Jen Kirkman
Intricately detailed rants delivered with the velocity of pure exasperation.
2 specials · 2015–2017
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Jen Kirkman performs with the exasperated velocity of someone who has just had a frustrating conversation in the lobby and needs you to hear exactly why she was right. She builds momentum through the sheer accumulation of detail. She will take a minor interaction with a stranger and wind it up into an elaborate, breathless diatribe, gesturing sharply before suddenly dropping her voice to a quiet, deadpan whisper to land the final insult. She stays planted at the mic stand, physically leaning into the crowd as she builds her case.
Specials
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A sarcastic hour on meditation, solo travel, and street harassment.
Netflix · 69 min
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I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine)
An hour about divorce, turning 40, and remaining child-free by choice.
Netflix · 78 min
On stage
She commands a dedicated live following, though her focus often shifts toward television writing and her neurodivergent-centered podcast. Her standup specials from the late 2010s serve as touchstones for comics trying to construct long-form narrative sets without sacrificing the punchline count.
Her best material isolates the odd logic of people who demand to know why she lives alone or doesn’t have children. She doesn’t just complain about these interactions. She acts out both sides of the dialogue, tilting her head to adopt the patronizing tone of a married friend before snapping back to her own voice to shut them down. When a story loses momentum, it is usually because the sheer volume of narrative detail overtakes the jokes, leaving the room quiet and attentive rather than laughing. But when the balance holds, she traps the audience inside the exact frustration she felt in the moment.
A veteran of late-night roundtables and historical sketch television, her broader career—including her work writing for streaming comedies—relies on the same sharp, detail-oriented worldview that drives her standup.
Turning points
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Sundance Award for Drunk History Narration
Kirkman served as narrator for Drunk History on Funny or Die, which won the Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
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New York Times Bestselling Debut Book
Published I Can Barely Take Care of Myself, a memoir about living happily without children that became an instant New York Times bestseller.
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Release of Breakthrough Special on Netflix
Premiered her stand-up special I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine) on Netflix, gaining critical acclaim and Top 10 rankings from major publications.
At a glance
- Born
- , Needham, Massachusetts
- On stage
- since 1997
- Style
- observational, storytelling
- Breakout
- I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine)
- Influences
- Joan Rivers, Howard Stern, Roseanne Barr, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, David Spade, Sam Kinison, George Carlin, Morrissey
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Website, Wikipedia, Instagram
Fans also like
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Maria BamfordBoth comedians frequently performed together on the Los Angeles alternative stand-up scene and explore personal neuroses onstage.
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Chelsea HandlerFans appreciate their shared sharp, unapologetic sensibility regarding modern womanhood and their close creative collaboration on Chelsea Lately.
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Mike BirbigliaBoth share a commitment to long-form, conversational narrative comedy grounded in vulnerable personal experience.
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Paul F. TompkinsBoth share creative chemistry and rapport honed through collaborative comedic podcasting and LA alternative rooms.
Podcasts
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No Fun · host
Weekly solo podcast where Jen Kirkman talks into a microphone about spontaneous thoughts and what is on her mind.
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You Are A Lot · host
An ADHD podcast discussing coping mechanisms, diagnoses, and phantom feelings of overwhelm.
Also on screen
- Acceptable.TV
- 2008–2014
- Chelsea Lately
- 2010–2018
- Drunk History
- After Lately
- Home Again
A clip to start with
A clip of Jen Kirkman