Sorry to have disappeared like that for the past couple days, but this time of transition to which I’ve alluded a few times has begun. I’ll mention more about that over the weekend or on Monday, but for now, it’s not to jump for joy because my friend Lily and I are back with more Gothamist Interviews. In January, we swapped one of our days with another interviewer’s, so this month, we start today and will be publishing six interviews. We have something special going on next week: a themed week of interviews that readers of this site and cinephiles should enjoy.
But who cares about next week when today we’ve got the 2004 “Hot Funny Girl” (according to Rolling Stone), Jessi Klein? A bit of full disclosure here: about two years ago I interviewed for a job in development at VH1. The executive with whom I met gave me videotapes of two then-pilots to take home and write notes on. One of those pilots was the original presentation for Best Week Ever, and one of the original panelists was Jessi Klein. I had several notes on the show, but one of them was why would an audience give a crap about what a bunch of people they’ve never heard of, rather than some better known “talent,” would say about pop culture. I mean, who is Jessi Klein?!?
I don’t know if that comment was the reason I didn’t get the job, but obviously I was wrong because Best Week Ever has turned into a pretty fun show, fulfilling the exact purpose VH1 intended, and Jessi Klein is one funny-as-hell woman who will repeatedly tell you that she’s a nobody. She’s also nice-as-hell, and was gracious enough to spend some time chatting with me. The result of our conversation is today’s interview, and personally, I think it’s one of the better reads Lily and I have produced so far.
I went to see Jessi’s weekly show with co-host Nick Kroll a couple weeks ago. It’s called “Welcome to Our Week,” and it plays for free at Cinema Classics on E. 11th Street every Thursday night at 8 PM. Jessi and Nick host, and their bits are interspersed throughout an evening of other (usually) great comedians. (The night I went, Jessi’s BWE co-panelist Paul Scheer appeared pretending to be a serial killer who was on temporary furlough so he could fulfill his love of performing stand-up comedy. Needless to say, the “jokes” were incredible inappropriate and not exactly “funny,” but the bit was hysterical and I was crying from laughing during much of it.) I would definitely suggest people check-out the show as Jessi and Nick have a fantastic chemistry and riff off each other in what seems like an effortless manner. And besides, you can’t beat the price.
And be sure to come back on Monday for the beginning of another five consecutive days of interviews that in our own way provide a perfect lead-up to this year’s Academy Awards on Sunday 2/27.
Out of Focus 