Maria deftly lampoons both the well-adjusted and completely nuts, displaying a keen understanding of both those who have their lives figured out and those who are still fumbling along in the dark. When seeking advice about dating from a friend in a long-term relationship, the friend tells her, “If I were you I would look for red flags.” Maria counters, “But what if I’m a flag factory that only makes giant red flags.” In case you needed a visual aid, she also waves her arms around the microphone as she makes swooshing noises for added emphasis.
Great comics hit close to home without making the audience uncomfortable, and Maria frequently found that perfect balance. Whichever side of the conversation you were on, you could relate. Her take on cooking, and the ease of doing so, was also equally ridiculing of chefs and the culinary 
challenged as her bits on couples and singles.
“You know what’s easier than cooking? Not cooking.” She said when given the choice between chopping vegetables or squirting liquid cheese onto her finger. Even those who compulsively prepare every meal with organic ingredients from Whole Paycheck could see the odd wisdom in her simple logic.
Clearly a pro, she rewarded her patient viewers and picked up the pace for the last lap, ending as strongly as she began by recounting her family’s favorite game: ‘joy-whack-a-mole.’ If you ever so much as snubbed a gold-starred homework assignment in your sibling’s face, you were busting up laughing.
Whether a sisterly reminder that you’re dating tastes are questionable, or your mother telling you not-so-subtly that it’s downright selfish to want a kid that looks like you, Maria showed how sometimes the people who love us most are the ones who have the easiest time tearing us down.
Lucky for comedy fans, her mother didn’t follow her own advice, choosing to bring into the world the fresh and witty Maria Bamford.
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