Iliza Shlesinger will take her humor to U.S. military bases in Japan next week. (United Talent)
Comedian Iliza Shlesinger is bringing her “Hard Feelings” to Tokyo and three U.S. military bases in Japan through the USO.
The self-described “elder millennial” riffs on familiar topics from a fresh perspective, and her shows are for mature (18 and older) audiences, who should expect ribald, observational comedy on dating, gender differences, bra engineering and “the reason women talk a lot.”
A comment on Shlesinger’s most recent YouTube segment summed her up: “Never heard of her. Now I have. I'm a fan now.”
The comedian, actress, TV host, executive producer and screenwriter has made more than five Netflix stand-up specials. Her “Hard Feelings” tour, with dates in the United States, Europe and Japan, is making up for the “Back in Action” tour that was canceled in 2022 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She’s scheduled to perform July 20 at Yokota Air Base’s Enlisted Club, July 21 at Yokosuka Naval Base’s Fleet Theater and July 22 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni’s Club Iwakuni. Then it’s July 24 at Yamano Hall in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward.
Shlesinger spoke to Stars and Stripes through Zoom on July 6 about her upcoming Japan tour.
Stripes: First off, how are you doing today?
Shlesinger: My day is going great; just celebrated the Fourth of July and I just went and tried to get my nails done for the tour. I was gonna do like pastel camouflage, but there was a miscommunication between me and the technician, so it just looks like mummy wrapping. That wasn't the vibe I was going for, but these are the nails, so get into it, Japan.
What got you into USO shows?
I was asked several years ago to do a USO tour for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who at the time was Gen. Martin Dempsey, and I thought that that was an incredible opportunity. I kind of got the bug after that and I fell in love with the USO. So, I will support the USO until my jokes are so outdated that they asked me not to come back because it's a matter of national security.
What challenges are there performing for a military audience?
These are not people who are just out on a Saturday night; there's a little bit more pressure because in many cases they have this one night off. So, it's about getting in there, finding what makes that audience tick and really drilling into that. And in some cases, grabbing onto that one guy with a bad mustache and not relenting making fun of him the entire time. Don’t think just because you're the military I won't come for you.
Can you recall a particular moment from a USO tour?
The first show I did with Dempsey, and I didn't know anyone, and they didn't really know me, but, and I remember having such a great set. I came off stage and Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia was on the tour with us, and I came off stage and he was just standing there with his arms wide open to give me a hug. And I felt so accepted, from then on the rest of the tour was just like a big family. So that was very gratifying, that's like the hug from the military dad you never knew you needed.
What is it about other comedians and comedy that you enjoy?
I love the human condition. I love weird moments. I love characters. I love voices. I like having an act that's incredibly honest, that men and women can relate to, but that's like a little bit weird and a little bit whimsical. I am that voice in your head that you didn't know you were allowed to verbalize.
Have you had to change or avoid any material to avoid sensitive talk about the military?
For the military, before you do a USO tour they have, like, certain things they'd like you to stay away from. You know, they're like, maybe don't talk about how great drugs are, maybe don't [expletive] on the president or their government. But I've never felt censored. Of course, because they say don’t talk about drugs the whole time, you're like, ‘Oh my god, don't mention cocaine.’
What brings you back to Japan?
The USO offered me this mini tour of bases in Japan, and then I was like we had an Asia tour booked and it got canceled. And I was like, we're there, let's put up a non-military show. So, I can finally make all my cocaine jokes.
What do you plan on doing in Japan when you’re not performing?
I am gonna get my nails redone, like a cool Japanese blade. I've been to Tokyo a bunch of times. I don't want to be a tourist, so I'll probably have to ask my super cool friends what to do.
