Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - 199. Jordan Jensen: You Can’t Say That (But Actually You Can)

Episode Date: January 19, 2026

This week Mike sits down with comedian Jordan Jensen. A master of turning taboo topics into comedy- as seen in her Netflix special Take Me With You- Jordan explains how her fearless, no filter stage persona coexists with her emotional, more vulnerable side. Plus, the story of how caring for her paralyzed friend led her to stand-up, why Jordan almost bit Laura Dern on the set of Bradley Cooper’s film Is This Thing On?, and the time someone from the audience tried to fight her.Please consider donating to Humane World for Animals Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is great. It feels very self-aggrandizing. Is this all interview? I want to ask you questions. How did you not flinch when all those toys dropped? How did you not flinch? Did you edit out the flinch? No, it's an optical illusion that like they're around me. They're not around me. They're behind me. But if you had jumped a little bit, it would have taken you out of it. Yeah, yeah, totally. It's so good. I'm glad you got your question in. I really. I bet I do. I watch that. Every interview, you get one question. That was yours. That's great. That is the voice of the great Jordan Jensen, turn in the tables on me. It's the first time someone has requested

to ask a question of the interviewer on the show, which is a testament to how many questions I asked. It's a good episode today. The Jordan, of course, if you don't know with a reference, she's asking why I didn't flinch when the toys dropped in my special, the new one. We talk about that today a little bit. We talk about Jordan's new special

on Netflix, which is called Take Me With You, which is so funny and raw and crosses the line, goes close to the line in so many different ways. We talk about that just as a concept today. Jordan talks about a lot of dark stuff, especially even on the show today, talks about a lot of dark stuff, which I love, but if that's not for you, this might not be for you, but I think it's a great interview. She's also a great actor. She's in the new movie Is This Thing On? written and directed by Bradley Cooper, starring Will Arnette and Laura Dern. She is a great comic.

We have a great chat. I think you're going to love it. By the way, next week is our 200th episode. Count it. 200 episodes. We thank you so much for coming with us on this journey. We have booked a very special guest, and I won't even reveal who it's going to be yet,

but you can guess. Thanks to everyone who supported us over these past, almost six years, five and a half years. There's so much great stuff to come. Also, thanks for everyone who's signed up for the working it out premium. We just dropped another bonus episode with my wife, Jenny,

where we talk about jokes and poems. Someone messaged me this weekend says the people who subscribe to premium should be called the Berbelia for Familia. And I was like, it ain't terrible.

I was like, it's a little corny, but I was also like, maybe the Berbilia familia. There's more stuff coming. Thanks for subscribing to that. And if you do subscribe, by the way, you get no ads. Some people like the ads. My wife likes the ads. But some people really don't like the ads,

which is part of the reason we did the premium. By the way, thanks to everyone who came out to see me all out on Broadway. I had such a blast with Cessley Strong, Wayne Brady, and Beck Bennett. The show continues with a rotating cast. I love this chat with Jordan Jensen. We talk about her background, which is so fascinating and unique in Ithaca, New York. We talk about how she started practicing stand-up

for her paralyzed friend, who she was caring for, kind of really inspiring, unique story. I find her to be hilarious. No filter. If you're able to see Jordan live, she's fantastic. This week, she's in Cleveland, and then Tempe, then Salt Lake City, Houston, New Orleans, Boston, Cincinnati. She's just a great comic.

If you're able to see her live, you should. She is a live wire. I love watching her. I think you're going to love this one. Enjoy my conversation with the great Jordan Jensen. I feel like the special exploded. Like, I feel like I met you like a year or two ago, and you had stuff going on, but now it just feels like it's,

I saw you the other day. I'm like, you're in your career is going really well and you're like, yeah. It's really weird. It's really weird. I mean, the special happened at the same time. I recorded the special and then I was in the movie, but they weren't related.

Right. Bradley Cooper's movie. Is this thing on? Yeah, Bradley Cooper's movie that had to go on our net and was a lot of a shot at the comedy seller. Yeah. So it was like two things at once that I think made it seem like it was.

Like you're an ick or. Right, right, right, right. But I think it was like, I think it's a coincidence. And also it's just the other thing that makes people think that it's like exploding is I'm so, I'm, I am one of these person that people talk shit about where they're like, I'm so sick of seeing standup clips three times a week. Like I'm like, just get it out. Get. Yeah. I have no beef with the internet.

I never had the like, these face to camera videos that people are doing during the pandemic. I was like, that's great. Like that's an open mic for me. I'm very much like, this is a tool. Yeah. And I'm so happy it exists. Like, so you're in existing on sort of as a variation of yourself, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I think she's by, which I'm not, but I seem by. But like... And she's a nurse. I remember when Bradley was just sort of hanging around the club. It was so weird. Wasn't that so weird? I was like a whole thing. The idea of being Will Arnett.

