Jen Kirkman to stop in Bloomington

She’s a writer, she’s a panelist and she’s a narrator. But above all, she’s someone who can make you laugh.

Jen Kirkman, the narrator of Funny or Die’s “Drunk History” and regular panelist on “Chelsea Lately,” will perform Thursday through Saturday at the Comedy Attic. After the shows, she’ll be signing her New York Times Best-seller “I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales From a Happy Life Without Kids.”

Her first performance tonight will begin at 8 p.m.

But the Indiana Daily Student wanted to know a little bit about Kirkman before her first show, so we asked her a few questions about her book, her inspirations and her media
persona.

IDS In your book, you address the fact that you’ve decided not to have kids, but you’re living life and loving it. What would you say is the key to your happiness?

Jen Kirkman Just a warning to anyone reading — I sometimes just give totally serious answers in interviews. So, please don’t take this as a sampling of my comedy.
I think the key to my happiness is that I do what makes me happy. If something isn’t bringing me joy and it’s taking up my time and it’s a truly non-essential thing. Obviously, I have to do laundry and other boring joy-less things. Then I drop it.

IDS You’re very active on Twitter. What made you decide to use that as your main outlet for communicating with fans? How do you stay on top of all of their tweets?

Kirkman Well, I was verified a long time ago on Twitter because I used to know someone there who was very, very high up, and it was all very hush-hush. He verified me.

I used to despise the notion of Twitter until I learned how to properly craft jokes on it just by practicing.

It’s easy to stay on top of my tweets from fans. I get just the perfect amount that it feels good but doesn’t interrupt my day.

IDS Who are the role models that you feel have led you to where you are today?

Kirkman Anne Lamot wrote a book called “Bird by Bird” that anyone who wants to be a writer should read before they pick up a pen or sit down to a computer.

As for stand-up, Joan Rivers is a huge role model for me, even more now that I’m older and realize that as long as I continue to be myself, any age is appropriate for stand-up comedy.

And she never stops, and she never looks down her nose at any gig.

She’s an 80-year-old woman with a podcast for God’s sake.

IDS Where does your comedic inspiration come from? Do you do research before hand or is it usually off the top of your head?

Kirkman I have no idea where inspiration comes from. That’s the beauty of inspiration.
Things pop into my head. I plan nothing. I work out my material, and  everything I say is part of a well crafted act, but it all starts with, “hmmm, for some reason I feel like saying this ... let me try it out at some low-stakes comedy shows around town and keep working on it until it’s a full-fledged bit then take it on the road.”

IDS Would you say that you were always the funny one among your friends growing up, or was it something that you sort of grew into?

Kirkman I thought I was hilarious as a kid, but I got picked on, bullied, beaten up all the time in grade school and middle school.

Other kids just thought I was “weird.” I loved being weird.

In high school I went into my “I’m wearing all black and very serious phase,” which was probably very hilarious to older people who were like, “aw, look at her little phase.”

But mostly — and people hate finding this out — comedy usually doesn’t come from someone who is always “on” and hilarious all the time.

When people don’t know what I do for a living and they ask and I tell them, they say, “You don’t seem funny” to which I answer, “the truly funny ones never do offstage.”

IDS What is it like being a round-table guest for “Chelsea Lately?” What is the environment like there, and how does it feel to work with a group of women on a comedic level?

Kirkman Most of us just feel like comedians first since it’s such a specific type of person, and gender is second and also something we don’t think of.

Only people who don’t find women funny tend to focus on gender. You know those idiots who say, “chicks aren’t funny, but you’re okay.”

I also work full time at “Chelsea Lately” as a writer. It’s a very busy environment. We never stop all day long.

I work with mostly stand-up comics, so it’s a fun and inappropriate environment. In the real world we would all have been fired for sexual harassment or something.