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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Not Smart Enough

Janet McNamara

YouTube · 2026 · 46 min

Deadpan stand-up on failed autism assessments and office life.

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Released , on YouTube.

Janet McNamara spent years being pushed into clinical evaluations for autism, only to be rejected three separate times by doctors who claimed she was too coordinated or held eye contact too well. The title comes from an evaluator who decided she did not fit the profile simply because her IQ was too average. She treats the rejection not as a tragedy, but as ordinary administrative nonsense, delivered with the patience of someone who spent fifteen years doing corporate accounting.

Recorded at The Gutter in Brooklyn and released in early 2026, the 45-minute set helped move McNamara from Massachusetts day jobs onto the Comedy Cellar lineup.

Her material focuses on sabotaging psychological exams to avoid extra diagnoses, the sensory misery of corporate conference calls, and why sex strikes her as largely inconvenient. She skips punchline gymnastics in favor of plain, unhurried narrative timing.

Notable bits & set list

6 bits

  1. Not Smart Enough for Autism

    Recounts undergoing multiple neuropsychological tests for autism at the urging of coworkers and therapists, only to be told by a doctor that people with Asperger's generally have above-average IQs—making her not smart enough to qualify—and failing the diagnostic criteria simply because shirt tags do not bother her.

  2. Telling the Boss to Relax

    Details being disciplined in a workplace performance review for email tone and lack of socialization, asserting that greeting coworkers once on Monday should suffice for the entire week.

  3. Texting Her Late Father

    Explains that she texts her deceased father's old phone number, finding comfort when the new number holder replies 'I'm not your dad,' because that is exactly what her father used to say.

  4. Stopping at Crosswalks

    Describes stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks solely for the feeling of power that comes with knowing she could kill them.

  5. Babies and Attractiveness Studies

    Critiques 1990s scientific studies showing babies smile more at attractive people, questioning why society derives its social values from infants.

  6. Not Gay

    Explains the awkwardness of having to tell her family that she is not gay, but simply prefers dressing comfortably.

How it plays

Tone
Acerbic, blunt, self-deprecating, candid, and dry.
On stage
Deadpan, unpretentious, unbothered, and confrontational; delivers jokes with a straight face and minimal movement, keeping the microphone in the stand and leaning forward into the audience on punchlines.
Pace
Low-energy, measured cadence with sharp, tightly structured setups and unexpected punchlines.
About
Autism evaluations and neurodivergence, Workplace culture and HR reviews, Disdain for sex and dating norms, Beauty standards and aging, Grief and family relationships

What the critics said

Praised for her finely tuned, sentence-level joke craftsmanship, low-energy demeanor, and acerbic Boston comedic voice, balancing blunt vulnerability with sharp, unpretentious timing.

In the room: Engaged and laughing steadily in an intimate live club setting.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: pgfrecords.bandcamp.com, prettygoodfriends.com, standupd.com, bostonglobe.com, vanyaland.com.

Backstory

Works as a corporate accountant and pushed harder into stand-up after the COVID-19 pandemic reshuffled Boston's comedy club bookers; material addresses navigating workplace friction, grief over her father's death, and repeatedly undergoing autism evaluations without receiving a diagnosis.

Details

Released
Taped
The Gutter, Brooklyn
Runtime
46 min
Where
YouTube
Topics

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