Summary

In "The Bedwetter," Sarah Silverman recounts her life with unflinching honesty and irreverent humor, starting with her childhood in New Hampshire. She details her struggles with bedwetting, a condition that plagued her until her late teens, and the various methods her family employed to address it, from hypnotism to electric pads. She also delves into her early comedic influences, her eccentric family, and her complex relationship with her parents.

Silverman's comedic journey is a central theme, starting with her first open mic experiences and culminating in her time on Saturday Night Live. She shares anecdotes about her interactions with other comedians, her struggles with depression, and her unique approach to dealing with hecklers and setbacks. Her experiences in New York City, working on the corner handing out flyers for a comedy club, form a vibrant backdrop to her developing comedic voice.

Throughout the book, Silverman explores various themes with her trademark dark humor, including her experiences with sex, drugs, and relationships. She reflects on her first love, her time in college, and her various encounters with men, each described with explicit detail and brutal honesty. She discusses her evolving comedic style, from early jokes about her physical attributes to more controversial material about race, religion, and other sensitive topics.

Silverman delves into the creation and production of The Sarah Silverman Program, sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the writers' room, her struggles with network censors, and her commitment to creative freedom. She also discusses her experience hosting the MTV Movie Awards and the ensuing controversies surrounding her jokes about Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. She shares her insights on the challenges and rewards of being a female comedian in a male-dominated industry.

Silverman's Jewish identity is also explored, albeit with her typical irreverence. She discusses her childhood in a predominantly Christian town, her sister's conversion to Orthodox Judaism, and her own complicated relationship with faith. She reflects on the controversy surrounding her use of racial slurs in her comedy, and the challenges of navigating sensitive topics with humor. She concludes with a look at her role in "The Great Schlep," a campaign aimed at getting elderly Jewish voters in Florida to vote for Barack Obama, and the unexpected accolades she received from the Jewish community.