Recap Lisa Lampanelli at Riverside Theater

You’ve got to hand it to Lisa Lampanelli: She really knows how to ingratiate herself to an audience. “Clap for me because I came to your shitty fucking town,” the insult comic demanded soon after she walked on stage Friday at the Riverside Theater. This was “The Queen Of Mean” doing what she does best—making fun of strangers. But all the raunchy celebrity roast sets and Comedy Central specials she’s known for only offer a hint of the sheer depravity she offers in person.

Moments into the show Lampanelli spotted her first victim—“Chip”, a 15-year-old fan she brought on stage to answer a series of leading, racist, and homophobic questions about “dirty” people and AIDS. But Chip was only the first in a long line of anonymous guest stars pulled from the crowd and into Lampanelli act, including “Tyrone,” “Hector,” “Sebastian,” “Panic! At The Disco,” “Old Ma Kettle,” “Dikes,” and, of course, “Dirty Immigrants.”

From there Lampanelli mostly stuck with her highly successful stock of affably bigoted jokes. Material ranged from detailing the differences between “Slurpee Indians” and “Casino Indians”, gay people’s apparent preference for names with “extra lisp potential”, black men’s alleged affinity for large white women, comments about Sarah Palin’s mentally handicapped son, and simply clearing her throat “to make the [Jewish audience members] feel more welcome.”

There were slight deviations from the shtick—Lampanelli apparently has a love life and a fiancé named “Jimmy Big Balls.” But she quickly returned to her bread and butter, screaming at a group of loud audience members to shut up, adding with trademark charm, “I hope you all have a stillborn at some point in your lives.”

How is Lampanelli able to get away with this stuff? It was clear that the audience wasn’t offended by her act—in large part because they knew what they were paying before, but it’s surprisingly how likeable Lampanelli ultimately is. She’s like the loudmouth aunt who you’d like to punch in the face if she didn’t acknowledge how obnoxious she is with an occasional wink. It’s that wink that makes the stillborn-baby jokes magically hilarious.