And Bradley Cooper, he'd be like, all right, I guess. And Bradley just watching Will as he did stand up in the back. I was like, this is the scariest thing. It was interesting to watch because, Will Arnette would do stand-up in character. And some people would know who he was, famous actor Will Arnett, from Arsett's from Arsett but also like some people wouldn't.

And it would be this thing where like his character was bombing, but really it's him bombing. Yeah. So brave. I was like, this is crazy. Because then he's doing like, if there are three chunks in the movie of him doing stand-up where he gets better and better,

it's like he's basically doing all of them when he would go up. Yeah. So it's like a little unhinged because it's like it's these dissected pieces that he's slamming together. Yeah. And then he would run through it. And I was like, this is crazy to not. At the end, be like, just, you know, this is for a movie. I'm not an insane person.

Oh, totally. And so did Bradley just sort of, did you meet him at the club? And then he was like, hey, would you want to do this thing in my movie? They were like, I got, there was casting going on. And then they were like, read for Jill and for Nina, which is. Chloe Radcliffe's part. And I am like... Who your buddies with?

Yeah, which was awesome. But I'm like very nude auditioning. So I basically had like my laptop on books and it was falling and I had a sinus infection and my dog kept getting in the frame and I was like, I'm sorry, read it. You know, and they were like, you're perfect. We want you for Jill, obviously. And it was, I think the casting director had followed my standup and was a fan. And then they sent it to Bradley Cooper and he's like, yeah, that's what we want.

How you met him at the club? No, I just seen him and coward. Oh, and not been gone over. No, no, no, no. You were just afar. I mean, I was like way star-stroke. I mean, I'm like obsessed with him. I grew up obsessed with him.

Yeah. Yeah, Silver Lining's Playbook I've seen. Totally. Hundreds of times. Stars born. It's really fucked up. It's crazy. He like, yeah.

He'll like talk about, he talked about me on Rogan and I like fully dissociated and was like imagining myself as a little kid seeing him do that. And I was like, this is not. This is insane. It was crazy. Were you able to come? down on set? Like your performance is so relaxed that I'm like kind of not believing you.

Okay, so the thing that helped is I realized that I would, we were in the power seats because we were comics. Yeah. And he wanted, he thought the comedians were so cool. And I was like, oh, he thinks we are cool. Right. And then that was able to know. Yeah.

Right. And then that was able to meet for me to be like, Bradley, show up. You know what I mean? Like not, but it was able for me to be like, joke with him and be like, way more playful with him because I felt like I had a little bit more of a leg up. Totally. Because he was in my house. Totally.

You know what I mean? He was like, where do you put your jackets? What do you eat? What do you do this? How would you say this? Yeah. And so because I was in a position of like, I'm asking you, he was, which is, I think is a good move. Well, yeah, I think that's the way to do it.

I mean, that's certainly when I'm directing, I'm trying to like, you're trying to get people to act like how roughly they would act with these work. with these words. Yeah. Or not the words. Like when he was directing and he was like, tell Arnett that you want to have sex with him.

Like, he was like, tell him you want to, you want to sleep with him. I was like, I actually can't say the words I would like to sleep. That's actually never, I cannot conjure that up. So I was just like, we should fuck. And he was like, great, that's what I mean.

I was like, I can't. So, but I don't know what it would be like to be in a movie where they're like, you need to cry right now. You know, I don't know what that would feel like, but because he was like, I defered to you.

It was funny. I would describe your special and I love the special, but I would describe it as like, if someone had actually no filter, the way that a lot of these, like, comedians are like, you can't say anything anymore, like, let me just say, you know, I think they're trying to be you, actually.

Oh, like. Oddly. I think, like, a lot of times you see these people complain about, like, comedians complain, like, you can't say anything more. And, like, and then they don't kind of say much. Right, right, right, right. Yeah. You're like, okay, but...

Totally. But actually, you can say stuff, and, like, you're not that interesting. Right. So I don't know what you're fighting for exactly. Yeah. But your special is, like, what if there actually were no rules, and I'm going to just say a ton of shit that you would think you can't say? Yeah.

