Andy Nulman: Forget about labels, go out there and be great!

By WICF Contributor Kate Conner


Andy Nulman has had enough of the gender debate(s). As co-founder and current president of the Just for Laughs Festival (now celebrating it's 30th anniversary), he's been around for a long time.

Andy Nulman - Credit Heidi Hollinger

From being in Aspen, in 2000, when Jerry Lewis infamously declared that women aren't funny and that our sole purpose in the world was to produce babies, to collaborating and being absolutely blown away by the talent, skill, smarts and skill that is Tina Fey, Nulman has seen it all.

And although there will probably always be "the haters,"  those who won't (or can't) appreciate a joke simply because it is coming from a women, it's time, he says, to ignore gender. "Too many lines have been drawn between male and female comedians," Andy says. "It should just be about 'comedians.' You are a not a female comedian, you are a comedian. Period."

The rules that apply for a man, are the same that apply to women: "Get out there, be unique, be different, be special. Make a statement." Ask yourself, "Will you be remembered the next day?"

"If you are not pushing for greatness every time you are out there," Nulman passionately continues, "don't blame the industry, don't blame the scouts, don't blame Eddie Brill, don't blame Letterman, don't blame Just for Laughs, don't blame the club owner — blame yourself."

When confronted by new comers, his advice is always the same:

Pay attention to your "look," say something different, stand out, be unique, don't be afraid to take the shot, don't be afraid to fail. Nobody remembers the bland, nobody remembers the OK, nobody remembers the kind-of good.  People remember those who make them step back and say "Holy Fuck!".
"Eleven is where comedy needs to go.  Don't tone it down, that is what leads to pablum. Take it to a new level. Take a risk. Forget about labels, go out there and be great!"

More from Andy: When Andy Nulman isn't at the gym, hanging out with his dog, performing theater or heading up Just For Laughs Festival and Television, he can be found blogging at "Pow! Right Between the Eyes" http://powrightbetweentheeyes.typepad.com/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

WICF contributor Kate Conner is a long time comedy nerd who recently took the plunge onto the stage and into the spot light. Kate can be found performing at a wide variety of different venues including Comedyworks, The Comedy Nest, her living room, and the hospital psych ward. Originally from Minnesota, Kate, her husband and their four kids now live in Montréal. Read more about Kate at http://www.lifehysteric.com.

Super(E)man! Standing Up for the Little Guy, Rooting for the Underdog; Bigots, Misogynists, Haters Beware

By WICF Contributor Kate Conner


Watch out bad guys, Montreal comedian Eman is coming for you. She is on a mission, a mission to SAVE THE WORLD!! OK, scratch that, maybe not so much to "save" the world, per se, but she IS trying to make it better … and kinder … and smarter; all through the power of comedy. YAY!

A Muslim Arab woman raised in Canada, building a comedy career, Eman knows a thing or two about struggle.

Eman (née Eman El-husseini) was born to Palestinian parents in Kuwait. As unwelcome strangers in a strange land, Eman recounts, "In Kuwait, we were second class citizens. My family was not allowed to own property. Kuwait was never home for us." Fortunately, her parents had bigger plans, and at the age of 10, her family made the move and settled in Canada.

In Montreal she did feel welcomed. She remembers being "treated like Canadian's instantly," but quickly learned about new kinds of discrimination: namely, Islamphobia, "women aren't funny" syndrome and a combination of the two. Most women in comedy experience some form or another of "women aren't funny" syndrome, but as an Arab woman, Eman also faces an "Arabs aren't funny" bias that is not uncommon in North America.

As a young girl she remembers imitating TV shows and being the class clown. Getting people to laugh at such a young age was a thrill and she knew then that she wanted to someday be in entertainment.  "I always wanted to act and entertain, but I hid this and was a bit ashamed of it. Everyone wants to be a celebrity, why [should I be] any different?"  She eventually got over it and took acting classes. "I was so terrible at it," she says, so she made the decision to give comedy a shot.

Her entry into comedy was a cautious one. Her first step was taking a job at the iconic Comedyworks in downtown Montreal. There she worked as a waitress for over a year before taking the next step and getting on stage herself. Now, five short years later, she has performed all over the world, on stage and on TV.

