Off The Beat with Brian BaumgartnerJoy is all around as Brian hangs out with comedian Joyelle Nicole Johnson, who confesses to talking to herself on the streets of New York, advocates for the value of truth in comedy, and looks forward to getting on her Meryl Streep shit as an actor.
Hello, Happy birthday. I'm gonna did you do that to me? I don't know. I didn't do that to you. I'm old, I don't know how to work technology.
Oh you just said wait, hold on, you just said happy birthday.
Did I say happy birthday? Someone said happy birthday? I think you had to have sent happy birthday.
And if you're listening, literally we're looking at each other, and balloons just started streaming on my face. That is so bizarre. That is literally never happened. It's not interesting to anybody else, but that was so weird.
Hi. My name is joy il Noo Cole Johnson, and I love therapy and I think you should get a therapist too.
Hi, everybody, what's up? Thanks for joining me here for another episode of Off the Beat. I am your joyous and ready to laugh host Brian Baumgartner. My guest today well is not only joy full, she is Joyelle Nicole Johnson. Joyelle is a hilarious stand up comedian. You may have seen her on Late Night with Seth Myers, The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, or maybe even lucky enough to catch her live at a festival like Bona Rou San Francisco. Sketch Fest, New York Comedy Festival, Bumber Shoot. She's amazing and she's also a talented comedy writer who's worked on shows like Broad City and Pause with Sam Jay. Recently, however, she has begun a new venture. She started an Only Fans and believe me, Yeah, she's gonna let it all out her jokes. Of course, she's gonna let you hear all of her jokes. That's what I was saying. She just aired her new episode on l M aof the comedy showcase on OnlyFans TV. It is absolutely hilarious. Yep, Joy is in the air today and she is here in your ears as well. Here she is Joyel Nicole Johnson.
Bubble and Squeak, I love it, Bubble and Squeak, Bubble and Squeaker.
Cook get every more over from the night before.
What's up, Joyelle?
Hello? Brian? How are you?
I'm good? How are you?
I'm fantastic. I like being joined with another person that has an alliterative name.
Yes, just just mumble a bunch of bees. You'll figure it out. It'll be It'll be good. Uh are you down in the at L I.
Am up in the buk Baby, I moved. I left Georgia, so hopefully they will still handle it this election. So now I'm voting in New York again.
Oh so you're out. So you grew up in Jersey, you're now in New York. You're in the Brooklyn? Is that the b K?
Absolutely?
Okay? Fancy pants? Then that's all I know about Brooklyn. Now.
It's just and the fanciest building I've ever lived in. I love it so much. I guess I'm the problem. I'm probably a gentrifier. I'm living with them, but I love it.
Sorry you so you were in it? How long were you in Atlanta? I'm from there, by the way, that's why. That's why of a special interest to me.
Amazing, which part.
Kind of Sandy Springs. Yeah, speaking of fancy I don't know about that. It's probably fancier not well now, I don't know. I think the city extends out to where we didn't even It was like cows and farms when I was a kid.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
My parents live in Stone Mountains, so that that's where I was born. Were you born at Stone Mountains?
I mean not literally on the mountain, but yes, that's where I That's where I was that's where I deliver from.
They deliver babies on top of the mountains.
Yeah, they do a light show they do, right, the con themed light show on the face of Stone Mountains. Yes, good old do they they do? They still do it. They don't still do it, do they? They do?
So still do it. They still have Confederate flags flying on Stone Mountain. And it's so funny because Stone Mountain is one of the richest black communities in America, the top ten most affluent African American communities, and just the Confederate flags flying on top of the mountain and the soldiers etched in the side, you know.
All, well, yeah, so I was gonna you know, I've been gone a long time. But remind me and tell so Stone Mountain is the largest piece of granite, right, Yeah, the largest piece of granite, which is therefore a mountain. It's not like the Rockies, but it's a mountain.
It is a mountain. I climbed it many times.
Me me as well when I was a kid and etched into the mountain instead of the presidents in the Dakota what's that called again? The thing Everest? No, not mount Everest. No, where the where the President, they're in the Mount Rushmore. I was like, it's not Everest, No, it's Mount Rushmore. So similar to that. Into the granite there is a carving. Is it Confederate? Is that what it is? Is it Confederate?
Don't get me to lie, but I was always under the impression it was Confederate soldiers. Let's get a fact check or diego what you're doing.