And in how this relates to the conversation that night, you're a romantic. I'm a soft, soft baby. It's really crazy. Yeah, it's like I have very much an exterior. like don't fuck with me thing and then but behind i mean that's fucks men up too because they're like i think i'm getting a girl who like boxes and will step on my balls and does comedy and is a very like a bro and then behind closed doors i'm like but do you love me but do you think that i'm putting in my fat do you think that am i stupid and my and it's like they're like no i did not sign up

for this when did they find out about that version of jordan okay no i trapped them two weeks in and then yeah and then i start to do it i'm now dating somebody who's like oh Oh, thank God. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, thank God there's like a scared child in there because I had a feeling. Yeah, yeah, totally. Good for you.

Yeah. But it is, but in so many, they're like, I got duped. Like, I thought we were going to play video games and throw a football round. Yeah, yeah, totally. And I'm like, no, I'm scared of football. Because my family is like super gruff. I was not. I was like a sad little Maldoth who used to write poetry.

Like I'm a softie. My mom is like D1 athlete, my sister, my dad, all athletes. and I was super fat, super weird, OCD, journaling, writing, crafting. Yeah. And they were like, what the hell is this thing doing in our house? Yeah. So I've grown up being like, no, I'm strong like my mommy and daddy, but I'm not at all. I'm a huge bitch.

It's weird because I actually think this opens out to like all, not just comedians, but all artists. And then all kind of like, I was even like eccentric. Yeah. It's like you just go like, can I ever be with? with anyone? And that is a fundamental question. I still think it's really weird. The idea of being like...

The idea of not throwing a grenade in just for the sake of material... Just for the sake of material. You know what I mean? Like, the idea of just having, like, steady as she goes is really scary to me. And I think that's why I sign up

for these tumultuous relationships. Well, I think part of it is... Like, you're saying, it's throwing a grenade in of whatever, talking about it on stage. but I actually think like the throwing the grenade in partly is that as comedians, you're talking about your life, you're kind of disassociating from your own life. Yeah.

Like, I'm going to put a version of my life into the public. Right. And it's not even necessarily true or accurate, but it's a version of how I perceive things. Yeah. And then it's like you involve another person. And then it's like, yeah, you too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're also in my, this hue that I've painted.

our entire life. Yeah, totally. So it is a big sacrifice on their part. Yeah, I mean, that's the thing about my special is, like, my family has been so just like, you can say whatever you want. Thank God. There's no, I mean, my dad is dead, which helps. But like my mom- You have three moms and your dad is dead. That's your background. And my moms are like, rip us apart. My sister's like tear me apart. Yeah, which is helpful. But I do, I mean, like when I'm dating somebody, like the second I start dating, I go on stage and talk about it. And I have to be clear. I'm like, dude, as soon as something happens, I will be talking about it on stage. And if that sucks, that's what you're in for. And I'm sorry. Right. So do you ever think like, maybe someday I'll do

less personal material? No. I know. I mean, I was going to say, like, if that's how you felt, I would push you away from that impulse. No, I just am clear with the person I'm with. And if it's like a secure relationship where they're getting a lot of support from me, also, if we have weird, say we have weird sex, for example, and something goes awry, I hope the person I'm with I'm laughing about it with, and then they know the joke. And then I go, I talk about it on stage, what happened,

and it's fine. It's not like I'm being like, that weird thing happened and I'm not going to tell them about it, but I am going to talk about it on it. It's like, if I have a partner, we're going to be, I'm going to be making fun of our dynamic together. Right. That you have to be a, that's why I can't date people

who aren't funny or have that, the self-deprecating thing. Do you have things where you're talking about topics on stage and people are just fully like, you cannot talk about that topic? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, totally. I have like a big chunk on RAPE right now, which people really freak out at. And like, I have a joke about like when your dad,

like, which I think a lot of people have when your parents get divorced and your dad all of a sudden starts fighting for custody. Yeah. But he never gave a fuck about you before. You know what I mean? Like he didn't care. That's great. And now he's lawyering up.

You're like, you just put a cigarette out on my forehead. You know what I mean? Like, what are we talking about? And people get weird about that. Why would they get weird about that? I think it's... Defensive of like just men's rights or something? I think they're like, it's too dark.

I think there's a darkness. And I think there's also like a... Yeah. I mean, a lot of times I have to tell the audience like, I'm okay. I go to therapy many days. a week. I am all right. I'm doing fine. I have people who love me. And but it is, and I have to soften it up a bit. But the way that I first pitch these things out, they're like, ooh, and I'm like,

all right, all right, right, I'll throw it back. But it is, that's a tough one. Do you talk to people in person or is it like people message you and stuff? Oh, like, no, it's a vibe. It's a vibe. It's the vibe. I can feel them pull back and I can see, like Minneapolis is a perfect place because it's full of sweetie pies and they're really emotionally repressed but they're also really nice and they just want everything to be okay yeah so when i do stand up there and they go oh that's like a good gauge like it's hard in new york because people are like yeah put the cigarette out on the baby's face but you go to the midwest and they're like no not the little girl you know what i mean right but is the inverse true too where like you talk about topics and people like oh my god thank you for talking about that is that like a thing

