Jackie Monahan is a hilarious, irreverent, and (totally-not-the-point-but-she-is) really hot comedian, headlining at clubs and colleges around the country. Currently cutting audiences up on the LOL tour, Jackie won Time Out New York’s “Joke of the Year” award, starred in the acclaimed film, Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same, ran a hit podcast on the HERE Network called Girls on Girls, and is a featured performer on LOGO’s One Night Stand Up Part 2 special. An out lesbian, Jackie makes everyone laugh with her witty observations of gay life, sketch comedy pieces, and perfect timing. Her comedy, Prime Comedy Jam, can be seen on-demand on Showtime.
Krista Burton (interviewer) is the author of the popular, award-winning blog, Effing Dykes, a blog about harnessing your lesbian gaydar. She likes girls more than anything in the world, and she writes about them from her home in Chicago — if you’re a loyal Daily BR!NK reader, you might notice that she was featured on the site a few months ago.
So you’re a lesbian. Me too! I don’t know how you identify. “Femme”?
Not really. People identify me as “femme.” I was never butch, even when I try to be.
Wait, back it up. What’s your idea of butch?
No makeup, baseball hat, jeans, baggy t-shirts… Before I came out I’d wear a leather coat, combat boots, and I dressed more like a stereotypical lesbian. A year after I came out I started liking dresses.
I totally feel you. See, when I first came out, I pierced my lips to look gayer and that didn’t work. [laughs] It could be cowboy boots, ripped up jeans, or the lip-pierced thing, but nothing. Would you say that most of your comedy is lesbian-centric?
Half of it is. People know I’m gay, but I don’t talk about it necessarily. I do a lot of gay shows, so I like to put in the lesbian jokes when the occasion arises.
If you don’t mind me saying, you’re pretty hot. Do you think that having other people perceive you as attractive helps them appreciate you more?
You know, I get mixed responses. My best friend was part of the audience once, and he told me that the women were like, “ugh,” and hated me, while the men were banging their hands, bent-over laughing. But other times straight women like me a lot.
It’s contextual, right?
Totally. I was just in a movie, Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (more on that later, you can bet), and when it showed in Los Angeles, at least thirty separate people commented on one scene and said it was their favorite. In all of the other cities it had screened at, no one had even talked about it. It might only take one person to laugh for others to look at the scene differently. It depends. I have found that gay men are my favorite audiences, though.