All right, Well, we we're gonna fact check this and if I'm not. But but the point is this, there's a light show like every night in the summer, and there's like laser show at least is what they ca They still do this, right, they still do the laser show and you sit outside and then the etching on the mountain comes to life. Yes, and they guiding. They the horses start galloping away. Wow, they haven't thought about that in a long time. Yes I have, nor have I been there in a long time. But yes, I grew I was. I didn't grow up there, but I was born there. Okay, Stone Mountain area. All right, So enough about the Confederacy.
I love it.
It's nothing like starting off a conversation and with the Confederacy, what part of Jersey are you from.
I'm a Union, New Jersey girl. I went to Union High School.
Okay, so not far from New York City, not at all.
Yeah, twenty minutes, baby. That's why I was always looking to the city. I was like, I'm moving there.
I can't really was that a dream for you? Early on?
Absolutely? I was going to New York. My mother would let me go take acting classes by myself on the bus when I was like thirteen years old. Really yeah, and it was that was what Hell's Kitchen was, not the fabulous gay bastion of wealth it is now. That's when it was like before Rudy Giuliati, it just all drugged out. And she showed me how to get to the acting class. I had to walk from port authority, and she was like, if you want to do this, you got to do it on your own. And I did.
And you wanted to do it that bad.
Absolutely. Yeah.
So this is thirteen. So when did you kind of decide that this was what you wanted to do around then?
I think before then I was always looking to My mother would take me to place. She'd take me to all the cultural things, and I was like, whatever this is, I want to do it.
She was a nurse, right, did she have a creative side.
Yes, she was always obsessed with like the piano. She was one of those people that just like wishes she could be like a concert pianist. I think that was like my mother's in her head heart dreams. So she put me in piano lessons. My mother used to be a dancer. She put me in dance lessons and all that stuff. And I was like, I want to get on the stage. She was like, all right, let's put you in classes.
So New York and your proximity to the city and all it had to offer and classes. Do you feel like that that influence? I mean, you had an idea, you wanted to do it, But what talk to me about what the city itself like that gave you at a young age and your exposure to these plays and experiences that you had.
I just love. I mean, a lot of people are averse to the congestion of New York City and I love it. It feels like a blanket to me, like I'm temple granding and all of the human beings that are walking by, and I just loved it. And I knew I wanted to be places where it's like everybody is different diverse wise. You know. She moved us to Union, New Jersey, which was the suburbs, and it was a very white suburb in New Jersey. So I was like, I go to the city. I see all people that look like me and people who don't look like me, and they all look like they're having a good time. That was my kid brain, right. I didn't think about paying rent, you know.
Well, yeah, I mean that's a whole other thing. I was just there last week and I will say this though here here's I love the city as well, and the energy and the people again, just like everybody being out. Here's the thing when it it was like the first nice day of the spring and everybody came out. Everybody that's too much, Come on, everybody go back.
It's like going to Coney Island on Memorial Day.
Yeah. I just don't do this. Yeah no, But it's just the streets. It's just like third and twenty seventh. There's one thousand people outside. It's like like because people talk about la like nobody works, Like where why are all these people in a coffee shop? You walk around New York on a on a nice spring day, it's like where, Why don't you have to be somewhere?
That's every time I see a kid out and I think it could be like Saturday at noon, I'm like, why aren't you in school? Why aren't you outside?
And if you're not, as you should be in camp to be somewhere.
We should be somewhere. Why do you walk in the streets.
I read that you moved to LA with your sister. She was in a writing program at USC. Is that right?
Yes? Okay, to the writing program there?
Yeah, So how old were you then when you when you moved to LA.
I graduated from Boston College. Okay, and it was the summer I graduated. I was like, let's go.
So you just wanted to be in LA or was it because she was there?
I think it's because she was there. It was also because of acting, like having the bug and wanting to just go see what could happen out there?
Okay?
Yeah?
When did you start doing stand up?
I started in two thousand and seven?
Okay, but you know I'm not good at math, So how so when is this like? In? Is this after? This is after college?
Yes? Yeah? I graduated two thousand and three and moved out to LA.
So you were just trying to be an actor, absolutely.
And you know, back then it was just like a lot of background work.
Yeah.
And I also would do PA work too, So I was like, I just want to be involved in any way, shape or form. Uh, So I would do PA jobs. I worked on a lot of reality shows and I did transcribing, where I'm like typing what the actors are saying for the reality show. So I just did like every little job I can do out there.
Did you did you PA for for scripted shows too?
I paid No, I didn't pay for any scripted shows, music videos and reality shows, because it's like, once you get in a niche, you just keep getting hired by the same people exactly, which is why I was like, Okay, I can't. It's like I don't want to be in this this particular rat race.
So are you aud So you're auditioning, You're you're you're auditioning, You're finding odd jobs and and and doing background work and uh and and PA, what made you start to want to or what made what made you get on the stage and try stand up for the first time?
I think I had smoked a joint and I was but no, I was. I had been going. So my sister and I would go to the Laugh Factory and Sunday nights was the black night, so it was called Chocolate Sundays. It's still there. And we'd go like once a quarter, you know, right, and then we were like once a month, and then I started going by myself like once a week. And I had always loved George Carlin and loved stand up and stuff, but I was just like, I'm scared. That seems scary. But I looked at it. I was like, it looks like I can do it, but I'm just scared. So I just kept going. And then I joined a group that was doing a Wednesday night show at the Laugh Factory.
Okay, So was it like this was improv or.
Yeah, they were doing improv but also stand up in between the improv, and it was it was called Kevin Hart.
Was okay, So that's.
The Comedy Playground.
Yeah, comedy Playground. It disbanded fairly quickly.
Absolutely, yeah.
It was why did disband.
Because Kevin was too busy. He was like, I gotta go do every other thing. I don't have time for this. So everybody was like okay, and everyone's prolific.
I heard. I heard he does a lot of projects.
I've heard too.
I've heard that that man okay.
That man will work okay, and so yeah, So he left and everybody in the group was a stand up comic. So my one friend, Candice Thompson, was like, do you want to do open mics? And I was like okay, and we just started doing open mics together.
Was she helping you? Were there people helping you write material? Or were you just writing your own material?
Just writing your own material that start of stand up where you know, you're like roaches. Let's talk about roaches airplane. We all on airplane's.
Is that what you're doing though? Are you trying to find a universal idea or an idea that everyone has an experience with?
Absolutely, because you think about what has been funny your whole life, you know, and I think it's like, you know, I didn't have money at the time, I had an okay apartment, but you know it's like roaches. Everyone has roaches. So just trying to be as relatable as possible.
Right, So you start doing open mics, how is it going? Are you finding success right away?
No? Absolutely?
Not?
Okay, this is what I want to hear about.
Oh yeah, it's the grind of first of all, paying to do an open mic. We would sometimes have to pay shout out to the Bliss Cafe. That was the one where it would be like five dollars to perform.
You had pay five dollars.
Yeah, you had to buy something, so oh you.
Had to buy You didn't have to pay literally five dollars, but you had to buy something.
Something at least five dollars worse.
That's just rude. I mean, look, if you if you if you're gonna charge I mean, these are hypothetical numbers. But if you're gonna be like, Okay, we're gonna charge you one hundred dollars or we're going to charge you a thousand dollars to perform this, I understand. Five dollars it's just insult. That's just like we're just doing this to make you feel like a warm bag of shit.
Yeah, I have to break your twenty so it's like and then you're getting up there and it's too absolute dead silence. I mean, every comedian knows the slog of open bicing. You're performing in front of other comedians who are just worried about their own jokes, so they're not paying attention, and I honestly think it's a step you cannot skip. You know, it really gets you used to silence, and that's a huge thing you got to get used to doing stand up.
So what do you what do you? What do you do? Do you acknowledge it? Like, do you acknowledge the silence?
I mean, I mean when you like back then, for sure, you'd be like, oh, none of you are listening to me, like because you're nervous. So but now I'm like, I know you're listening, but you know, but this is I'm doing professional shows now, So when people are quiet, that means they're listening. Back then, no one was listening. So it's just like you're quiet and not listening.
Right. Well, things have certainly changed for you now the past few years. You've done a number of your own projects, recorded a comedy album Yell Joy, an hour long special love Joy. I get it. We're playing with the joy Joe, trying.
To put some joy in the world.
Uh. You've also been writing and producing these projects yourself. Now do you consider yourself now? And I know you've done some acting stuff and we can talk about that, but do you consider yourself now a writer, an actor, or a performer or in that order, I guess because you are all three. So that was a dumb question. But do you know what I'm saying, Like, where is it?
Yeah?
Where do you feel like your focus is? Now?
Okay? So it's funny because it's like, how do I answer that question when people in certain situations, So like recently, I was filling out a form and I forget what the forum was for, but ask profession and I just put a writer because sometimes that's what's easier, because it's like, once you say you a comedian, it's like, yeah, a comedian, my favorite person is? It starts somebody I hate. Now I have to like have a conversation with you. So like if I'm being asked in a kind of situation where I don't really have to talk to somebody, I'm like, writer, I'm just a writer. But I consider myself a stand up just because stand up is so specific, right, and it was the first thing I really started to get good at, you know, And so I would say I'm a stand up and a writer because I write my own stand up who acts okay and wants to be a better actor. And wants to like, really, you know, study the craft.
Yeah, it's an interesting and I don't know if it's only interesting to me. I feel like people don't get what I'm saying. But I am often referred to or introduced as a comedian, and I am not that. Like I can be a comedic actor, but I don't. I don't consider myself a comedian in any way. And I don't know why it Like it makes me feel like an impost or something, or like I'm trying to be something that I'm not. I don't know. It's it's a very complicated thing for me. But I love that you or say like that's what I like, that's what I am. I mean to me, stand up is a comedian, right, like that's yeah.
I just fell in love with you, Brian, because I loved you before this. But this happens with comics where people like I don't know if you knew who Patresea and Neil.
Of course, oh my god, no, I worked with him, yeah, no, no, no, no, but no no no, yeah, and in fact I saw Patrese do some open uh open mic nights uh before that we work together.
But yeah, so he he was like one of my you know, just I followed him around like the last year of his life, and I moved to New York and I was just like, he'd let me open for him. A couple of times he would bully me and also just like give me advice that I would just sit there and take. And the first time I met him was back in two thousand and eight, and I was like, Hi, I'm a comedian and he was like, no, you're not. And I was like what And he goes, I'm a comedian and you and I are not the same thing. And I remember like getting my little feelings hurt. But now, you know, almost twenty years later, I'm like, I get it now. When somebody will be like, I'm a comedian, I'm like, you're not. I don't see you anywhere. You don't hang out where I hang out. Like how many shows have you done? How much have you gotten paid to do these shows? How many times have you bombed your ass off in front of your family? Like tell me what you have done to say you are a comedian, right, And when certain comedic actors they'll say comedian, I'm like, they're comedic actors. So I really appreciate that you said that, and a lot of comedians would also appreciate that you feel that way.
Well, yeah, and it's a weird thing like because then it sounds I don't know which way it's pretentious, but like I never correct people because then it just seems like what what you know, They're not going to understand what I'm saying any Anyway, when people ask if I do stand up, my response is kinda but I know that for me now, and I'm saying that this sounds like a weird humble brag, but I'm trying to. I'm trying to get to the root of it. I know for me now it's cheating, right, Like I know now all I need to do are a few things and they're they're absolutely going to laugh. But they're not going to laugh because what I'm saying necessarily is funny or well crafted, or that I have I have I have framed a point or an argument in a certain way that is is good. They're going to laugh because they know who I am, which is very, very different from what you do from being a comedian and being out there, because they may show up if they know you, if they've heard you, if they've heard your album and expect to laugh. But I still think if you, if you, if you don't have it that night, they're gonna give it to you. Right, Oh?
Absolutely?
And yeah.
Also, the funny thing about fame is kind of like I've heard this before. I want to say, It's like Chris Rock might have said it where he's like, the fame will lash you are good maybe five maybe ten minutes, but after that, people really do want to hear jokes if you're at a comedy club, Like if we're sitting here right too, drink minimal, I'm gonna use some jokes, Bryan.
Yeah, yeah, no, but I get what you're saying. Yeah, I don't ever go over the alloted time. I guess I just keep to what I know. Yeah, that's very very interesting to me. I want to tell you this story. I can't. I don't know that I've ever shared this on you, but I went very early on. Did you ever know? I don't even know if it's still open the m bar is that are they still doing? Yeah? Are they still doing stand up stuff there?
I mean, I haven't been in comedy in LA for so long.
Okay, so this this was not It's not a comedy club. It's a it's a bar, and they used to do like an open mic situation, and I went and these this was this was sort of it. This was an open mic, not like you had to pay five dollars to get in. This was an open mic. Like in general, established comedians would be trying out new material, right, So like I went one night and Sarah Silverman was and this is a long time ago, so they weren't like who they are now. But David Cross there were a number of people showing up and I saw this young comedian behind a piano, Robinson, get up on stage move you know, there's a whatever seven to twelve minute break while he puts his piano, sets all this stuff. I'm like, what the what the hell is this guy doing? And I'm telling you, it was the funniest twelve minutes I've I had ever seen, and like blew everybody like beyond out of the water. And that was my That was my sort of my first experience with seeing you know, seeing a bunch of like established people and they were trying stuff so that let's be fair, and this young guy comes up and just crushes it. Do you have an experience or a memory from your own life where there was a night that everything hit for you and it just like Boom went went nuts.
Oh yes, so many. But also Craig. I absolutely love Craig And have you met his brother Chris? Yes, as well, you know the Nasty Delicious and Chris, Chris and I hang out a bunch like that's one of my that's one of my best ties. And it's funny because it's like Chris is like I would say seventy percent music and thirty percent comedy, right, and Craig, I feel like, is the seventy percent comedy? You know? Thirty percent maybe forty five fifty percent music? By the way, I mean absolute geniuses.
Both of them.
I'm like, what was going on in your mother's UTERUSM?
But that's a question you're not supposed to ask.
But anyway, so I think you're supposed to ask that. But I think the first time I really felt it because Chocolate Sundays would have an amateur night right before the main show started and I would watch this. They gave us three minutes and so that was the show. I kept going to this see because I was like, I want to do the sandmatetur Knight. I want to do the Samature Knight. First time I ever got on stage, I bombed my ass off. But I was working up to do this amateur night and the first time I did it, I crushed, and I was so freaking proud of myself because I was so scared, right, but finally getting the last in that room. And also, to make you know, black people laugh is you know, a feat in itself. So to get that, especially also in Hollywood, Hollywood.
Shows not funny, not funny, Nope.
No, because they're all like I could be on the stage too, bitch. So so to make like a Hollywood black crowd laugh just felt so freaking good. And that was probably my first year. So I had been doing all those open mics and working up to doing that amateur night and did a good job. So I was like, Okay, I can't quit. I have to keep going.
What's your what's your process for writing a joke? Like how do you how do you get it from roaches to like a fully fleshed out idea.
Well, now I'm more confident in myself after doing it for so long that I know it's going to be funny. So one of the best pieces of advice I got when I first started was that if I'm having a conversation with somebody and they laugh, that's a potential for a joke. So I can tell now if I'm like, you're not gonna believe what happened to me yesterday and the person starts laughing, I can also bring that on stage. So that's what I've done with Like a lot of the stories I tell really happened to me, you know, true things that actually happened. But now I can just know how to make it funny. And my joke writing process now is very much like talking to myself. I love talking to myself in the shower. I'll be talking to myself, you know, walking down the street New York. Best place to talk to yourself openly in the streets and nobody will blak it. And you know, so that way because I can feel like the rhythm of what it's going to be like on stage. And so I'll talk into my voice recorder or I'll talk in so it's like now I know where to tell the story because I'm a storyteller. Now I've picked that up. I'm not I'm not what's the thing about roaches that's not my my vibe.
Right, right, Yeah, when you have a story that's happened to you and I don't know, I mean, I'm I'm thinking about like I don't know, for me, maybe the best in the business right now. Oh, I'm about to say a name, and you're gonna be like, I hate them. But Chappelle, I think about his stories, right, and then you there gets to a point when you you know that what he's saying is didn't actually happen, right, So for you, how do you take a story that happened to you and decide or figure out like, because obviously things will be exaggerated, things will be manufactured for comedic effect, Like for you, how do you figure out, like, I don't know, like what percentage that's That's a dumb that's like such a dumb question. But I mean, like, for you, how much of it is real and how much of it is it is invented on top of something funny that happened.
I am a proponent for truth in comedy. So it's like I was told, comedy is truth plus exaggeration. So for me, seventy seventy five percent true, okay, twenty five percent exaggeration and the exaggeration is going to be on like the third beat. So you know, it's like comedy has the rule of three, and I'll say the truth is the one funny thing, second truth, and then the third truth is an exaggeration that is like, Okay, that's just silly, but you can take it there at the end. But I want everything to be as truthful as possible. So everything that I do say on stage did happen to me. But there might be one little beat at the end that you're like, Okay, that was silly. But I also I'm just not a silly I'm not a silly billy. Yeah, I can't be silly billies. But I'm too realistic. My mother grew up in the projects of Brooklyn. I really I'm way too realistic.
Right do you do you believe in the rule of three?
Yeah? Absolutely, in life just in general. You know it ego, super ego. We're also you know, the Trinity, Holy Trinity, it's all of life is the rule of three.
Wow, that's very No, that's very interesting. I don't I believe in the rule of three as well. I also think you know, this podcast is called off the Beat because someone taught me at a very young age that comedy that occurs off of the expected beat is often way more satisfying longer term than giving people exactly what they expect. So it doesn't necessarily change the rule of three. But finding ways to alter what people's expectations are I think is really important and ultimately brings greater comedy. What do you think about that?
I completely agree with you. I do think there's something musical about comedy. I did have this conversation once with Chappelle. There's a comedian named T. K. Kirkland. He's an awesome he's awesome, but like if you watch him, he is almost he's like a conductor conducting. And so Dave was talking to me about the cadence that he uses. And you know, I have my musical background. I was in the marching band.
All that stuff.
So when you have a certain cadence on stage, people are going to laugh at a point, maybe when you didn't even say something funny, but they're used to like da da da da da da da da da laugh da da da da da da da da da laugh. That can be broken up into different times sing, which is just like music. So it's like three four four four whatever you're doing. So, yes, it's not always gonna be on three, But yes, I agree with you that it's not necessarily always gonna be on the third beat. It might be on the second beat. That's the funniest thing because I like to say something after a joke that'll be like for the comics.
Right, is there anything you don't that's off limits for you?
Not for me, because I like for me, I just certain things. If somebody tells tells somebody that something is hurting them, hurting a community, you know. I do think Dave is an example of this right now with the trans community. Like, if somebody's saying they're being hurt, I would stop, right, you know, I would just be like, I don't. I don't need to go into that. You know. I have a bit. I talk about abortion on stage a lot, and my abortion joke is that I got pregnant on the floor of an Amtrak train in the handicap restroom, which is a true story, like fully true. But somebody from the disabled community came up to me and she was like, can you please not say that? Can you say something else? Can you say accessible restroom? Can you not say handicap? And I was like, huh, I never thought about it in that way, And sure I can do that. I can change it. I mean accessible is a lot of syllables and weird syllables that I need to practice accessible. But you know, if somebody just came up to me, it was just like, look, that's not that that made me feel a certain type of way. I want to I want to change it.
So, yeah, I heard it was a conversation. We don't have to debate whether you're a fan of his or not, but I thought that the conversation was very interesting. It was with Bill Burr, and the conversation was about Blue Comics and the question and it was actually Dan Patrick. I don't know if you know who Dan Patrick is. He deals a lot in sports. But the question for Bill was, you know, how do you figure out or where do you sort of you know, stand on Blue And Bill's response was people used to think like that was bad words, Like I say bad words a lot. That makes me a Blue comic, and some people think that's cheating. Some people think you have to keep it very clean. But he said the problem with that is now there are topics that you can get into that are also considered blue, whether or not you're saying bad words or not. So like the idea of like controversy equalling like blue equalling like you you can't say that, you shouldn't say that. I guess that's my question to you, just because just because I'm interested, like for you, where do you stand on that or how do you who are you creating your act for? And how willing are you to go blue whatever that means to you.
I've never even thought about it that way. So there's a city in this country right now that is a bastion for like white boys that want to say the end word and kind of like a level of I mean, I would definitely say misogyny. I heard a lot of gentlemen on stage talking about punching women in the face.
These are stand ups you're talking about, Yes.
Yes, And it's it's a weird situation where I never thought about that as blue, and that is blue to me, Like I I have heard white boys do funny in word jokes. Neil Brennett actually has a pretty good one, but to pursue it, to me, it just it's just like why why do you have to pursue that? So for me, and that's why I talk about stuff that actually has happened to me. So if you're telling a story about something that happened to you, sure, But if you're just trying to find a way to make the in word funny and to be able to say it on stage, I don't really I don't really have respect for it personally. So that's why I try to stay as true to myself as possible, because you know, I did get pregnant on the floor in the handicap restroom, so it's like that actually happened to me. But if you want me to rephrase my words, I'll do that, you know, But I'm not going to stop telling the bit.
Because that's truth and being as.
Absolutely it's about being. It's about being.
That makes a ton of sense to me.
Yeah, for me, Like those are the people that I look up to and love their comedy, where there's an authenticity that bleeds off of the stage. You know, I can tell when people are lying on stage. I can tell when a comic is lying, like I you know, sometimes people will lie about having kids and tell bits about being a father, and I'm like, what do you You don't have enough kids? And they're like it was just for the joke. I'm like, just for the joke, say.
The head word. Oh that's amazing. Well, so you've said you're a stand up, you're a comedian, but you don't just write jokes for yourself. You're a you're a TV writer also an actor. You wrote for a season of Broad City. You were in the writer's room there, Now, one, why did you do that? And two? Did that help you in your stand up? That experience of working on the writer's run?
Absolutely, we did. We did the punch up room. So the punch up room was after they had written all the scripts and they gave the scripts to a bunch of comedians and then we did a room of punching.
Up the scripture.
And I think I got spoiled in that situation because that room was led by two women who let everybody talk. It was. It was a very beautiful situation. And I just think keeping your brain going, it's kind of like doing sudoko. How you say that word sudoku sudo, It's like doing those puzzles to offset dementia, Like you gotta keep your brain move in different directions. So, yeah, looking on the paper and figuring out how you would make that joke funnier, which is why I can't watch TV anymore because it's ruined now where I'll be like, oh, that would have been funny if they said this, like I'm an asshole. So I absolutely it totally helped me also be more confident in myself and what I think is funny when you have to pitch it out to a room that's scary.
That's yeah, that's kind of that's kind of the genesis of my of my question. Like, so, now you're in a room with a bunch of other writers slash comedians, and this is not you, you know, talking to yourself on the street or in the shower or in your apartment or whatever. You're now like, hey, guys, what do you think of this?
Oh? Terrifying, terrified.
It's got that silence. It's got to be worse.
Oh yeah, and it's crazy because like every situation, there's always got to be something that's gonna make you more nervous. That's what I realized. It is never going to stop. I was with the fantastic George Wallace, that's my uncle. He takes me out with him. He took me to mask the Square Garden, with him, and right before he got on stage, he was like, I'm nervous and I was like, you're nervous and he's like, yeah, I have you been on stage like a week and a half. And I was like, so it never ends, and he was like, no, it never ends. It's never going to end. I was like, thank you Purgatory for the rest of my life. So that's a different type of scary of saying a joke in front of a room full of comedians who are just staring at you and giving honest reactions because if nobody last, they're like, next do you?
So you get nervous.
Oh absolutely, Oh my gosh, absolutely every time. Well it depends now, so it'll be bigger. Like when I first did seth Myers was my first late night set that I felt like I was jumping out of an airplane really, But by the time I did my second tonight show, which was my third late night set, I was much more calm because you know, I had done it twice before, so it's like I've done the Beacon theater. My second time doing the Beacon was not as nerve racking as my first time, So it'll just be you know, things just keep getting bigger and grazier.
Right, I don't even know if for me it's nerves I get, I get amped. There's like another switch. I don't it's hard to describe.
That's what I'm trying to change it to. I'm trying to be like I'm excited instead of I'm nerving.
Yeah, I get very externally still and calm and then but like like inside it's like ooh, there's the switch, Like I can feel that. It's weird.
It's an example of that for you now, Like what's something.
That well, I do shows. I mean I don't do I wouldn't call it stand up, but I do shows at colleges and I appear on stage. It's it's weird because I I came from the theater, right, So that's what I used to do, and that like yeah, of course there was like nerves and you know that like oh I have to pee. Thing that goes mysteriously goes away the second like you enter the curtain, it just goes away. And it's weird. Now like I don't have any nerves, Like I don't get nerves. I'm not, like but I I do have that like kind of have to pee like like I like that happens. So there's something in there. That's why I say it's a switch, like, it's not nothing. It's not like I'm playing part cheesy like you know, I don't know why why. I don't even know what parcheesy is, but that was what I know.
That word.
I don't know how the game, right, it's a game. Yeah, I'm not playing parcheesy. I don't know. That must have been like in my dream last night or something.
Sitting there waiting to come out.
More recently, you wrote you appeared on Pause with Sam Jay. How'd you get involved there?
Yeah, they hired me for that show. I've known Sam Jay for a very long time, like over a decade of pursuing this stand up comics. So there were a lot of friends in that room that thought I would have some fabulous things to contribute.
Do you prefer I mean, you prefer to be yourself? Right? Is there anything that you still meaning as opposed to playing a character? Like what does that give you? I mean, I guess they just put words in your mouth. But I'm going back to what you said, like that you're a stand up you're a comedian, right, and so you are playing a version of yourself when you're on stage.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean even if you're authentic and real, you're still playing a version.
Now I have a question for you. So, I think most actors are playing versions of themselves.
Have you seen my work?
But listen, I think there's like ten actors. I think there's like ten actors, and everybody else is playing a version of themselves that is fitting into a situation. So I think, no matter what character I am going to play, it's going to be a version of myself until I study enough of the craft to actually do some mal streep shit, god to do some you know, William H. Macy shit.
I get what you're saying, So you consider it a version of yourself, regardless even if someone else has written the words, even if it's a different name. I got it.
Yes, Yes, just being honestly authentic. And how would I respond in this situation and it's like, hello, happy birthday. I'm gonna did you do that to me? I don't know. I didn't do that to you. I'm old, I don't know how to work technology.
Oh you just said wait, hold on, you just said happy birthday?
Did I say happy birthday? Someone said happy Birthday. I think you had to have sat happy birthday and balloon. If you're listening, literally we're looking at each other and balloons just started streaming on my face.
That is so bizarre. That is literally never happening the tape. It's not interesting to anybody else, but that was so weird. I get what you're saying. Do you like acting?
Love? Love? That was my first love? No?
I know that, yeah, but I was just like, Oh, are you just over it now?
Oh? No, I haven't done enough of it yet. I mean, I've done stage. I did an off Broadway play last year, you know, but I mean television acting. I just I want to be one of those lucky people like you who got a dove ass character and was able you know, to ride that beat.
Well, thank you. No, it is a lot of fun, and for me, that's yeah. For me, it is about creating that other character. That's the thing that I love about. Yeah. I saw that you're on Only Fans ew uh, not exactly like you might think. You're doing stand up on their comedy show l m aof How did it go?
I think it went great. I was at home, I was at the gutter Bar in Brooklyn, which is a place that I perform at often, and I just had a fun time. And that was one of those things I wasn't nervous, I was excited for because they were just like, we're trying to open up the platform, two different things. So I was like, sure, I'll join.
So this is a new this is a new experiment for them, going going in, going in and doing comedy. And so how long is it my set? Yeah?
Ten minutes?
Okay, and you crushed? And do you think this is something that they're going to continue to explore and do.
It's looking like they are. I mean, they're trying to get people to have like a you know, the content where you come there for that, you know. And of course sure do I have people in my dms saying some things, Yes, I do, Oh you do do, but they tip as long as your tipping, baby, let's do this. But yeah, they it's it's been funny. It's been fun for me to try to get on this new platform and start making money. I mean.
Money, that's no, that's awesome. You know what I have found. I'm going off the rails here slightly, but I want to hear your opinion. Are you on all Are you on all social media's?
I'm on Instagram and Facebook and I guess formerly x.
Which Okay, it's going to be over soon. Yeah, that's kind of done. Okay, that's it. Well, let me tell you this. I just, and I mean just, I'm always very late to the game. I just joined TikTok Now, let me just say this, so you so you just are now having a new experience. They're on the only fans, do you know what? It's crazy? Someone someone I worked with. I'm going to give a shout out to someone I worked with without saying their name. They told me like five years ago to go on OnlyFans and I was like, I can't. There's no chance. There's no chance. Like they I think that they saw the potential here in terms of what you're doing way early. So that's just I don't know, that's just fascinating to me. Here's what I was going to say, because you talked about the comments. Comments on social media are so dramatically different from platform to platform, And what's weird is you know that it's the same people that are on those platforms, but you talk about playing a character. The tenor and tone and content of their comments are so different on the different platforms. I you know, like I'll roll my eyes at comments on something I got on TikTok and I was like, I got I can't read I can't read these.
Like what, like, we shouldn't you shouldn't read them.
No, it's hard not to.
It's like it's like the sadomascism scratching it it. I try not to, but it's almost impossible not to.
Uh, what what do you have coming up next?
What do I have coming up next? Oh? So this summer, I am literally I'm taking an acting class. Okay, I'm taking dance classes. Yes, yes, I have a dance class tonight. So I am really going to be studying this summer because I had a crazy first half of the year where I was traveling all over the country and I'm like, let me stay put for a couple of months and just be in the city. But yeah, I'm also doing stand up. I'll be doing stand up all summer at the Comedy Seller.
At the Comedy Seller, Sellar. Congratulations, you're very, very funny. I look forward to your next appearance on Only Fans, And I mean that in the purest way possible. I'm glad that you're exploring that platform because I think there's a lot of potential for people and a way to one connect with fans and two to be able to I mean, for you try out new material and be able to control that in a way. I think that's really super awesome.
Yes, thank you. I appreciate that. It's lovely to meet you.
Very nice to meet you. Thank you so much, Joyelle. I uh yeah, I'll be watching all right.
Awesome, Thank you so much.
Thank you, Joyelle, Thank you so much. You know what, it was a joy to have you. Thank you for making me laugh. I needed that today, folks. If you need a dose of laughter, watch her set on the latest episod out of l M aof on oftv dot com, find her hilarious special Lovejoy on Peacock, or stream her album Yell Joy well wherever you get your albums. As for me, I'm going to be back here soon with more joy and another episode of this fine podcast. Until then, everybody, have a great week off. The Beat is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Ling Lee. Our senior producer is Diego Tapia. Our producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris and Emily Carr. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and our intern is Ali Amir Sahed. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by the one and only Creed Bratton in
