Meet Hannah Einbinder — A Comedian To Watch In 2020
Her mom is an SNL alum.
instagram There are plenty of people out there who find comedy funny, whether written or performed by men or women. But still, some hold onto the silly idea that women aren’t funny. In fact, John Belushi once stupidly claimed that women are just “fundamentally not funny.”
Saturday Night Live alum Jane Curtin even once revealed, “You’d go to a table read, and if a woman writer had written a piece for John, he would not read it in his full voice. He felt as though it was his duty to sabotage pieces written by women.”
Luckily, we’ve come a long way since these outdated and misogynistic views. Funny women have created their own shows, podcasts, movies, stand-up routines, and improv groups. And there’s no stopping it! Heck, Google “funny women” and the results are endless.
As Vulture pointed out with their round-up of comedians to pay attention to, there are talented (and very funny) people we need to pay attention to. So, who is Hannah Einbinder?
1. Her mom is a comedian.
Einbinder’s mother is none other than Laraine Newman, who was an original cast member on Saturday Night Live! Lorne Michaels hired Newman in 1974 after seeing her work with The Groundlings, an improv and sketch group. Following in her mom’s footsteps!
2. She’s an actress.
Einbinder has appeared in a few television shows, including How To Be Broke, and The Norman News: Year 39. She’s also appeared in the short, I Might Be Famous.
3. She’s a comedian.
In 2019, Einbinder was selected to appear as a New Face at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. NPR listed her as one of the 10 standout picks, describing her set as such: “Hannah Einbinder opted out of the usual ‘So I’m from so-and-so’ setup and instead went with a noir-musical retelling of her childhood. There’s a self-aware, 1930s vibe that Einbinder played with throughout her whole set — it’s not so much that she romanticizes that era, but it’s a ridiculous premise that lets her shift around her voice as needed.”
She’s a regular performer at theaters and clubs around the country, and has also appeared on the podcast You Can Tell Me Anything, hosted by Teresa Lee.
In her episode, Einbinder confessed “to a racket she ran at outdoor music festivals where she stole bottles from the bar and gave them to her friends. We talk about both being cheerleaders in high school, the idea of letting go of what other people think of you, and how the idea of the perfect parent must die before we can grow up.”
4. She has strong opinions on stand-up.
Einbinder penned a piece for Flaunt on the future of stand-up. In a partial excerpt, she wrote:
“Some things about stand-up will never change: the barrage of failure, the anguish, the relentless pursuit to master an unattainable craft. But if, by some act of God, scientists are able to reverse the damage human activity has done to our environment, prevent the impending threat of nuclear war, and stop people from wearing those incredibly tacky high heels made entirely of clear plastic — if there is a future at all ... the future of stand-up ought to be swell!
...Today, aside from several institutionally revered comedy clubs, almost all comedy is performed at independent theaters, coffee shops, breweries, backyards, bookstores, in front of a dumpster, bus stop, gutter, sewer, co-op, living room, you name it! What was alternative in the 90s is now the new normal, but with two terrifying and fun new factors: The Internet and technology.
The Internet has been both vital and detrimental to the comedian’s process. Social media’s upside: it gives everyone their own platform. The down side: it gives everyone their own platform. This makes it wildly difficult for comedians without a following to be seen. It’s like being packed shoulder to shoulder in a room full of people, and it’s everyone’s birthday..."
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.