Wendy Shanker immediately writes ideas down
Wendy started her career working at MTV and VH1 in production, series and specials including “TRL” and The VMAs. After writing and developing programming at Lifetime and Oxygen, she became the head writer for major live events like Glamour’s star-studded Women of the Year Awards & Summit, The National Magazine Awards, and The GLAAD Media Awards. The pandemic opened up new opportunities writing and producing in the virtual/livestream space, including iHeart Media’s “Can’t Cancel Pride,” HBO Max’s “Home School Musical” and the “Feelin’ A-Live: Fast Times at Ridgemont High” virtual table read featuring Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt, with over 5 million views.
Wendy’s byline has appeared in Glamour, Self, Shape, Cosmopolitan, and Us Weekly (The Fashion Police). She has written two books: a humorous, hopeful memoir about women and body image, The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life (Bloomsbury USA); and more recently, Are You My Guru?: How Medicine, Meditation & Madonna Saved My Life (Penguin/NAL). Her latest book, written with the founder of the viral We Do Not Care Club Melani Sanders, is The Official We Do Not Care Club Handbook: A Guide for Women in Perimenopause, Menopause and Beyond Who Are Over It! (Harper Collins)
What were you like as a teen?
I didn’t know I was funny until my Sweet Sixteen. The night before, a beloved kid in our class was killed in a drunk driving accident. But at my party, as I was talking to the crowd and opening presents, I made people laugh and it felt so good. I was like…a-HA! Funny is a force for good! We went from the party to the funeral. I saw that laughter and sadness can turn on a dime.
Did you have an un-sexy starter job?
I was sure I was going into broadcast journalism, so I had an internship working on the 10pm news at a local station in Detroit. I quickly learned that doing the news night after night would bore me, but I liked the writing and I liked human interest stories. It helped me hone my voice as a writer even if I wasn’t the one speaking. Frequent use of puns.
What do you consider to be your biggest comedy achievement to date?
Very proud of how funny The Official We Do Not Care Club Handbook turned out and working with the great WDNC Founder Melani Sanders. Love making women laugh in midlife/menopause. It’s very easy for me to be funny (especially in writing/storytelling/conversation) but very hard for me to write a punchline. When I do I’m like, “YEAH!” Still feels like an achievement.
When you were coming up in comedy, what helped you stick with it?
It’s not the most romantic answer, but I had stability: a job to go to everyday, a roof over my head. I don’t think I could have functioned in the wild world of comedy without it. (At the same time, I could see that my peers who were hell bent on making it did it without a safety net.) I’d also say it was a blessing and a curse to be a plus-sized woman in comedy because no one was hot for me. The men around me could just focus on the fact that I was funny (or ignore me because…fat). I still had some negative run-ins with male comedians but also had many male allies. Held strong to my confidence no matter what. Confidence is a choice, and I chose confidence.
Have you ever dealt with trolls? Hecklers?
When I was writing my first book “The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life,” I knew the material was bangin’. It worked because I had done so much of it on stage, and because I was so passionate about what I was writing. But when I shared the WIP with a writing group, one lady said, “The thing I don’t understand is…why don’t you just push away from the table?” I wasn’t allowed to comment in the room during a critique but I remember thinking, “That’s not a ME problem, that’s a YOU problem.” That framing helped me deal and process criticism ever since. (P.S. The book was a big hit! Sorry not sorry, mean lady!).
On your deathbed, what transcendent advice would you croak at a young comedian?
Take a seat at the table. Sit up. Speak loudly. Mean business. I would say that to any woman or non-binary person.
Best comedy advice you ever got?
“Be brilliant.” – Madonna (It wasn’t comedy advice, but it’s damn good.)
Worst comedy advice you ever got?
“You can’t be part of this special women’s-only improv group because you’re not enrolled in UCB classes.” – Founding (male) member of UCB
How has being funny helped you in your life?
I think being funny and being around funny people is the greatest gift. It’s such a wonderful way to connect human to human, to be vulnerable, to be able to see the bright side on a cloudy day. I’m also a big fan of being nice. Funny and nice are not mutually exclusive. When it’s a pleasure to work with the people around you, it eases the pain of tough/stressful projects.
What specific things should a novice comedy writer do to shape their voice?
Write write write. Go up again and again. You improve with practice and practice means work. Disregard “impostor syndrome”: you are the expert on you and your perspective. Your perspective is valuable and unique and generally the more specific you are in your writing/performance, the better. When I get stuck or don’t have an angle I’ll try to think of the opposite view and find some humor there. I’m also a big believer that even your discard pile could be put to good use someday.
Was there one person who inspired you to go into comedy?
I was inspired by female writers of the 80s: Wendy Wasserstein, Carrie Fisher, Nora Ephron. I loved essayists. Strangely the writer who helped me understand I could make analytical writing funny was a conservative columnist named PJ O’Rourke from Rolling Stone. I also loved the “Libby Gelman-Waxner” column written by Paul Rudnick for Premiere magazine back in the day. Didn’t get the references but loved the jokes and saw how well someone could write in character.
Do you have a writing routine?
No routine! Deadlines help! But for my own work, I find I get big rushes of inspo followed by dry days. Also find that inspo strikes during mundane tasks. If you have a good idea, write it down immediately so you don’t forget.
What is your go-to movie?
Tootsie.
What single word always cracks you up?
“Corn.”
Anything else you’d like to add?
One of the greatest gifts of my life is the friendships I made with all the funny women I met in college and in my 20s/30s in NYC (including GOLD Comedy’s own Lynn Harris!). These brilliant, talented, warm women keep filling my cup decades later. So I raise my very full cup to salute all of them.
