‘Lady Dynamite’: Deconstructing Comedy Intelligently

Lady Dynamite: Deconstructing Comedy Intelligently In Lady Dynamite, now streaming on Netflix, Maria Bamford has created a candy-colored fantasy version of Los Angeles show business, portraying a variation on herself as “a 45 year-old woman who’s clearly sun-damaged.” At once anxious, eager to please, and trying hard to be “less ambitious,” this on-screen Bamford makes the rounds of auditions, does commercials and voiceover work, goes on dates that prove to be more trouble than they’re worth, and interacts with a variety of guest stars ranging from Sarah Silverman to Judd Apatow. The description above barely hints at how assiduously wacky, self-referential, and complex Lady Dynamite is.