yeah oh totally 100% sure where people come up later and they're like dudes same same exact thing um yeah but i want it to be i want it to resonate i will i will edit it until the point that i'm like i can get this point across without alienating a huge amount of you when i watch you at the cellar i'm just like it's one of my favorite things to do because you seem happy oh yeah yeah yeah really happy on stage yeah it is one of the few times i am very happy i mean it just erases even when i was in that tumultuous relationship i would just be so depressed and just like in this big fight and like about to break up and then I would get on stage and it just like went away. And that's how it was growing up because I was like 200 pounds. I was so fat.

I was like so uncomfortable. My family life was awful. And then I would just get to school and kids would be around me and I would just tell them stories that were really funny. And I'd be like, this is the best. This is like the only dopamine I'm getting is watching these kids who should be bullying me laugh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like the best feeling. And it's also. Right. You were incentivized when you were a kid. to be funny. Totally, yeah, at like a very young age. Yeah.

Totally. Two of your mom's married to each other and then... So my mom and my dad were together. They were rugby buddies. Okay. My dad was her rugby coach. Then they got together. She was obviously gay, but she was like...

When did your dad find out that she was gay? They split up when I was like two... When she tried out for the rugby thing? Yeah. It was crazy that he didn't know. It was nuts. And then they started a construction business together, and then they split up.

up she's dated men for a little while after that and then she went gay she's very similar to me like she's she got kind of bullied into being gay i haven't gotten there yet but she does love men she just got she just kind of like came up against so many men that were trying to like extract her life force oh wow that she was like all right i need i actually felt it the other day i was with i was with a female friend and i was like i was the man and she was obviously the girl and it was like basically a date and i was like oh i so get this like i so get this like i so so get this person looking up at you and being like, you're the daddy and I'm the baby.

And I was like, this is like, I'm like, I feel like I could do anything. I could show this person stuff and they would be like, wow. So I get why she switched, but I'm way too much. I love the, I love being in the position of, wow, way more than the. Right. But I get the, I get where she switched. Because I've always wondered that. I'm like, you were so into dudes.

And now you're like a hard lesbian. Do you ever describe yourself as bisexual or no? No, I've tried a thousand times. I truly can't. A thousand times I think counts. I've tried. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've gone in.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, totally. Well, my moms are like, just do it. Your life will be so much better. And women are so, like, forward with me. Right, and probably think you're gay. Right, 100%. Yeah. And then, so I've been like, yeah, I've had a few times.

I've had people that I, like, had a really good connection with, and I was like, I can't do the physical thing. And then I've had people that I was like, they're attractive, but I could, it's just like, there's, I'm almost like so envious of men. that it makes me so attracted to them. Like I'm so envious of just having like a square body with no tits and just like a dick that goes into stuff. And being a woman, I'm like, this is humiliating.

This is crazy. So, yeah. But yeah, I mean, my sister are both painfully straight. I mean, we're just like boy crazy. You started doing stand-up performing for a paralyzed friend. Yeah. That's interesting. Yeah, Helene, yeah.

Is that the first time you did stand up? Yeah. She was paralyzed. Is it in Ithaca? No, we went to school together at Alfred University, and we were best friends. She was like me times two. Like she was just so funny and so out there and so crazy. So we found each other, and we were just like rascals.

Yeah. And we became super close. And then she got paralyzed just by like the cyst around her, cutting off her. Yeah, it was crazy. Awful. And she's like this tall, super athletic girl. Sis, like cutting off her, like, spinal cord. Yeah.

So it was, like, months of her being like, I'm having neck pain. Oh, fuck. And then they were like, oh, shit, this is a, this, we have to get you into surgery. And they, like, got her into surgery, like, hours too late. Wow. And it crimped it. And then I moved to Buffalo because we were, like, philosophy people. Like philosophy majors in school?

Yeah, and we had the, like, Nietzsche kind of, like, megalomaniac complex of, like, drinking beers. together and being like, what if we're, what if we actually can like manipulate human behavior with just our, you know what I mean? When you like go down this crazy, it's like a, it's truly like if you read too much Nietzsche and you like get this like complex. Right. Let's do poker games because I think if I stay in a mindset, I can win all of the poker games. And we were like that.

And then she got paralyzed and it was like, it was just such a like, oh shit. And it was like this realization like, oh, we're not, we're just like flesh sacks. We're not these like unstoppable forces that can just get wasted. and drive around. Jesus. We are like humans. You're like 22 or saying? Yeah, she was, yeah.

