various arguments she’s had with folks over what she is or isn’t allowed to say. I found it fascinating to read her arguments with the sensors about what vulgarities were acceptable and which ones weren’t. One of my favorites is the email chain between her and her editor on whether the subtitle should say ‘pee’ or ‘pee-pee’. Sarah was advocating for ‘pee’:

“Pee is simple and clean and pee-pee is something you say in a baby voice which I find gross and would never say. …. I am actually going to die on this hill.” (p. 131)

Her recounting of her years on TV show is vulgar – as was the show so be prepared for lots of penises. Yes, I said penises. Just a warning. However, these chapters provide a very interesting look behind the scenes of making a comedy television show.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It made me a laugh. I learned a little about the comedy biz and walked away from the book liking Sarah Silverman a lot more.


What about you? Have you read it?