She may not claim to have coined the phrase “you fat fuck, ” but New York stand-up/actress Susie Essman certainly popularized it. As the bat-shit-insane wife of Jeff Garlin’s character on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Essman has pulled out nearly every scathing combination of profanities in the English language in order to deride the completely whipped Garlin and his partner-in-crime, Larry David. For a show that builds its comedic foundation on unscripted arguments, Essman has proven to be a bulldog that’s escaped from its leash, willing to tear apart Garlin and David for the audience’s continued amusement. Aside from “Curb,” Essman’s been touring the stand-up circuit for a couple of decades, and while a lot of her routine is still very much insult-driven, much of the act fixates on her Jewish heritage, replete with many rousing impressions of her family that remind heavily of the old Mike Myers’ “Coffee Talk with Linda Richman” SNL skit. (Andy Seifert) May 17 at Zanies, 1548 N. Wells, (312)337-4027, at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. $30.
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