I don’t think it’s weird for Sarah Silverman to have an assistant. She is definitely famous enough and does enough actual work that it makes sense for her to have a PA. However, I am not a fan of the assistant being part of the comedy act if that isn’t part of their explicit job description (Kathy and Jessica, anyone?).
Sarah Silverman recently gave an interview to the Guardian and who happened to be milling about in the background but her newly hired assistant, a 23-year-old named James, “whom she enjoys pretending to treat as a butler, snapping her fingers imperiously.” The interviewer notes that Silverman seems somewhat unused to having an assistant, and quotes her as saying, “Last week, I was trying so hard to find things for him to do, I had to send him out to buy batteries and tennis balls.”
Remember celebrities, if you want an assistant, get an assistant. But if you want an additional member of your ongoing comedy routine, maybe you should hire a comedian. Or if the only thing you can think of to make your assistant do is pick up crap you don’t need, perhaps you should save the money and not get an assistant at all.