Jena Friedman
Deadpan standup built from the bleakest political realities.
1 special · 2017
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Jena Friedman performs in a total deadpan. She stands on stage delivering bleak observations about reproductive rights or the criminal justice system with the detached tone of someone reading an annual report. When a punchline lands, often a grim joke about male entitlement or a legal loophole, she pauses just long enough for the audience to register the premise before the laugh breaks. She does not smile to let the room off the hook. She simply waits.
Specials
On stage
Friedman operates in a space somewhere between standup and field reporting. Her background producing field segments for The Daily Show and writing for the second Borat film informs her stage act. She approaches comedy like a research assignment, bypassing traditional setups to point out the absurdity of broken systems. She is the comic other writers look to when they want to see how to tackle heavy political material without lecturing.
Her work stays focused on the darkest parts of the culture, from violence against women to legal corruption. In Ladykiller, she taped the hour visibly pregnant, a physical reality that sharpened her material on the loss of bodily autonomy. She uses her calm affect to contrast the chaos she describes. The density of her material requires intense audience focus, and a crowd looking for easy escapism often gets flattened by the sheer volume of grim details she outlines.
When a room meets her on her terms, the silences she pulls from the crowd are just as deliberate as the laughs.
Turning points
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2015–2016
Breakthrough Acclaim for American Cunt
Friedman debuted her solo show American Cunt at the Edinburgh Fringe, leading to a Seeso comedy special recognized by Paste as one of 2016's best standup releases.
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Day-One Cancellation of Roseanne Revival
After being hired to write on Roseanne by Roseanne Barr, the series was cancelled on the exact day Friedman was scheduled to start following Barr's racist Twitter rant.
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Oscar Nomination for Borat Screenplay
Friedman contributed to the screenplay of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
At a glance
Podcasts
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The Epstein Files Book Club · co-host
A podcast co-hosted with journalist Elise Hu focusing on contemporary politics and navigating turbulent times.
Also on screen
- 2018–2019
- Soft Focus with Jena Friedman
- Palm Springs
- True Crime Story: Indefensible
A clip to start with
A clip of Jena Friedman