Sarah Sherman Talks SNL, Connor Storrie and Comedy Special "Squirm: Live + in the Flesh"
Sarah Sherman’s comedy special 'Squirm: Live + in the Flesh' isn’t just a stand-up show—it’s a maximalist, audio-driven performance art piece that blurs the line between radio, theater, and visceral shock. Drawing from her roots in Chicago’s underground noise and DIY comedy scenes, Sherman weaponizes absurdity, bodily grotesquerie, and surreal sound design to create a live experience that feels both intimate and alienating. She reveals that her entire career—from college radio stunts to SNL—has been a form of emotional alchemy: turning trauma, family dysfunction, and self-loathing into comedy. Her unapologetic embrace of the grotesque—prosthetic eyes, slime, blood, and self-deprecating violence—roots in childhood pranks from her Jewish family, who weaponized fear as a form of love. What makes her work revolutionary isn’t just the shock value, but the precision: every visual gag, sound effect, and physical distortion is meticulously crafted to serve a joke, not just a spectacle. She’s not performing for the internet; she’s performing for the audience’s nervous system. And when the show is cut for time, she doesn’t mourn the lost material—she’s already writing the next one.
Your trauma can be your comedy engine—Sherman’s childhood pranks with prosthetic eyes and slugs became the foundation of her entire act.
Maximalism is a strategy: 'Squirm' uses layered sound, visuals, and physical performance to create a full sensory experience, not just jokes.
The best comedy is collaborative—Sherman credits her success to writers like Dan Bulla and Jack Metzinger who 'get her weird' and help her refine her most outrageous ideas.
SNL isn’t a dream job—it’s a high-pressure organism where 90% of material dies, and the real skill is learning to let go of your creations.
Comedy is a form of survival: Sherman’s self-deprecating, violent humor stems from a family culture of 'tough, rude love' that taught her to laugh at fear.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Birth of Freak Radio: A Collage of Chaos
Sherman describes her underground radio show 'Freak Radio Emergency Hotline'—a surreal, hour-long audio collage of Haunted House sounds, Phyllis Diller jokes, and demonic laughter layered over SNL sketches. It was performance art disguised as radio, designed to simulate emergency calls from comedians in crisis.
From College Radio to Comedy: A Lost Art
Sherman reflects on the decline of weird, unfiltered radio culture—once filled with local callers, strange music, and real emergencies. She recalls a college radio host who became her co-host after she challenged him on-air, a moment that foreshadowed her career of turning chaos into collaboration.
The Roots of the Grotesque: Family as Comedic Training Ground
“I literally went, if I can't beat the slugs, I'm going to join the slugs.”
The Special as Theater: A One-Woman Performance Art Piece
Sherman explains how 'Squirm' isn’t stand-up—it’s a live theater piece with lighting design, custom noise pedals, and camera angles inspired by Ren & Stimpy. She worked with directors Josh Safdie and Ronnie Bronstein to make it feel timeless and immersive.
The Politics of Absurdity: Why She’s Not Afraid to Be Unpopular
Sherman discusses how her comedy evolved from personal trauma to political commentary, especially during her year volunteering on Bernie Sanders’ campaign. She found that universal healthcare was a 'common sense' issue—people agreed without debate.
“You literally go, if I can't beat the slugs, I'm going to join the slugs.”
“But that special was me. That was and if you don't like it, that's you don't like it. It's like saying they don't like you.”
“So I spend so much of the year like like, you know, whatever. How do you move on? Do you or do you not? Or is it like to like put everything into what you do have that week? It's taught me like how to let go and like stop being precious and attached.”
Host
Guest
Sarah Sherman
person
SNL
organization
Zach Sang
person
Colin Jost
person
Jack Metzinger
person
Phyllis Diller
person
Dan Bulla
person
Connor Storrie
person
Adam Sandler
person
Bernie Sanders
person
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