Sometimes it seems like every late night show is the same these days: a bland white guy tells jokes, celebrities Zoom in from their magnificent houses but only show a boring white wall, and then it’s all over. Sure, occasionally a show will feature a not-white, not-man, but that still seems to be the exception more than the rule. If you love comedy and are looking for a show to break you out of your funk, then look no further than The Amber Ruffin Show (streaming weekly on Peacock!).
The Amber Ruffin Show is the creation of writer/comedian Amber Ruffin, who can also be seen hilariously stealing the show on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Monday through Thursday. But on Friday nights, the show is all hers!
To help explain why you should watch The Amber Ruffin Show, I have compiled this handy list! Read on to be enlightened (and to laugh!).
IT HAS A SPECIFIC POINT OF VIEW
Unlike some late night shows where it seems like the host could be switched out for any other person named James, The Amber Ruffin Show has a very specific point of view that comes straight from Amber Ruffin. The show is unapologetically Black and concerned with the issues that Black people—especially Black women—have to deal with on a daily basis.
While many shows would perhaps be dragged down by the depressing state of the world regarding its treatment of women of color, Amber Ruffin never lets it get her down for too long. Her ethos is to be as silly as possible, even in the face of enormous tragedy. While the show has segments like “How Did We Get Here?” that focus less on comedy and more on informing the audience on the way that the roots of racism still have effects today, a lot of what the show does is focused more on finding absurd humor in the news of the day, no matter how depressing it might be.
One other thing that sets The Amber Ruffin Show apart from other late night shows is that there are no guests, which gives the show more time to focus on goofs and bits. There are recurring segments—like Amber appearing as your fun auntie—but just as many one-off ideas that are absolutely wild, like imagining what life would have been like without Donald Trump (and quickly realizing it would actually be way, way better).
The show excels in these moments where Amber just lets loose on an absolutely wild comedic idea. You can usually count on the sketches not going where you expect them to, and of course, several songs per episode. Which leads to my next point…
THEY’RE GOOD SONGS, BRENT
If you are familiar with Amber’s work from Late Night with Seth Meyers or even her work on the late, lamented Detroiters, then you know she has a knack for writing a hilarious song, whether it be a parody or an original idea. Luckily for all of us, Amber has brought that same energy to The Amber Ruffin Show, no doubt with help from her team of excellent writers, including head writer Jenny Hagel and writers Shantira Jackson, Demi Adejuyigbe, and Dewayne Perkins.
I could spend this entire section just listing different songs throughout the run of The Amber Ruffin Show that have delighted me, but I will try to hold to just a few. First: this great number about how rich Amber is compared to our heavily indebted (now-former) president. I have had this song pop into my head at random intervals basically ever since I heard it, and it will enrich your life as well.
But Amber does songs of all kinds, like this 90s R&B slow jam about getting impeached. Or this farewell song for Trump. Or this Christmas song made just for 2020.
Music is a huge part of the tradition of late night television and variety shows, but so many late night comedians seem to put it on a back burner. The popularity of something like James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” series or even Jimmy Fallon’s “Slow Jam the News” shows that there is an appetite for musical comedy, and Amber Ruffin is carrying that torch forward each week and doing it in a way that is fresh and hilarious.
THE SIDEKICK DYNAMIC
One of the most important aspects of any late night show is the sidekick, whether the sidekick is the bandleader (like Paul Shaffer or Jon Batiste) or another comedian (like Andy Richter), and The Amber Ruffin Show has a great sidekick in Tarik Davis. As Amber says at the top of almost every episode, Tarik is her “announcer, sidekick, and real life friend.” That friendship is apparent in everything they do. Even small moments that are clearly not scripted can become memorable and hilarious because of the warmth and real chemistry that Amber and Tarik share.
Tarik provides another perspective and can do everything from play the straight man to Amber’s wild characters or provide laughs of his own, like in this sketch. Basically, he is a great foil for Amber to bounce off of, and he can hold his own in a song as well. The dynamic between Amber and Tarik speaks to their long friendship and helps make the whole show feel warm and inviting, even when dealing with the scary news of the day.
If you want to check out The Amber Ruffin Show for yourself, you can find it on the Peacock app (which is free!) every Friday night.
Okay, just going to include this one more time.