In addition to her stand-up work, Eman is a prolific producer. With shows like "Kosher Jokes for the Halaladays" (an annual holiday show), which brings Muslims and Jews together by focusing on their similarities, she is establishing herself as one of Montreal's top independent comedy producers.

In August 2011, Eman organized "She's Canadian, Eh", Montreal's first women's comedy showcase, to help draw attention to the vast array of talented female comics working in Canada. (This show will return from August 2-4, 2012.)

BOOM (Best Of Open Mic), a monthly show, running consistently since 2007, was Eman's first production. BOOM highlights the talents of Montreal's newest faces and gives young up and comers an opportunity to perform in front of "real," weekend audiences.

Reflecting on her work, Eman understands her role in broader society. "Comedy is something that minorities have always used to make a connection and project a message," she explains. "People are more likely to remember what you are saying if you say it through comedy."  Lucky for us, Eman is leaving her mark and in the process making the world a better place.

Eman can be found at www.emantertainment.com and on Twitter at @Eman_Comedian.

WICF contributor Kate Conner is a long time comedy nerd who recently took the plunge onto the stage and into the spot light. Kate can be found performing at a wide variety of different venues including Comedyworks, The Comedy Nest, her living room, and the hospital psych ward. Originally from Minnesota, Kate, her husband and their four kids now live in Montréal.

Robby Hoffman: She Doesn't Need (Much) Money, She Just Wants to Make You Laugh

As the seventh of ten children (yeah, that's right, TEN), Montreal comic Robbie Hoffman had (hmmm, what's the best way to put this…) an "accelerated" childhood. As a four-year old, she was changing diapers (no, not her own … gross!). When she was six, she remembers strolling her two-year old sister all alone through the streets of Brooklyn. Coming from a poor family, with nothing outside of herself to offer, Hoffman recognized at a very young age what her gifts were: a big mouth, intelligence and humor, and she quickly learned how to wield them.

By the age of 17, Hoffman was living on her own, working her way through school, taking on any work that she could find, including a stint at McDonald’s, and a dubious telemarketing job. She already knew what she was going to do with her life (by contrast, the author, at 36, is still trying to figure this sh*t out for herself) and that she would some day make a living in comedy. She was also smart enough to know that she needed a solid Plan B. And so she put her comedic aspirations to the side and enrolled herself in an accounting degree program (you know, what all the loquacious, funny kids get into, right?). In 2009, Hoffman graduated McGill with a Bachelor in Commerce, and was immediately hired by a top tier accounting firm.

With "Get an education" and "Land a job with steady income" crossed off of her To Do list, Hoffman began doing stand up a year and a half ago at the age of 23. She started in the indy comedy scene, performing at the occult, smoke filled Comedy Loft (it in itself an interesting story, more on that later ... ). On one occasion, she almost passed out from all of the tobacco fumes (the vodka shots she downed back stage didn't help the situation, either). Here she found a supportive and gracious group of local comics, in a forgiving place where she could learn the art of stand-up.

Today you can find her doing open mics at Montreal's Comedy Nest and Comedy Works and performing her latest one woman show, "Robby Hoffman: Autobiography. So what, you think you're better than me?" at the Montreal Fringe Festival.
At 24, Hoffman has lived a lot of life, and it shows. She comes off more poised, more mature and more grounded than what you'd expect out of someone her chronological age.

Looking back, Hoffman sees, what on paper would be considered a rough childhood, but that is not how she remembers it. The adversity of being poor, being fatherless, being different, gave her an environment to flex her comic muscle, to hone her unique voice. She doesn't remember feeling any stress, she just remembers being happy.

She is still determined as ever to make a living from comedy, but isn't looking for lucrative career. Compared to how she grew up, she has got just about everything that she needs AND she gets to eat out whenever she wants (believe me, this is a BFD, talking to Robby you get the feeling that she was hungry a lot as a kid). She just wants your attention and is going to get it by making you laugh.


For more information on Robby Hoffman, check out her web site at www.robbyhoffman.com.

WICF contributor Kate Conner is a long time comedy nerd, who recently took the plunge onto the stage and into the spot light. Kate can be found performing at a wide variety of different venues including Comedyworks, The Comedy Nest, her living room, and the hospital psych ward. Originally from Minnesota, Kate, her husband and their four kids now live in Montréal.