Comic Kate Willett Talks Working on the Jim Jeffries Show and Skewering Incels Ahead of May 6 Bookworm Set

Comic Kate Willett Talks Working on 'Jim Jefferies Show' and Skewering Incels Ahead of May 6 Bookworm Set

Kyle Mullin | May 6, 2018 1:00 pm | Add a comment | 2170 reads

From performing at sports bars where she competed for patrons' attention with TV's blaring playoff games, to working as a correspondent on The Jim Jefferies Show, Kate Willett has certainly come a long way. Aside from such a highly coveted role on a satirical TV news show, Willett's other feats include touring with star comics like Margaret Cho, Jen Kirkman, Ali Wong, Dana Gould, Greg Behrendt, and Kyle Kinane (the latter of whom also recently performed in Beijing). Kinane was so impressed by Willett's work that he recently told reporters, "As my opener, she buried me! Fortunately, we were performing in a mortuary.”

Even though the rising California comic has been gaining positive buzz, it's by no means an easy time to be a young and brash female up-and-comer given the rampant misogynistic trolling online and the polarized, hyper-PC political climate of today. Despite all that, Willet fearlessly Tweets brazen critiques online and divulges intimate details onstage, emerging alongside Michelle Wolf and Samantha Bee as part of a boldly feminist comic renaissance that's especially well suited to help counteract the Trump era. Ahead of her May 6 set at the Bookworm, Willett tells us about free speech, bombing, and coming out.

Tell us about one of the craziest moments you experienced while working on The Jim Jefferies Show.
I went to Politicon 2017, which is a convention for people across the political spectrum. I interviewed some pretty wacky people. It was like Comic-Con but for political junkies. The weirdest guy was this dude in an American flag cape who took himself really seriously. He didn’t realize that was funny at all.

What was one of the worst times you've bombed onstage, and how did you deal with it?
When I started comedy I performed in a bunch of sports bars while the game was on. It was pretty hard to get the audience to pay attention, but I tried to just tell my jokes. Sometimes it was fun to win the sports bros over.

You're quite funny on Twitter. I especially enjoyed when you Tweeted: '"Woah, when we said we wanted free speech, we didn't mean for chicks." - Conservatives on Michelle Wolf"' How do you think she did at the White House Correspondent's Dinner?
I thought Michelle Wolf did a great job! She was trending on Twitter for days. She really brought to light the hypocrisy of so many journalists who say they are committed to reporting the truth but get offended by the word “lie,” which is what the Trump White House does all the time. Let’s hope this administration is out by next year!

I also laughed, and shuddered a bit, when you Tweeted: "Really hoping that incels do not find out that standup comedy is a time-honored path for angry socially awkward dudes to get laid." Tell us how comedy can provide catharsis when horrific news like the Toronto attacks dominate headlines.
Comedy can get people to listen to points of view they won’t normally hear out. If you start talking about misogyny, sometimes people will get defensive. But if you make jokes about it, people will usually go with you.

I watched the set you did in Australia this past March on YouTube. Your jokes about societal issues and your anecdote about coming out to your parents were particularly affecting. Have you gotten feedback from fans who went through the same thing, and if so what's that like?
It’s great when people relate to my comedy, particularly stuff that was hard for me at the time but is funny in retrospect. That more than anything else makes me love this job.