Well, my dad was 23 when he did. So we were 22, yeah. Yeah. And then I moved there just to like be near her because it was so crazy. And then I got, they let me get certified to like be a nurse's aide. Oh, wow. So that we could just get drunk all day and I could like take care of her. And I almost killed her like multiple times.

It was so fucked up. It was crazy what they let us. me driving her handicap band and like trying to remote control her into it and just like toppling it. It was crazy. And then, yeah, I started writing jokes and I would park her outside and I would run them by her and she couldn't do anything about it. It was awesome.

And then she came to all of my open mics, which was very annoying for the clubs because it required a huge... ADA. Yeah, huge lift and stuff that they had to like dust off. And yeah, it was awesome. And it was just like, she's so funny. You know when you're with somebody and you're like, in the same groove.

It's so easy to write because you're like in this flow state of riffing with them. Yeah. So that was great. And yeah, she was like a super cheerleader

for the stand-up thing. Do you ever talk about that on stage? I feel like that's not in the special. I don't talk about it at the cellar. I do talk about it sometimes on the road.

Yeah? Yeah. It feels like it's like really interesting to talk about. It's so specific. Yeah. It's really specific. I'm like still kind of mourning, because she passed away.

Oh, I'm sorry. So there's like, I'm still like a little bit like precious with it. Yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? But when I do talk about it, I get lost in it big time. You're not ready to treat her like your boyfriends. Right, exactly. You talk about it recklessly on stage.

And it'll bum people out so much, but I should. Maybe not though. Like maybe it's not, it won't bum people out. Like I think it's, I think that that's pretty like even you saying it. it casually, like, it's beautiful. Mm-hmm. Like, it's beautiful that, like, that happened to her, and you moved home and, like, took her to open mics and, like, would do material and riff.

Like, that's cool. It was really cool. When you do crowdwork, because you're, like, you're amazing at crowdwork. Does it ever go even worse than you could have imagined? Yeah, somebody tried to fight me. Yeah. Yeah. Like, and you, and I feel like you're, like, I feel like, I feel like,

I've been at the table with you where you feel tough. Like you feel like you could punch someone. I can punch. I punch. Have you ever had a physical altercation in a show? Okay. My problem is I do have like an anger problem. So like, like for example, this one woman, I was like, she was being very annoying.

And I was like, how is your relationship with your father? And her face shut down. And I was like, oh, bad. Was it? It was bad. And she was like, yeah. And I was like, like, molesting or like something like that. And she, and she looks at the guy she's with.

And I had like pre, I had learned that basically she was into this guy and he wasn't into her from previous crowdwork. And she got up and went to the bathroom and just started loudly wailing crying. Oh, gosh. And what I should have done is been like, oh, my God, can somebody go see if she's okay? That would all would have dealt with all of it. But instead I went, you know what I fucking hate is that she's not even that upset. She just wants this guy to go in there and see if she's okay.

And I was like, go in there and see if she's okay. And he was like, I'm not. And I was like, dude, she literally is putting on a very dramatic show right now. It has nothing to do with me. She just wants you to feel bad for her. And I could, like, so then she heard me say that and came out and tried to like fight me on stage. And I could have de-escalated it, but I was like, I'm not going to participate in your delusion.

I see you putting on this huge, ridiculous performance. This is tough. I know what you're doing. This is tough. Yeah. So that shit happens, where I get rage. Did she, did she swim? No, somebody grabbed her.

But she was kind of coming towards the stage. Oh, running. Running. Oh, God. She was tiny. I would love. I would love, please. Or in the meat and green line, I almost decked this woman because she squished. She, like, crunched my hand and dug her nails in.

And I pulled my fist back. And the security was like, okay, okay, okay. And, like, took her away. But I will, I'm like, I get in fights all the time. One of the things I was thinking when I was watching your special is, like, so many times with my shows, people will be like, how do you structure the shows? Because it's like a story and then it's part

of a larger story and all this kind of stuff. And it's like, it actually is pretty simple. I'm basically telling a story that leads to another story, it leads to another story, and it feels like it's going somewhere. And it is going somewhere. Yeah.

And that's like the dramatic structure that's like pretty straightforward. It's as old as time. But with yours, it doesn't have that structure, but I'm completely, enthralled in this way where I'm like, I can't turn this off

in a different way than other comedy specials. Like, I think it's worth noting, especially like to the listeners of this show, because we talk about like, you know, play structure and screenplay structure and specials all the time. It's like, whatever you're doing is really working, and it's nothing like

anything I've seen. You're saying the typical framework is open up a story that leads to another story, it leads to no and culminates and something that all makes sense. Yeah, and ultimately it's part of a larger full story. Like, all my shows are like a single story. Whereas mine is...

