The comedy world is heading online to celebrate its favorite stars after a group of top-tier comics dropped some hilarious, unfiltered truths about what it really takes to make people laugh for a living.
During an epic virtual roundtable celebrating Variety’s Comics to Watch alumni ahead of the Netflix Is a Joke Festival, fan favorites including Hannah Berner, Matteo Lane, Zarna Garg, Jay Jurden, Brian Simpson, and Jenny Yang came together for a laugh-out-loud conversation that quickly went viral.
From dealing with brutal hecklers to navigating the wild world of modern mental health, nothing was off-limits for this hilarious crew.
The Wildest Therapy Confession Online
The conversation took a deeply relatable and viral turn when the group began discussing mental health and how comedy often doubles as a coping mechanism. While Jenny Yang proudly announced she actually finished therapy after quitting her old day job, Zarna Garg stole the show with a jaw-dropping story about a friend’s therapy habits.
“I have a friend who said he’s done with therapy,” Garg shared during the chat. “And I found out a week after he said he was done, he has two therapists because he was too scared to quit the first therapist. They hired the second therapist to give him the courage to get out of seeing his first therapist.”
The internet immediately erupted over the confession, with fans on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok quickly turning the double-therapy dilemma into a trending topic.
Surviving Onstage Nightmares
The stars also opened up about the grueling reality of performing live, sharing horror stories that had fans cringing and laughing at the same time. Brian Simpson recalled a disastrous fraternity week gig where he performed in front of older, church-going Black women holding fans who did not approve of his language.
“I went on stage and I forget what I said – I think it was something about weed,” Simpson recalled. “And they started booing. But they have their own booing sound… This whole room just starts making this sound.” After Simpson accidentally used a curse word, the organizers immediately cut his microphone. “I was so embarrassed I didn’t even stay to get paid,” he admitted.
Jay Jurden quickly joked back, “It’s fine you didn’t stay to get paid, they would have just paid you in peppermints and strawberry candy anyway.”
Meanwhile, Matteo Lane shared a nightmare story from his early days on the road co-headlining with Lisa Trager at what he called “the worst clubs in America.” During one unforgettable set, a fire alarm went off mid-show, forcing the audience outside while the host tried to sell mix tapes next to the fire trucks. To make matters worse, once they went back inside, the same heckler was waiting to terrorize the stage all over again.
How Social Media Changed the Game
While the road can be brutal, the comedians credit platforms like Instagram and TikTok for completely changing the entertainment landscape and taking power away from industry gatekeepers.
Matteo Lane revealed that mainstream networks repeatedly passed on his work before he took matters into his own hands. “Netflix said no to me so many times I wanted to call my last special ‘Netflix Said No,'” Lane confessed. He explained that fellow comic Andrew Schulz advised him to cut up his hour-long set and post it online. “And I did and it exploded and it allowed me to connect with a larger audience,” Lane shared.
Hannah Berner agreed that the internet has created a much more inclusive space for new talent who might not feel safe or welcome at traditional a.m. open mics in comedy clubs.
“The internet has been a beautiful place where someone might not feel comfortable going to bars at a.m. in the Bronx but they start posting online and cultivating their audience,” Berner noted.
With millions of views accumulating across social platforms as fans share clips of the interview, it is clear that these comics have mastered the art of making people laugh both on the stage and on our screens.
