I discovered Iris Bahr though her alter-ego, famed Russian prostitute/entertainment reporter Svetlana Maksomvisoealyaah.
Svetlana, whose client list stretches from Tony Blair to Matthew McConaughey, is a creation who, as someone who’s lived in the ex-USSR can attest, could only be the creation of someone who’s befriended a lot of “Natasha’s” or put on a rabbit-skin hat and had sex for money. The podcast is available via iTunes and it’s as funny as you’ve ever imagined jokes predicated on being a Russian sex-worker could be. She spoons with General Patreus, advises Angelina to keep food in her teeth so we can all feel better about how we look, and tries to coax an erection out of Anderson Cooper between movie reviews.
Iris’s new memoir, “Dork Whore“, tells the tale of her travels through Asia aged 20 trying to get laid and pretending to be a virgin. Presumably before she appeared in Star Trek Voyager (dork) or started researching Svetlana (whore). I’ve not yet read it but doubt she’ll be less funny on the page than she is doing four minute bits for NPR (thank you - short podcasts rock).
Hipster scum - and you know who you are - start quoting Svetlana before she get’s a show and you can only secretly enjoy her while listening to ‘The Postal Service’ on an HP iPod in a Starbucks no one you know might walk past.
Everyone else tell me how brilliant I am when Fran Drescher makes a guest appearance as Svetlana’s booker/producer in the first season of her inevitable TV show.
P.S. Iris, if you’re reading this I’d love to help you build a proper website, Earthlink, c’mon…