For fans of the perceptive comedy of Hannah Gadsby, Lindy West, and Sarah Silverman, Academy Awardânominated and acclaimed stand-up comedian Jena Friedman presents a âsmart and thoughtful and even a little offensiveâ (Sacha Baron Cohen) collection of essays on the cultural flashpoints of today.
Growing up, Jena Friedman didnât care about being likable. And she never wanted to be a comedian, either. She wouldnât discover her knack for the funny business until research for her college thesis led her to take an improv class in Chicago.
That anthropology paper, written on race, class, and gender in the cityâs comedy scene, was, in Jenaâs own words, âjust as funny as it sounds.â But it did lay the groundwork for a career that has seen her write and produce for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Late Show with David Letterman, and the Oscar-nominated Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
Friedmanâs âentertaining and soulfulâ (Publishers Weekly) debut collection, Not Funny, takes on the third rails of modern life in Jenaâs bold and subversive style, with essays that explore cancel culture, sexism, work, celebrity worship, andâŚdead baby jokes.
In a moment where womenâs rights are being rolled back, fascism is on the rise, and so many of us could use a breather as we struggle to get by, Jena applies her unique gifts to pull a laugh from things deemed too raw, too precious, and too scary to joke about. She deftly dissects how we get coerced into silence on the issues that matter most, until theyâve gone too far afield to be turned back around again. âA mix of lethal deadpan delivery and biting sarcasm with impressive intelligence not only makes this book phenomenal but announces the arrival of a singular voiceâ (Phoebe Robinson, New York Times bestselling author).