15 Uncomfortably Hilarious "Ziwe" Moments That Left Us In Stitches

Never not thinking about Ziwe reciting "WAP" to Gloria Steinem.

Deeply ridiculous and hilarious, Showtime’s Ziwe is probably the most *iconic* show of the moment.

Showtime / Via youtube.com

Actress, comedian, and all-around badass Ziwe Fumudoh helms it as the star, executive producer, and musical guest in each and every episode. The first season features six episodes, and they’re all officially available to stream on Showtime right now!

Ziwe first kicked things off on her Instagram, where she interviewed “iconic” guests such as Alison Roman.

Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images / Via gettyimages.com

Loyal viewers tuned into her livestreams to witness her hilariously uncomfortable questions about race and pop culture, which were often accompanied by her signature lean-in smile.

With the budget and crew of an entire show, Ziwe pulls out ALL of the stops.

@ziwef / Via instagram.com

We’ve got interviews with reality stars, activists, politicians, and more. Plus, there are now plenty of sketches to enjoy too! And Ziwe does it all in gorgeous outfits and with a delightful millennial pink set design.

Without further ado, here are all of the best moments on Ziwe — so far!

1. The American Girl Doll Imperial Wives Collection segment.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 1 

Aside from the romantic subplot between Cristin Milioti and Jane Krakowski, Ziwe also gave us a truly iconic moment with the American Girl Doll Imperial Wives Collection, which was inspired by some of the wives of history’s biggest colonizers. The commercial featured characters such as Mrs. Winslow, who came with her own smallpox-covered Bible, and the Countess, whose husband stole rubber from the Congo, so she literally has blood on her hands underneath her dainty gloves. 

2. When Ziwe went full Hollywood glam while singing "Lisa Called the Cops."

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 1

The song here is straightforward — Ziwe did a number on a woman named Lisa calling the police. But the music video showcased a ton of fun storytelling, from Ziwe's Hollywood glam outfits to her and Lisa's goofy expressions!

3. When Ziwe asked Gloria Steinem the hard-hitting questions about..."WAP."

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 1

Maybe it's not so much of a surprise, but feminist icon Gloria Steinem never heard of Cardi B's "WAP" before speaking with Ziwe. So it was only natural that Ziwe recited the ~scandalous~ lyrics to Gloria, asking her whether or not she found them inspiring. (She personally doesn't.) I'm WHEEZING.

4. When Ziwe asked Real Housewives of New York's Eboni K. Williams why ugly people can't be powerful.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 2 

Eboni was truly one of the few guests who could keep up with Ziwe’s chaotic energy, which made their discussion all the more fun. Right off the bat, Ziwe started her interview with a zinger. She noticed that Eboni’s book was called Pretty Powerful and asked her why ugly people couldn’t be powerful. Ziwe started listing off names and asking Eboni if they were pretty, going from Dick Cheney to Mother Teresa. Other hijinks ensue, including a bingo card of the multicultural men Eboni's dated and a lively discussion about boobs.

5. When Ziwe messed around during a consultation with a plastic surgeon.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 2

Ziwe popped into a plastic surgeon's office in the second episode to discuss her cosmetic surgery options. The surgeon suggested using an electrical stimulation pad on her butt to make it look like she's done 20,000 squats...whatever that means. But Ziwe didn't want a lifted butt — she wanted a "big fat ass," à la Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda." She was clearly taking the whole ordeal seriously, as you can see in her consultation pic above.

6. When Ziwe poked fun at how pop culture infantilizes young women.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 2

Ziwe definitely noticed how some of our biggest pop songs infantilize women…so she made her point by speaking and acting like a baby throughout this entire music video for a song called "Wet Diaper (Goo Goo Gah Gah)." In the words of the great Ariana Grande, I’ve got no tears left to cry because I’ve already spent all of them laughing at this ridiculous musical short. 

7. When Ziwe announced her mayoral bid.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 3

Ziwe gave it to us straight when she listed the reasons why she wanted to run for mayor of New York City. First off, she's extremely bored and rich — like her heroes, Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg. Her other reasons include jobs, healthcare, and affordable housing — for her, because she'd get all of those perks as mayor of NYC, duh!

