Being single — in a funny way
Comedian Jen Kirkman has no desire for either marriage or kids
“I thought the three-picture deal from MGM would come in ...”
— JEN KIRKMAN AFTER TAP DANCING ON CONAN SHOW
Jen Kirkman feels bad she took a bath recently.
The L.A.-based standup comedian and author admitted on her weekly podcast — I Seem Fun: The Diary of Jen Kirkman — that she was doing part of the episode from her bathtub in dry-as-a-bone California.
“I was feeling really guilty about that bath because of the drought, but it will be my only one,” said Kirkman by phone from her L.A. home.
Comedy lovers will recognize the comic, who’s at the Biltmore Cabaret on June 26, from her many appearances on the roundtable for the now defunct Chelsea Lately show.
She has also made appearances on late-night talk shows, done Drunk History episodes, recorded two comedy albums and her first book, I Can Barely Take Care of Myself, became an instant New York Times Bestseller in 2013.
Her debut Netflix Original Comedy Special I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine) is now available.
“I guess I will know how well it did on their end if I work for them again,” said Kirkman, explaining you don’t get ratings from the streaming service. “But I’m getting more feedback on this than anything I have ever done.
“It has reached people that want to watch comedy, people who are willing to sit down and watch a comedian they have never heard of,” added Kirkman. “These are new people I am hearing from. People that had no I idea I existed or did comedy at all.”
She is currently working on her second book — I Know What I’m Doing and Other Lies I tell Myself — which is set for publication next year.
“I realize both my books’ titles begin with I and end with myself, so I will probably be called a narcissist or something,” said Kirkman.
As those titles suggest, there is a fair bit of self-reflection in Kirkman’s comedy. She is single, 40, and has no kids. And yes, that’s completely fine with her.
As for the future she doesn’t know what will happen in the single department, but she does know that kids are not something she wants.
“Everyone feels a little differently about their child-free-ness,” said Kirkman, a native of Needham, Mass. “I feel no pressure because there really are so many different types of child-free people. Some people are like ‘I just want to have pets.’ I don’t even want pets. Then some people are very anti-children. I don’t really want to be seen as that. I just don’t want kids.” As for her live standup, Kirkman said: “Everyone gets a different message out of it depending on what they are going through. Some people think I am the ‘singles’ spokesperson.
“Some people think I am antimarriage and I am not any of these things but if they are getting that out of it and that’s fine, great.”
Kirkman’s first interest in the performing arts began at a young age when she was enrolled in dance, a talent she demonstrated on a recent Conan show.
“Gee I’ve been waiting for the calls from Hollywood and they just haven’t come. I really thought the world would catch on fire,” said Kirkman about her late-night tap dancing debut. “I thought the three-picture deal from MGM would come in like the old days.”
While she pursued dancing as a kid it became apparent she wasn’t going to find show-business gold under her feet. For college, she shifted her focus to theatre.
“I realized people thought I was a funnier actor than a serious one,” Kirkman said of that experience, adding that she also realized then that she worked best alone.
“If I am going to be on stage getting laughs I want to control everything myself,” said Kirkman. “My calling was to work for myself.”
Right now Kirk manistouring extensively, something she says she’ll continue to do, despite the books and TV scripts.
“I want to get to the point where I am playing bigger places and making more money,” said Kirkman. “It is the only job I want to have. It is who I am, so I will never stop.”