Review: 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' is raunchy, female fun

Posted Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 9:40 PM Central

by Tim Briscoe

You've probably never heard of Alex Borstein. That is unless you are a diehard Mad TV viewer or play very close attention to the credits of Family Guy.

She's (yes, Alex is very much a woman) was a performer on Fox's Mad TV for 100 episodes. Perhaps her most memorable character was Ms. Swan, the soft-spoken, annoying foreign lady with the bad Pageboy haircut.

Alex is now a writer and producer on the animated series Family Guy. She even provides the voice for Peter Griffin's wife Lois and several other characters on the show.

In addition to this impressive résumé, turns out Alex is also something of a stand-up comedian. One of her performances was captured for the new DVD Drop Dead Gorgeous.

You might expect something a little sultry from the title and Alex's spread eagle pose on the cover. If you did, you'd be wrong.

Her stand-up style is a in-your-face but not as much as fellow comedienne Sarah Silverman. Alex is a big fan of the "c" word. You know, the one word that makes nine out of 10 women cringe. Well, Alex is the tenth in the bunch who isn't afraid to throw it around.

That abrasiveness is part of her appeal. Looking at her, as cute and diminutive as she is, you'd never imagine her as a c-word-spewing comedian.

Alex dishes about Hollywood, sharing some funny stories and getting into hilarious voices and impressions. She takes a few punches at Renee Zellweger and Charlize Theron and never looks back. Her Rosie O'Donnell is great.

It's crude but completely within what Family Guy fans are used to. But beware: as much as Family Guy skews to the male demographic, Alex's act is very female.

This DVD is perfect for a girls' night in. (Perhaps a double feature with Silverman's Jesus Is Magic.) Alex talks to the ladies in the down-and-dirty way guys often talk to each other. Mixed company may not work with this one.