ABSTRACT
A self-proclaimed “fun feminist,” stand-up comic Judy Tenuta usually greets her audience with a growly, “Hello, pigs.” An accordion toting “petite flower” and “giver goddess,” this “Duchess of Discipline” refers to men as “stud puppets” and frequently appears on stage with flowing satin gowns and an exotic flower tucked in her long dark mane. Born on Mount Olympus to the God and Goddess of Boxer Shorts and a graduate of St. Obnoxious of Bondage, Tenuta regales her fans with parody songs and brings a unique blend of surreal lunacy to her comedy. Equal parts slapstick, burlesque, and Borsht Belt, her routines are a venue for her own brand of religion, known as “Judyism” (Tenuta 1991), and she orders her love slaves to be properly worshipful. Grounded primarily in an analysis of her careerdefining 1987 album Buy This, Pigs (recorded live at Caroline’s nightclub in New York City), this chapter will examine the distinctive ways in which Tenuta uses costume, verbal comedy, and music to construct a ludic realm of possibilities, where gender norms and sexuality are up for grabs. 1