Yours is like... Squirrels. Well, yeah, are squirrels or... It's... I don't even know how to describe what it is you're doing. I just know that when I'm watching it, I don't want to turn it off because I feel like I'll miss something.

That's great. Which is great. It's awesome. Yeah. It's ideal. Thank you. But, like, I'm curious, like, with your set list, Do you arrive at that through some kind of logic of like,

how do I keep them hooked for where we're going? How do I keep them hooked? Yes. I mean, it's like the momentum. Like, for instance, Netflix was like put all of the best stuff in the beginning. And I was like, unfortunately, that doesn't, it won't make sense. It has to be like, I'm starting at this little place and being like, it's weird that women's underwear doesn't fit anymore.

and then moving it into being like, I got this underwear because I'm trying to be more feminine. And then I'm trying to more feminine because this, this, this, okay, now we have these three branches. Yeah. And then I'm going to move off of it. So it is like, it does. I can't really move things around that easily.

Like even if I set in the cellar right now, it is finding its way where it's like this thing that opens up, this thing, and if I open it up incorrectly, I have to be like, wait, tee out, tee out, tee out, go back to the other thing. So it's like it does have to branch off and that finds itself. People should watch. I mean, if they're listening to this,

like you should go watch the special to understand like what we're talking about. But like it seems like almost like you're opening for yourself in the special. Like you're breaking the audience in on like topics and your voice. And then once they understand your topics, you go in deeper.

Right. on stuff that like, if you talked about the, like, being near your dad when he had sex when you're a kid, that was your lead in. I feel like the audience would be like, no. Yeah, they were like, put that as the lead in. And I was like, dude, the amount of people they're going to be like, I can't. You have to, like, trust me. And then the most important part to me was understanding women's cycle, which is at the end. Yeah.

And I was like, I just need people to see this. Like, it's the thing that is important to me. Yeah. But so I was like, maybe I should put it sooner. and then I was like, no, because you cannot put a woman on the screen and have them be like, periods, am I right? It just, I would turn off emotionally. Like, I have to trust you and be like,

you're not a hype, you're not a scary, Uber feminist, you're also not some alt-right person. Like, I have to trust it. And now I can listen to you going to this thing that's like hyper-feminine. Because men, I would be like, I want you guys that women already know, man, I need you to get it. So I learned from doing the hour, I was like, they don't check out if I've, like, convinced them of all,

if I've criticized women with fake tits, if I've criticized men, like, if I've shown you that I'm not just being like, man, you don't know shit, because you don't bleed out of your vagina, you know what I mean? Like, because they'll just shut down. That's also, I haven't thought about this,

but getting men on board is also a huge part of my life. Is it harder to get men on board than women? Yeah, for sure. Why? Because women are kind of like, if you're a masculine woman, women are kind of drawn to that, because women are kind of drawn to masculine energy.

So if I'm on stage and I'm like, all right, all you little bitches listen up, they're like, okay, whereas men are like, I'm not going to let, you know what I mean? You're still a woman to me, right? Yeah. So then it's like getting them, because men have more of the like,

you know, the like aloof kind of like, come town sort of like don't take things too seriously. It's like a little hacky to be too dramatic. Yeah. So then luring them in is like very difficult, which I feel like is what I've spent my whole life doing is being like, dude, just so you know I'm chill, but I have to tell you something crazy.

Yeah. Do you feel like you have like 50, 50 men, women fans? Yeah, totally. I think so. I mean, it looks like that. Yeah. And it's like, yeah. I think it is like that.

That is funny. I've never thought about that. It is a huge pursuit of my life is getting men to calm down enough to tell them something, digest something that is emotionally heavy. Do you think men are Like when men come to see a comedy show Do you think they're inclined to not like the female comics?

I think they want a comic that talks like a boy You know what I mean? I don't think they want to I think that every man is programmed to hear a woman's voice And be like, that's my mother And it's about to tell me that I did something wrong Yeah So if you go in and you're like, shit dude, I'm just want to

I'm just one of you boys By the way, periods are crazy Hold on, let me tell you. Then that helps. you know hold on hold on no

dude it's cool though it's like come kind of and they're like we love calm I'm sorry it's a lot of lead-ups being like

bitches be crazy bitches do you be crazy don't get me wrong yeah they be crazy it's a lot of that yeah totally it is

because my mom is a boy and my dad was a boy so it has my whole life has been like boys listen up it's okay I'm not sensitive

I'm just saying some shit Right. There's no, like, my family is not like, let's get into the intricacies of the feminine emotions at all. Do you have big lesbian audience? I think so. Yeah. I don't, my audience is like punks.

