Sarah Squirm: The Wild, Grotesque Comedy That Will Make You Squirm

Sarah Squirm’s body-horror comedy brings a rude, grotesque spark to the stage and TV, blending shock and laughter with fearless charm.

If you’ve ever caught Sarah Sherman’s offbeat performances on Saturday Night Live, you know she’s no stranger to the bizarre. But nothing quite mesmerizes like her stand-up alter ego, Sarah Squirm—a wonderfully weird, grotesque, and unapologetically wild version of herself. Picture this: a Herschell Gordon Lewis meets David Cronenberg splatter-gore fest, but with a stylish shag haircut. That’s Squirm in a nutshell.

“I like thinking of Squirm as a rude, grotesque, asshole version of myself,” says Sarah Sherman. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for HBO)

The Rise of a Body-Horror Comedy Queen

For fans of the wonderfully weird, Sarah Sherman’s Saturday Night Live skits—such as singing meatballs protruding from her neck or a 1922 silent film Nosferatu bewildered by 2024’s muscular vampire—serve as a quirky appetizer. But the real feast is her Sarah Squirm stand-up, a visceral dive into body horror and absurdity that leaves you squirming with laughter and a twinge of discomfort.

Sarah’s fascination with the abject dates all the way back to her childhood. “Kids dig up worms and eat their own snot. Kids love Ren & Stimpy, Garbage Pail Kids, Slime Time Live and all that shit. I just never grew up, honestly,” she confesses. This childhood curiosity and love for the grotesque have blossomed into a uniquely raw comedic style that blends disgust, humor, and honesty.

The Art of Scripted Chaos

You might assume Squirm’s performances are wild improvisations, but Sarah reveals the clever secret: everything is meticulously scripted, down to the punctuation. “That’s my big magic trick. It’s spontaneous in structure and order, but deceitfully messy. When I’m interacting with the audience, it’s mostly prewritten bits that I perform under the guise of spontaneity. I never know what joke I’m going to say next, but whatever it is, it’s written.”

It’s this controlled chaos that makes her stand-up mesmerizing—a masterclass in making scripted comedy feel fresh and unpredictable.

Navigating Network TV Constraints on SNL

While Sarah Squirm thrives in the uncensored world of stand-up, Sherman’s SNL appearances require a leaner, meaner approach. The network’s standards and practices box her in, but she’s turned that limitation into a creative advantage.

Sarah Sherman on SNL. (Photo by Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images)

“I’ve learned a lot about comedy and writing at SNL because I’ve figured out how to be creative with limitations,” Sherman explains. “It’s made me a better joke writer: instead of a punchline being a giant, paper mâché butthole with a snake crawling out of it, I actually have to write a joke. It makes me feel like a real comedian, because I’ve learned new ways of problem-solving. I never thought I’d be able to be a normal woman with long blond hair, but it’s fun to try it in drag at work.”

The contrast between Sherman’s uncensored stand-up and her SNL presence highlights her versatility and sharp comedic mind.

Live Shows That Push Boundaries

Anyone who’s seen Sarah Squirm live knows that no two shows are alike. Yet, she has a few signature moves that have stuck with fans. Back in 2016, when she was performing in Chicago, she once blindfolded an audience member and plunged their hands into a bucket of live worms. While she no longer physically tortures her audience, she humorously describes the experience as “being trapped in Jigsaw’s torture dungeon with merciful laughter reprieves.”

This blend of shock, discomfort, and humor captures the essence of Sarah Squirm’s performances—unapologetically weird, delightfully grotesque, and always entertaining.

Where Does Sarah Sherman End and Squirm Begin?

The line between Sherman and Squirm blurs in fascinating ways. Is Squirm just an exaggerated, rude version of Sherman? “I like thinking of Squirm as a rude, grotesque, asshole version of myself,” Sarah admits. “I don’t tell a lot of personal stories about myself because Sarah Sherman isn’t that interesting. Sarah Squirm is outrageous, exaggerates the truth. Sarah Squirm talks about having ‘arms as hairy as Hagrid’s legs,’ which, at its core, speaks to my own insecurities and the horrors of having a human woman’s body. The truth of the matter is… my arms aren’t that hairy.”

This candid admission reveals that beneath the wild persona lies a relatable core of insecurity and self-deprecating humor—a hallmark of great comedy.

“I like thinking of Squirm as a rude, grotesque, asshole version of myself.”
— Sarah Sherman

Embrace the Weird and the Wonderful

Sarah Sherman’s Sarah Squirm is a testament to the power of embracing the weird, the grotesque, and the unapologetically odd. If you’ve ever felt out of place or fascinated by the bizarre, Squirm’s comedy is a wild, hilarious refuge that invites you to laugh at the uncomfortable and find joy in the absurd.

FAQ

• What kind of comedy is Sarah Squirm known for?
  Sarah Squirm specializes in body-horror comedy blended with absurdity and grotesque humor, pushing boundaries with shocking visuals and candid jokes.
• Is Sarah Squirm’s stand-up improvised?
  Although her performances feel spontaneous, they are carefully scripted down to the punctuation to create a controlled sense of chaos.
• How does Sarah Sherman handle network TV restrictions?
  On Saturday Night Live, she adapts her style to fit TV standards, which has helped her develop sharper joke-writing skills and creative problem-solving.
• Has Sarah Sherman always performed as Sarah Squirm?
  She started performing under this persona around 2016, cultivating a unique act known for its wild and shocking live performances.
• What inspired Sarah’s grotesque comedy style?
  Her childhood fascination with the abject, along with influences like Ren & Stimpy and Garbage Pail Kids, fueled her love for body-horror and absurd comedy.

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