Kate Willett
Dissects radical politics and bad dates with a tired, casual shrug.
1 special · 2024
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When Kate Willett takes the stage, she operates at a low, deliberate simmer. She stands squarely in place and delivers stories about queer life and bad men with a tired, conversational drawl. Her rhythm relies on leaning away from the punchline rather than into it. She will describe a chaotic scenario like attending a homophobic Christian camp and let the air out of it with a dry, deadpan observation. She lets the contrast between the messy situations she recounts and the flat boredom in her voice do the heavy lifting.
Specials
On stage
She occupies a distinct space in the comedy ecosystem, bridging dirtbag left internet culture and traditional club crowds. Through her standup and her podcast Reply Guys, she speaks to an audience that wants political awareness without the lecture. Willett pulls this off by making herself the primary target of her own critiques.
Her bits hit hardest when she maps the distance between what she believes and how she actually behaves. She is highly effective at poking holes in modern feminism by admitting how easily she drops her ideals for a convenient date. When she struggles, it happens when a setup requires her to feign outrage. Her default setting is so casual that big emotional swings can feel forced. She is much funnier when she sounds utterly defeated by her own choices.
Coming up in the San Francisco scene before moving to New York, she spent her early career performing in laundromats and dive bars. That specific Bay Area grind provides the DNA for her best material, giving her a deep well of earnest, pseudo-radical behavior to mock.
Turning points
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Debut Album Glass Gutter
Willett released her critically acclaimed debut standup album recorded at San Francisco's The Convent, praised by NPR as a standout release.
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Netflix The Comedy Lineup Showcase
Willett reached global streaming audiences with a 15-minute standup special featured on Netflix's The Comedy Lineup.
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Audible Original Dirtbag Anthropology
Willett expanded into narrative audio by writing and narrating the Audible Original Dirtbag Anthropology.
At a glance
- Style
- storytelling, satire, observational, feminist comedy
- Breakout
- The Comedy Lineup
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Website
Fans also like
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Margaret ChoBoth comedians hail from the San Francisco scene and specialize in raunchy, boundary-pushing personal storytelling centered on sex and feminist progressive viewpoints.
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Jen KirkmanBoth comics deliver sharp, candid feminist humor built on deeply personal life experiences, relationship foibles, and societal expectations.
Podcasts
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Reply Guys · co-host
A leftist feminist political comedy podcast covering reproductive rights, progressive policy, and satirizing online reply guys.
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Nightmares: The Best People Tell Their Worst Dreams · co-host
A comedy show and podcast where guests share and dissect their worst nightmares and dreams.
Also on screen
- Flophouse
- The Jim Jefferies Show
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- Lyfe
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- The Wrongest Number
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- Don't Call It Frisco
A clip to start with
No One Wants to Date 23-Year-Old Guys - Kate Willett - Stand-Up Featuring