"She's a drunk slut, got it": Amy Schumer breaks down the vicious ways women are policed by society

With the release of "Trainwreck" later this month, she's preparing to be examined under an even bigger microscope

Published July 10, 2015 5:56PM (EDT)

  (Comedy Central)
(Comedy Central)

If the rave reviews from South by Southwest are any metric, at the time of "Trainwreck's" July 17 wide release, we will be seeing Schumer catapulted to an even higher tier of superstardom. It's hard to fathom, really. But in an interview with Vulture today, it becomes clear that Schumer is a comedy machine that may never give out. And if there's ever been clearer proof of that, it's now, as she gracefully recovers from Internet fallout over some of her more questionable comedy material on race.

Talking to Vuture's Kyle Buchanan, we learn that Schumer is just as surprised by her recent viral success as the next person -- particularly, as that relates to stand-alone sketches from "Inside Amy Schumer." "I could not sense that surge while we were working on it,” she says. “It felt like we were doing the same thing we'd been doing for three years.”

The interview, as Buchanan goes on to explain in setting up the scene, is conducted the day that SCOTUS has ruled in favor of same-sex marriage legalization. He finds the comedian at her most emotionally raw state (bear hugs and tears abound). It also provides some eery foreshadowing. The interview is conducted just days before Schumer is embroiled in an "anti-Latino" controversy and learns a tough lesson about celebrity visibility.

Below, we've provided a few of the highlights from the interview, which you should, also, read in full here.

On her role in "Trainwreck":

“We're so quick to label somebody: 'She's a drunk slut, got it.' But I want to look at the nature and nurture that got her there.”

On gay marriage legalization:

"I think comedy's been a real friend to it in a, 'Okay, so let me get this straight,' breaking-it-down kind of way.”

On the scrutiny that's come with increased fame:

“Every time I do a show now, it's like that episode of Black Mirror where everyone's filming on their phones. It's such a gotcha society,” she said with a wince, “and every little thing being read into, it's not something that I'm used to.”

On self-censorship in comedy:

“I'd like to say a couple dumb things that I know are horrible just for a live show, and now I know I can't. I feel a little bit safe, though, because at my core, if you could look in my mind, it's all good stuff. I'm not racist, and I'm not a cunt, so there won't be a night where I just lose it and 'say what I really feel.' Like, I'm already doing that.”


By Colin Gorenstein

Colin Gorenstein is Salon's assistant editor of internet and viral content. Follow @colingorenstein or email cgorenstein@salon.com.

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