COMMUNITY HANDBOOK 2014
JENNY RUBIN
Photo by Jason Burke
“I always get nervous going into wine stores. They start asking me all these questions about what I’ll be doing, what I’ll be eating. I just tell them I’m looking for something that goes really well with crying.”
A stand-up comedian and writer, Jenny had a YouTube viral hit last year with Shit Native New Yorkers Say. She has written for XOJane, hosts a bi-weekly storytelling/ comedy show (The Jenny Rubin Show) and is currently working on her memoir. Visit twitter.com/jennyrubin and jennyrubin. tumblr.com. Instagram: jruby70. I’ve been doing comedy for about 10 years in New York City, and recently doing more storytelling shows. I had always leaned towards telling a great deal of stories in my stand-up, so over time I’ve enjoyed combining the two. The best gigs are when I am hosting my shows and in my element. That’s when I feel the most at home and able to do whatever I want — and the 32
crowd feels that too. It’s a back and forth kind of thing, very freeing and inspiring. My best gig recently was at Soundtrack Series, a wonderful storytelling show at (Le) Poisson Rouge in the Village, where I got to discuss a few things I never get tired of talking about — growing up in New York and music. Stories about growing up in New York have sort of become my signature thing. My worst gig ever happened years ago at a bar near the Manhattan Bridge. It was a benefit for animals, which is great — but it was at a dive bar, with people yelling and talking, practically throwing bottles across the room…the kind of gig where you are just managing to get words out to get to the end so you can get off stage, because nobody cares and it’s awful. My most reliable joke: I always get nervous going into wine stores. They start asking me all these questions about what I’ll be doing, what I’ll be eating. I just tell them I’m looking for something that goes really well with crying.