8. When the show featured a "73 Questions With an Essential Worker" segment.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 3

In this spoof of Vogue’s 73 Questions series, Patti Harrison portrayed a clearly overworked essential worker living in a dingy apartment. The offscreen camera person didn’t do anything particularly helpful for her, merely observing as her roof leaked and her lights shut off. It’s a deliberately cringey but sharp moment that pokes fun at the fixation on easy, light showcases (e.g., clapping for essential workers) of "heroes" who need material support. 

9. When Ziwe and Patti Harrison performed "Stop Being Poor."

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 3

In this club banger about trickle-down economics, Ziwe and Patti urged people to stop being poor. Before dancing it all out, Ziwe prefaced the song with: "This one goes out to all my poors out there. I know you're down on your luck, but someone once told me that being poor is a choice. So stop!" Sound logic, yes.

10. Ziwe's whole interview with Andrew Yang.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 3

This entire exchange made me so uncomfortable...but also I couldn't stop laughing?! You kind of can't tell if he was being earnest or a good sport throughout the whole thing. Ziwe started off the interview strong, asking the New York City mayoral candidate to list off his favorite billionaires — even at this point, you can already see her not-so-subtly cackling at her own question. She later pulled a few other zingers, too, inquiring about his favorite subway station and Jay-Z song...

11. When Phoebe Bridgers did ASMR.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 4

In this bit about allyship, Ziwe had indie darling Phoebe Bridgers do some ASMR. We got Phoebe whispering things like, "I will do my own emotional labor," and, "I will never get married on a plantation" (hello, Ryan Reynolds shoutout). Phoebe then threw in some other funny moments, uttering "gay rights" and declaring "6666" as her PIN number. True to the show's hilariously uncomfortable tone, she also nervously refused to say one thing, which Ziwe later revealed to be: "I will not retweet Shaun King."

12. When Ziwe and Phoebe Bridgers smashed their ukuleles.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 4

Since Phoebe couldn't do a "wispy blonde" version of "Wade in the Water," Ziwe proposed that they smash their ukuleles like how Phoebe destroyed her guitar on Saturday Night Live. What else can we say? It was a pretty epic moment!

13. When she ADR'd everything comedian Julio Torres said.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 5

Julio's fabulous beaded mask hid most of his face, but his eyes said everything we needed to know! Basically, Ziwe had Julio play a spicy game called "Wheel of Accents," where he had to do an impression of whatever accent the wheel stopped on. While Julio (wisely) refused to do most of the accents, Ziwe managed to get him to do a few, including a Nigerian one that was basically his impression of her, which she ADR'd: "My name is Julio Torres, and I refuse to support Black women on premium cable." He might be on Los Espookys, but Ziwe's confrontational interview might be more of a fright!

14. When we got that clip of Iconic: The Ziwe Story.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 6

Iconic: The Ziwe Story, rated White Nonsense and brought to us by the producers of Aloha and Ghost in the Shell, followed Ziwe's truly iconic story — except the lead actress is a white woman. Ziwe wasn't going to stand for this problematic BS, but swiftly changed her mind after being promised $2 million for her life's rights.

15. Ziwe's entire interview with Adam Pally, TBH.

Showtime

Which episode it's in: Episode 6

In the final interview of the season, Ziwe sat down with Adam Pally, who, despite seeming genuinely (and hilariously) uncomfortable, probably HAD to have been in on the joke. Ziwe started the interview by showing Adam a picture of him in cornrows in the movie Dirty Grandpa — to which Adam responded that the hairstyle wasn't worth it, but that he wanted to work with Robert De Niro before he died. In another juicy moment, Ziwe confronted Adam about him acting out at the Shorty Awards. Adam regretted that moment, explaining that he was younger then...at the boyish age 35, or as he puts it, "a man, not yet old."

Did you have a favorite Ziwe moment that wasn’t listed? Let us know below!