There's nothing funny about the wage gap.
And yet, Sarah Silverman managed to humorously address the topic while promoting the Equal Payback Project. In the thought provoking, NSFW video, the comedienne, 43, proves she'll stop at nothing to ensure she's paid the same amount as a man—even if she has to undergo gender reassignment surgery to make it happen. "Every year the average woman loses around $11,000 to the wage gap," Silverman explains. "Over the course of her working life, that's almost $500,000. That's a $500,000 vagina tax!"
Before consulting her surgeon (Michaela Watkins), Silverman says, "Women make up almost half the working population, yet we typically earn just 78 cents to every dollar a man makes in almost every profession, like doctors, lawyers, teachers, miners, and even the oldest profession of them all—tailors."
So, what's a woman to do?
Become a man, of course. "I'm becoming a dude. In the grand scheme of things, it's way less expensive than the money I'll lose having a p---y. Plus, I'll finally be able to pee on walls. Er, it will be easier to pee on walls," Silverman says. After examining a variety of penises, she asks Watkins, "Do you have anything more European? I just feel like as a woman, I'm extremely sensitive, and I expect no less from my dick."
Picking a penis from the tray, she exclaims, "Oh, my gosh! I have boots that would look amazing with this! I'll take it!" Silverman, of course, realizes that "this may be an extreme solution for some women." That's precisely why the Equal Payback Project hopes to raise $29,811,746,430,000, which the crowd-funding group acknowledges is " a ludicrous goal, to be sure, but one highlighting the real numbers."
The campaign arrived at that figure by multiplying the nearly 69 million working women by the $435,049 a typical woman loses to the wage gap over the course of her career, assuming she works full-time, year-round for 40 years. While it's a lofty goal, to put it mildly, the National Women's Law Center promises to use all money raised to fight for equal pay through legislation, education and advocacy.
"If we hit our goal, every woman in America will get a check for the amount they're owed," the Masters of Sex guest star says. "If not, we'll donate the money to the National Women's Law Center...They're very good at what they do. You know, for a bunch of girls. So, come on! Together we can fill the gap."
To see Silverman discuss her "ball" size and bid adieu to her breasts, watch the video.