Not Funny

Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Etcetera

By: Jena Friedman

Narrated by: Jena Friedman

For fans of the perceptive comedy of Hannah Gadsby, Lindy West, and Sarah Silverman, Academy Award–nominated and acclaimed stand-up comedian Jena Friedman presents a “smart and thoughtful and even a little offensive” (Sacha Baron Cohen) collection of essays on the cultural flashpoints of today.

Growing up, Jena Friedman didn’t care about being likable. And she never wanted to be a comedian, either. She wouldn’t 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 city’s comedy scene, was, in Jena’s own words, “just as funny as it sounds.” 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.

Friedman’s “entertaining and soulful” (Publishers Weekly) debut collection, Not Funny, takes on the third rails of modern life in Jena’s bold and subversive style, with essays that explore cancel culture, sexism, work, celebrity worship, and…dead baby jokes.

In a moment where women’s 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 they’ve gone too far afield to be turned back around again. “A mix of lethal deadpan delivery and biting sarcasm with impressive intelligence not only makes this book phenomenal but announces the arrival of a singular voice” (Phoebe Robinson, New York Times bestselling author).

©2023 Jena Friedman. All rights reserved. (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Not funny. Exactly

I was looking forward to this book, written by a well known comedian, thinking I would be laughing all the way through. While somewhat entertaining. It certainly wasn’t funny. Nor was it any more enlightening as to the plights of female performers preyed on by misogynistic male counterparts. There was no insight on how to curb these actions, just complaints. Sorry Jena, but it seemed like this was a sloppy, contrived attempt just to make more money rather than an artistic, funny work of genius that you are obviously capable of. Anyway, be comforted knowing I fell for it and bought the book. Oh, and being a sucker for your work, I’ll probably buy your next one too.

Profound insights

The author, which I didn’t know, is a “comic” in the lingo, but I have often admired these professional “communicators” ( my lingo) and this lady comic surpassed my initial hopes as I chose this audiobook in a haphazard way. This lady gave me an insider look at the life and hardships of a fine example of this important job/social/function. I will search and try to find her performances online…. And I’m glad to add her name to my list (Samantha Bee, Rachel Maddow, …)

Delightful and very funny

Well-written trip through life in comedy pre- and post pandemic. I enjoyed the inside look at the business and description of bias still present in that workplace.

Not funny

Didn’t laugh at all. Also no one is a fan of baby murder. Also I hate mandates on minimum words.

Fabulous, as always!

I wish I had known about Jena sooner, but loved her show Indefensible and was eager to read more of her work via this book. She is fearless (ish) and incredibly brave and persistent for giving voice to the experience of the majority of women living in today’s mad world. Please, please, please keep working and producing more content. We need you!

I found the title misleading

Not Funny is not not funny. It is, in fact, actually funny. And enlightening. And insightful. Glad I listened

It’s Tough Being a Women in Comedy

I had higher hopes for this book. Jena had a lovely childhood and a bright future, and she decided to take a run at stand up comedy. While funny at times, her story was not terribly interesting. The best elements of the book was the reality of bullshit faced by women comics that doesn’t exist for men. It is real and frustrating and deserves to be known, but that could be an article in The Atlantic or the NYT Magazine. The rest of the book just wasn’t compelling.

motivating and hilarious

I absolutely love this book. no book by a comic based on real life comes anywhere close to being as entertaining and informative. Jena is a great talent without compare.

So not funny, I cried, but in a good way

I absolutely loved this book. Jenna is hilarious and raw and exactly what I needed right now. Just like every other project of hers, I was fully invested and now I'm sad it's over and in need of more Jena. Definitely not for everyone, maybe check out her other works before investing if unsure. A true portrait of realistic feminism.

This book helped me understand something about the female experience in a male dominated industry.

 I really liked the part where she interviewed a bunch of well-known male comedians and ask them the same questions that she gets as a female comedian, it was enlightening to say the least.

I really hope we as men can do better. We are, brothers, lovers, husbands, friends and everyone of us, sons of women. 

We all benefit from making the world a better place for women. This book is a fun, and funny primer and on practical feminism.

Get this book and use it as a mirror to see how you’re doing in regards to how you treat women. And enjoy.