Last summer, Amy Schumer reluctantly joined the fight to restrict Americans’ access to guns. After a man opened fire in a theater that was showing her film Trainwreck, the comedian appeared alongside her second cousin, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), to call for universal background checks and other measures that could help prevent gun violence.
Now, Schumer is using her Comedy Central show to drive the message home.
In a sketch set to air Thursday night, Schumer appears as an enthusiastic home shopping host, eager to sell firearms to anyone with a phone and $39.95. To one caller who is concerned his prior violent felonies might prevent him from making the purchase, Schumer says, “You can absolutely get a gun if you have several felonies, as long as you buy it on the Internet or at a gun show.”
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Later, a suspected terrorist on the no-fly list calls up and is welcomed with open arms as well. “No one can tell you you don’t have the right to buy a gun in this country you’re trying to destroy!” Schumer exclaims.
Throughout the sketch, phrases like “If You’re Mentally Ill, You’d Be Mentally Ill Not to Give Us a Call!” appear in the bottom of the screen, along with the names of senators who have taken money from the gun lobby such as Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell.
Finally, when there is a “mass shooting” alert, Schumer tells viewers that means “the government could be coming for your guns soon, like they never have, but always might.”
The sketch ends with a call for viewers to text “join” to 64433 to become part of the Michael Bloomberg-funded Everytown for Gun Safety group. The phone number listed on screen is real as well. If you call it, Everytown will connect you with your member of Congress so you can make your position on the issue known.
