The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee by Sarah Silverman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"[...] I'll take advantage of this mass media format to address a small matter that needs clarification: Those who know of me know that I like doody jokes, but that is very different than loving doody. I make rape jokes, but I certainly do not approve of rape. "

The Bedwetter (2010) is certainly not a read for everybody. Many readers may be grossed out and turned off by Sarah Silverman's memoir and not necessarily because they are prudes. Not everybody has to like reading about doody or "other things that have the potential to be gross" (the author's phrasing). I just hope that people who don't like to read texts that have strong potential to be offensive will not try to prevent other people from reading such texts. Enough preaching.

The subtitle of the memoir is "Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee." Please note the acronym built of the first letters of the last four words in the subtitle. Yes, it indeed is one of the recurring motifs in the story. The main title refers to the condition that the author is afflicted with, and frequently refers to in the text.

Sarah Silverman freely admits that she chose "to build a career on shock and profanity." I think she is overly self-deprecating. I watched several of her stand-up performances on YouTube and in all of them it was clear that she was making points about important issues like human relationships, religion, or freedom of speech. Her performances indeed use profanity and certainly the way she is talking about issues is deeply provocative, yet were she to use "nice" language and polite stage behavior, she would not reach the majority of listeners. The issues would sound too boring.

Naturally, one of the most important issues for Ms. Silverman is the impact that the ubiquitous "political correctness" atmosphere has on comedy. The censorship leads to self-censorship, which George Orwell predicted over 70 years ago. If anything, the stifling effect, the suppression of unpopular ideas, is more overwhelming now, 10 years after the memoir was written, and much, much stronger than in 2001, when Ms. Silverman appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and generated immense amount of controversy by lampooning racial stereotypes, which was received as promoting these stereotypes.

The chapters that focus on the TV show The Sarah Silverman Program are not my favorite parts of the memoir. Indeed, they are very, very funny ("promise of a penis" made me laugh out hysterically), but they would not become less hilarious if there were fewer references to bowel movements. Still, according to the author, the crew on this show is a bunch of "sick, depraved fucks," so maybe there is no other way.

Some literary gimmicks are iffy: like the Foreword and Midword written by the author herself, as well as the Afterword written ostensibly by God, but I have my doubts about the authorship.

I like the author's mantra 'Make It a Treat.' A great recommendation for people who "want it all and want it now." The reader will also find very moving passages about the author's grandmother dying. I absolutely love the pearl of wisdom

"Most events in life are about context."

Oh yes! In fact, everything everywhere is about context. And to relate it to the epidemics of political correctness: it is not true that one should not use certain words or speak about certain things! Instead, one should not use certain words in certain contexts or speak about some things in some contexts. I am clearly getting senile with all this preaching!

I recommend the book without hesitation but probably not for everyone.

Three-and-a-quarter stars.


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