Why was Whoopi Goldberg telling such intimate details about going through menopause? What could possibly be gained by revealing such personal facts, like how drastic the changes that were taking place with her body? And why describe, in great detail, how certain feminine hygiene projects are torturously applied, beyond the fact that how she told of those facts was quite amusing?
The reasons wouldn’t be revealed until the end of a little more than an hour of intelligent, brutally honest comedy Tuesday night at the Skyline Stage on Navy Pier. It was delivered in a personal, personable style that made Goldberg seem like she was talking directly to you.
Goldberg–who said bodily functions that weren’t functioning properly kept her an half-hour late from taking the stage–covered a wide range of topics. In many cases, they were as profane as bathroom humor, literally, and as general as religion, war, taxes, a sexy ex-president and a boring current one.
Goldberg was puzzled by media jabs at Hillary Rodham Clinton, wondering why, “if you were a political wife you shouldn’t want to aspire to anything, except maybe a cakewalk.”
She was tickled by men and women fighting aging with implants of all sorts, saying one couldn’t invite them to a barbecue because the heat from the flame would melt things away.
Goldberg, who has been working for more than 20 years, and who is too good to take 10 years between this current tour and her last, told these and other stories in a most natural, unassuming manner.
Peering over her glasses, tossing in an occasional “honey,” seeming to look at every person within eyesight–Goldberg made her stagework seem more like a conversation over dinner than a stand-up performance.
It especially wasn’t easy given distractions that included crowd noise at Navy Pier, roaring helicopters and boats, a poor sound system and even Goldberg’s own ringing cell phone.
The audience took it and more in stride, because they were listening to a girlfriend, not a comic, It’s a rare gift that few possess.
Why was Whoopi Goldberg so revealing? By showing so much of herself, and talking about certain issues overall, she hoped it sparked like conversation between others. She wanted people to open the lines of communication and talk straightforwardly about the chaos happening within our lives and on this planet.
The message came plainly and gently, but came so heartfelt that you never doubted the sincerity.
“If you and I don’t connect,” Goldberg said, “we are alone.”
