Sarah Silverman's Brief But Spectacular take on saying goodbye

GEOFF BENNETT: Sarah Silverman 
is known as one of the sharpest,  

most fearless voices in comedy, pushing 
the art form in many new directions.

In her new Netflix special 
out now called "PostMortem,"  

she talks about losing her father and 
stepmother just days apart. Tonight,  

she shares her Brief But Spectacular take 
on the synergy between humor and grief.

SARAH SILVERMAN, Comedian: My dad 
was the funniest in the family,  

Donald "Schleppy" Silverman. 
Everybody called him Schleppy.  

and he owned a discount ladies clothing 
store called Crazy Sophie's Factory Outlet.

Well, my dad did his own radio ads, and they 
were terrible. At the end, he'd say. So if  

you care enough to buy the very best, but 
you're too cheap, come to Crazy Sophie's.

Going to hold for this plane. I'm  

in show business. I know that 
works. Holding for the plane.

He made me the funniest, because 
he taught me a bunch of swear words  

and stuff. He was that dad. My mother, 
she was Diane Chambers from "Cheers."  

She said when and where and was very 
passionate about diction and grammar.

My stepmom, Janice, she calls 
herself a wicked stepmother.  

Janice was nails and makeup and 
hair and outfits. So she'd be like,  

did you talk to that boy Jeff from three 
weeks ago you told me in your history class?

And they were both wonderful. They actually 
loved each other very much. When my mother  

died about nine years ago, she was holding 
Janice's hand. Life is long if you let it.

My special is called "PostMortem," the 
most surface meaning just literally after  

the death of my parents. My dad and 
my stepmom died nine days apart last  

may. So the stand-up I did was about them 
dying. I was lucky. I actually adored my  

parents. They came over every Sunday. 
It was my favorite day of the week.

My stepmom, Janice, had passed away and my 
dad was going and we were taking care of him  

at home. He was not afraid of death at all. I 
asked him if he was scared to die. And he said:  

"Not at all. I don't remember before I was born. 
I'm not going to remember after." But he said:  

"I am scared, though. I'm scared it will hurt."

He was terrified of pain. The doctor called 
and he said, this is it. He's dying. But he  

did say it's going to be -- the way 
he's going to die is kidney failure,  

which just happens to be a painless death. 
And I was so happy for him because I knew  

his one fear was that it would hurt. And I 
ran in, I was like, great news, you know?

You really got to take a beat sometimes. There 
really is no age where you are ready to be  

without your parents. I need them all the time. 
I still will e-mail them sometimes. And I know  

they're not online. Or are they? But it just feels 
nice to send them an e-mail sometimes or a text.

QUESTION: I have heard people say that the last 
thing your parents teach you is how to die.

SARAH SILVERMAN: Yes.

QUESTION: What do you feel 
like your dad taught you?

SARAH SILVERMAN: Well, being a comedian, 
I have learned how to die several times.  

Now that I have been through this side 
of it, I feel like people are like, oh,  

I could never, like, change my parents' 
diaper or care for them in that way.

Yes, you can. You're going to find that you 
can and that you're so grateful to do it.

My name is Sarah Silverman, and this is my 
Brief But Spectacular take on saying goodbye.

GEOFF BENNETT: Wow.

You can watch more Brief But Spectacular 
videos on our Web site, PBS.org/NewsHour/Brief.