Lifeform: A Journey Through Parenthood and Self-Discovery

Lifeform, authored and narrated by Jenny Slate, features contributions from George Saunders, Vanessa Bayer, and Will Forte. Listening to Slate’s work is akin to witnessing a decathlete breaking records on unkempt terrain; her range is astounding. In an instant, she transitions from a honeyed, wistful tone to that of a boisterous frat boy. One moment, she is reflecting on her feelings of being “a big empty bell clanging around, searching for what I was meant to be attached to.” The next, she humorously mimics a doctor offering her reassurance: “Your instinct to gather your hairs into nests is a wonderful indication that this process is going as it should!”

Known for her electrifying standup comedy and for voicing Marcel the Shell—a charming, diminutive, one-eyed seashell—Slate channels her unmistakable energy into exploring the chaotic realities of love, the experience of giving birth during a pandemic, and the adjustments that come with motherhood. All of this is articulated through her distinctive, zigzagging narrative style.

This is not the first time Slate has delved into these themes. In her recent comedy special, Seasoned Professional, she humorously described her postpartum breasts as “porny gazongas, like, double D, milky, psycho naturals.” In Lifeform, her milk-filled bosom is likened to “mutant grapes from outer space.” On the Sliding Scoville Scale of Sick Burns, this vivid imagery ranks just below a quip about wearing a “pad” that was, in reality, a diaper, cradling her own blood in a trough within her disposable underwear.

Slate’s writing is replete with highly imagistic sentences that act as weird-seeking missiles. The book opens with an epigraph from Leonora Carrington’s The Hearing Trumpet, which casts a nearly gravitational pull over Slate’s narrative. However, not every segment hits the mark or ignites with the appropriate intensity. Some excerpts from a play featuring cartoon-like characters feel too flat to be resuscitated, even with the input of additional voice actors. Furthermore, a critique of an absurdly extravagant gift basket from “a Hollywood gifting company” carries an air of unacknowledged privilege rather than a thoughtful examination of the herbal shampoo selections included. These segments come off as self-indulgent interludes rather than cohesive chapters, lacking the impactful resonance found in Slate’s more intimate anecdotes, leaving the listener feeling somewhat adrift.

More From Author

Immigration’s Role in the U.S. Presidential Election: Challenges and Perspectives

Harnessing AI for Visual Search: Google’s Circle to Search Feature

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *