Here’s Why Anthony Jeselnik Hates Comedians Who Tell Self-Deprecating Jokes
Vulnerability isn’t a comic strength, Anthony Jeselnik asserted on Instagram this week.
To illustrate his point, he reposted a conversation from his Good Talk podcast with fellow comic Natasha Leggero. Did she agree or disagree: For a comedian to be relatable to an audience, they have to show vulnerability?
Leggero disagreed. Sure, it’s nice if a comedian shows vulnerability …
Don't Miss
Forget nice, countered Jeselnik. “I think it’s helpful.”
Helpful but not essential, Leggero agreed.
The two comedians had something in common, Jeselnik said — neither one of them “is vulnerable in any way whatsoever” while performing stand-up.
Leggero wanted to know who exactly Jeselnik was referring to when he talked about vulnerable comedians. “Most comedians,” he said. “People want to tell you what’s wrong with them.” It’s a way for the audience to believe they’re better than the comic, he argued.
The comics bonded over the realization that neither of them tells self-effacing jokes. “And I hate the people who do,” groused Jeselnik. “It’s a crutch!”
Well, hang on there, said Leggero. Jeselnik would have to admit that being the butt of your own jokes does make the audience like you, right?
Sure, responded Jeselnik, because then the audience thinks they’re better than you. “They want an overweight comedian to come up and tell fat jokes about themselves,” he says. “They don’t want you pointing at them and being like, ‘Hey, you fat piece of shit.’ You know? They don’t like that.”
While the two comedians agreed that they were against self-deprecating jokes, they couldn’t find common ground on the subject of clean comedy versus dirty comedy. Leggero believes it’s much more difficult to do clean comedy — mainly because she can’t stop swearing. “Every time I do a fundraiser, I said ‘fuck’ like way too many times. I just am always swearing. I just hadn’t thought of those restraints.”
Jeselnik begged to differ, arguing that dirty comedy is just as difficult because “you run into the same kind of hacky stuff. People think of clean comedy like I’m only talking about boring things, but there are hilarious comedians who are clean. It’s an opportunity to subvert expectations.”
Agree to disagree, concluded Leggero. “I hate clean comedy.”
