December 2020

Marcia Belsky is a New York City based stand-up comedian, writer, and musician. She co-wrote Handmaid’s Tale: The Musical with Melissa Stokoski in 2018, which played in New York City and Brooklyn, as well as in Washington D.C. at the John F. Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater. Recently her musical comedy was featured on Comedy Central’s Taking The Stage, which included her hit song “100 Tampons.”

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Describe your worst gig.

Probably the small town gigs in Oregon, anywhere where I have to do comedy in the middle of a bar while TVs are on.

What were you like as a teen? (Did you have comedy #goals? Were you already funny, or not so much?)

As a kid I was obsessed with musical theater and as a teen I was pretending like that wasn’t the case — I think I was already funny but also probably annoying as hell.

What’s your first impulse when someone says “women aren’t funny”?

They probably don’t think women are funny because they don’t like women or a world that they’re not used to — I just try to starve them of attention or reaction and am happy to be in a community that doesn’t feel that way.

When you were coming up in comedy, what helped you stick with it?

It was the only thing I knew I would never quit because I got to be in charge. I think trying to focus on the work and not on the reward helps me stick with it but it can be hard.

Best comedy advice you ever got?

Build your own audience and it doesn’t matter who doesn’t get you, only who does.

Worst comedy advice you ever got?

Any advice that is focused on the hustle and churning out content rather than creative quality.

Favorite heckler or troll?

Someone made an account called Fartcia Smellsky and kept tweeting at me.

Feelings about the word “comedienne”?

Hate the word comedienne, almost always used by a man in his 50s who is 5 seconds away from booping you on the nose.

Was there one person who inspired you to become a comedian?

Probably every boy in high school who I would watch absolutely crush and I would think “I am funnier than him.”

How has being funny helped you in your offstage life, either recently or when you were younger?

I always wanted to be consistently funny. I think making a career out of honing that is interesting because now when I’m at parties people find out that I’m a comedian and I feel like I need to tone it down or everyone thinks I’m performing.

What single word always cracks you up?

Butt.

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Connect with Marcia on Instagram and Twitter.

 

Taylor Garron is a comedian, writer, and actress based in Brooklyn, NY. She has edited at The Onion and Reductress, and her writing has been featured in The New Yorker, Vulture, NY Mag, and on Adult Swim. She has also been featured at The Satire and Humor Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, Women in Comedy Festival, and on Comedy Central. Watch for her book, co-written with Eva Victor: Look I Bought Plants: And Other Poems about Life and Stuff, coming May 2021!

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What were you like as a teen? (Did you have comedy #goals? Were you already funny, or not so much?)

I was homely and strange and an overachiever. And the kind of peer abuse that comes with that is the kind of shit makes you funny.

On your deathbed, what transcendent advice would you croak at a young comedian?

Don’t be funny for anyone else, be funny for yourself. It’ll show!

What’s your first impulse when someone says “women aren’t funny”?

My eyes roll back into my skull and I involuntarily begin chanting in tongues.

When you were coming up in comedy, what helped you stick with it?

Continuously reminding myself that I was doing this because I enjoyed it, not because it was going to make me famous.

Best comedy advice you ever got?

To make friends who were on my same level and don’t try to network up. Your immediate peers are the ones who will cheer you on/read your pilot/go to your bar shows when you’re starting out. They’re also the ones who will pull you up with them when the time comes.

Worst comedy advice you ever got?

That I had to go to a bunch of daytime open mics at those weird comedy clubs around NYU to get any stage time. They didn’t do anything for me, they weren’t fun, and I got sexually harassed a bunch by the mostly (deeply unfunny) male hosts and open micers. All kinds of not worth it!

Feelings about the word “comedienne”?

I studied French in high school and college, so it appeals to that side of me. I feel like anyone who calls me a comedienne should immediately have to hand me a croque-madame.

How has being funny helped you in your offstage life, either recently or when you were younger?

Being able to disarm people in conversations by being lighthearted off-the-bat or making a joke at my own expense is great for making friends and making people people feel comfortable around me. It also makes customer service people and baristas and servers more inclined to hook you up with freebies or break a policy for you, which is sick.

Favorite response to “What’s it like to be a woman in comedy”?

It’s the same thing as being a man in comedy except you’re much hotter.

What single word always cracks you up?

Fart, especially if said in a Boston accent. How could it not?

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Connect with Taylor on Instagram.

 

Milly Tamarez is a stand up, and writer based out of Brooklyn, New York. She has written for NPR, Buzzfeed, Reductress, MTV, BRIC, and worked on a collaboration with HBO and The Root. She has been featured on Thrillist, Vice, BET, Flama, Above Average, Univision, and Comedy Central.   She is the one of the creators and producers of Flexx (a satire magazine for people of color) and Diverse as Fuck Festival a festival that highlights diversity in comedy. Milly is also one of the founders of the all women of color improv team Affirmative Action. Her work has been featured in Vulture, Bushwick Daily,The Daily Dot, HelloGiggles, Galore Magazine, Adweek, and CodeBlack Report. Milly can be seen performing at theaters and venues across NYC.

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Describe your worst gig.

I did a comedy show after sabbath at an orthodox Jewish family sleep away camp. A dozen men were vaping at the same time. I said the word “underwear” and there were multiple groans.

What were you like as a teen? (Did you have comedy #goals? Were you already funny, or not so much?)

Outgoing and silly, I loved the TV show “Jackass” and swimming in the pool. I was funny but no goals of being a comedian.

On your deathbed, what transcendent advice would you croak at a young comedian?

Find the right balance between curating your online persona while being vulnerable and real.

What’s your first impulse when someone says “women aren’t funny”?

They have no sense of humor.

When you were coming up in comedy, what helped you stick with it?

Having a community of peers that I enjoyed being around.

Best comedy advice you ever got?

Overnight sensations are 10 years in the making.

Worst comedy advice you ever got?

You must watch “Star Wars” if you wanna do improv.

Favorite response to a heckler or troll?

“Wait a second, who ARE you?”

Feelings about the word “comedienne”?

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

Was there one person who inspired you to become a comedian?

I have many aspects of myself and there were a ton of different people who spoke to those different parts of me. I would say the “Blue Collar Comedy Tour” was fun for me as a kid. I know. It’s a lot.

How has being funny helped you in your offstage life, either recently or when you were younger?

Humor helps me process traumatic situations and show the ridiculousness of political / pop culture events through satire.

Favorite response to “What’s it like to be a woman in comedy”?

Scary, overwhelming and empowering all at once.

What single word always cracks you up?

Calling someone a “bozo.”

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Connect with Milly on Instagram and Twitter.