It's also, it's little, it's a lot of girls who have farms upstate and carrots, loose carrots. How many girls have farms upstate? It's a lot of that. It's a lot of girls with like round glasses who are hairy as fuck. Yeah. But maybe, yeah. That's a big demo.

Yeah. But lesbians go hard for other lesbians. Like if you're like a lesbian fan is like die hard for Jessica Kiersen. Like they just really. Yeah. But like the straight lesbians, those come to me. The like very butch women. The straight lesbians come to me.

Yeah. Or the straight girls that are like just like, I have a crush on you. That's a big thing. Yeah. And then also the guys that are, have like not the broie mentality, but the like a I grew up skateboarding and I'm kind of a sensitive kid.

Yeah. You know what I mean? But my brother used to beat the shit out of me. Those guys I get a lot too. That's a really specific demo. Yeah, totally. I was gonna go... This is great.

It feels very self-aggrandizing. Is this all interview? I want to ask you questions. How did you not flinch when all those toys dropped? How did you not flinch? Did you edit out the flinch? No, it's all in rehearsal

because I'm like downstage. What? You didn't blink. No. because the toys we're referencing the new one special. Okay, the toys, like if you're imagining in here where the cork board is,

the toys are like over there. It's an optical illusion that like they're around me. They're not around me. They're behind me. I've looked at it. I've seen the distance and I still would be like,

no, and also some of it's dangerous. I know, I know. Yeah, one of the things is like a 60-pound car seat. I know. I assessed it. I was like, those are hitting hard. I thought maybe you had made fake foam things of real things. And I was like, that is like, but you don't move at all,

which is so good for the bit. Thanks. You know what I mean? That you're just like, because you're a parent and you're being like, I don't even care what the fuck is going on around me. I'm so dissociated. Yeah. But if you had jumped a little bit, it would have taken you out of it.

Yeah, yeah, totally. It's so good. I'm glad you got your question in. I really. I do. I watch every interview. You get one question. That was yours.

That's great. What are people's favorite and least favorite thing about you? Probably the looping. I'm a looper. I beat the dead horse. I like, okay, you know, these people where it's like, okay, what's a good example? Well, Jordan, maybe it would feel good for you to go to the gym.

Wait, so are you saying I should go to the gym because you think that, like, I'm unhealthy, or do you think that it's because, like, the way that I look or do you think it would just help my mental health? Well, I think, like, overall, it would just be, good for you. Yeah, I just need you specifically say that it's not about the way that I look. And it's like, I'm not going to say what you're telling me to say. Yeah, but if you could just say the words, it is not because you're fat, that would really help me. It's not because you're fat,

but I do think it would be, but if when you say but, it makes me feel like maybe you are thinking that. So could you say it again without the butt? It's like, okay, I'll say it without the but. Well, now I feel like you're just saying it because I'm asking you to say, and I get stuck. And you can just leave the room and I'll stay stuck. Just to be clear, is this people's favorite or least favorite thing? Least favorite thing. Least favorite thing. I know.

I can't answer that one. I can't say that one. Favorite thing? I like that though. I like the living. I enjoy it. I enjoy that quality. It's so, I mean,

OCD is like a bitch because as soon as you deal with it in one arena, it just shows up in a different arena and you're like, you motherfucker. It's slippery. Are you full OCD? Yeah.

Like you talk about it in the special like... Textbook. You're touching your butt 19 times or a certain amount of times while your mom's out or something like that. Yeah, all the seams on my pants had to line up. I used 10 cups of detergent.

Half the people in my school were contaminated and I had to, like, dodge them. I checked the stove for five minutes before I left for here, took a picture of the stove. Have a picture. Most recent picture? Going to be of the stove. Ready? Most recent picture. Stove.

She's holding up her phone. Stove. Stove photo. Nice. Take a picture of stove. Yeah. It's... I'm the most... And I get mad when people are... fake OCD when they're like, I just really need things to be.

I mean, like, this is like causing me a lot of... I'm a little OCD. Yeah, yeah. Go fuck yourself, dude. I mean, having OCD is the word. It's literally when your friend says, do you want to hold my baby? And you go, yeah, but I'm going to rip your baby's head off. Oh, my God.

I'm going to stick a chopstick in your baby's ass. I don't want to, but it can't be trusted. That's OCD. Oh, my God. When I did the movie, yeah. Had a full panic attack, full diarrhea because I thought I was going to bite Laura Dern. Oh, wow. Why?

I mean, I know logically. why one would think that if you're O-C it. But, like, what is the logic in that moment? I mean, you have children where they go like this, they go, one, and if this happens. And you guys not going to happen. They go, one, and if it does happen, it's that as an adult.

So it's like, what if I bit lower a darn? Everybody would freak out. Everybody would start screaming everywhere. Right. And then I'm like, that would be really crazy. But I'm not going to do that. Well, what if I did do it? It'd be really easy to do it.

She's sitting right there. Just do it. No, I'm not going to do it. And then you're like, why am I panicking? Oh, because I think I really am going to go through this. No, I'm not going to go. And it's like that. Yeah.

And you just don't, I tripped on acid about it. You just don't, like, trust yourself. That was what I learned, where you're like, I inherently think that I'm somebody who could become a different person at any moment. And on acid, I realized I was like, I actually don't have a choice. I just am this person, which is nice. Like, if I did reach over to bite Laura Dern and she went, ow, I'd be like, I am so sorry. I had an intrusive thought, and I hope we can laugh about this.

Like, the reality wouldn't be that I could rip through her flesh. I would faint before that happens. Right. You know what I mean? You can't decide who you are. Your genetics and your history decides who are. So what are people's favorite thing about you? I'm a very good friend.

That's nice. I am a very loyal friend who will listen to people. I call all my friends. I make sure I check in with every one of them. I spend hours talking on the phone. I show up. If they need me to show up, I'm a very... and I've always been a very loyal friend

because I've always gotten my family as my friends for me. Sweet. Yeah, yeah, totally. That's probably the best thing. I love that. Yeah. Do you have relationship deal breakers? Yeah.

Yeah. Video games is a big one for me. That's huge, though. That's a huge swath of people. I can't. If you do video games, like occasionally with one of your buddies, I can do it with the guys who have the headset on and it's eight hours and they get stuck.

I can't. Also, I realize my biggest, deal breaker, I realize this the other day, is when people say that they're bored. I cannot. I don't like it. I cannot. It's a pet peeve.

It's the worst thing. I'm like, we have literally like, there are like animals outside that are like doing, you can go outside and watch a squirrel, follow one squirrel and you will be, you will have a day of work that is interesting. You know what I mean? Like there's no reason to be bored.

And if you're bored, I cannot tolerate you. Right. If you can't read a book, if you can't go down any wormhole on your own, And I've dated so many dudes like that where they're just like, I just don't know what to do with myself. Who are you jealous of?

Oh, wow. I am jealous of, wow, that is a crazy question. Real? Yeah, yeah, yeah, real. I am very jealous of Gilles and Glazer. I am jealous of... Shane Gillis and Nikki Glazer. I'm jealous of Nikki because of,

I actually think she's incredibly funny, disgusting, hardball. Great comic. And can pull off femininity, which I'm very jealous of. And good person. And a good person, yeah. And I'm jealous of Gillis because the cult of personality thing is so, it's so, like, potent. Yeah. Where you're like, I actually just want to keep listening to you because I do feel so familiar.

Like, you are the friend who was in the basement that was the funniest friend. And I'm really jealous of him being so undeniably likable. And also seems nice too. I've only been alone a couple times, but he seems nice. He's great. And he's given me, he's helped me with giving me advice and stuff when I needed it. And but yeah, there are a lot of comics where I'm like, that is an amazing career. And boy, howdy, are they getting a lot of shit?

Whereas Gillis, I've seen clips where somebody goes after him and it's like hundreds of people being like, he's my boy. You know what I mean? I'm like, and that is just, yeah, for somebody to be like, she's my girl. Yeah, totally. Don't fuck with Jordan Jensen. I'm way more hateable. You know what I mean?

I have, being a woman also, you're just a little hateable. You're just going to go under the gun a lot more. Because a man can be any different breed of dude. If a woman varies, if a woman goes into multiple camps, yeah, look out. Yeah, you have to stay in your lane. Whereas men, you can be different dudes on stage. But you're definitely not a lane.

Like, that's what I would say about your special. Right. People are shit on me. But you're not like anybody. Yeah. But I do think your trajectory is such that you will have people in the comments being like, that's my girl, the way I are about Shane. It does happen. I just think that there's something about being a big, lovable teddy bear dude that is, I'm very jealous of that.

I'm very jealous of just going up there and being like, I'm. I don't even know what I'm just trying some stuff out. Whereas I say it, and they're like, that's her belief system. She's a, you know what I mean? I want that. Do you have material? You're sort of half-baked stuff that you're thinking of? What do you got?

Throw it at me. Okay. I don't want to go too dark on this podcast. I think you're all right. I'm working on, what is this one? Oh, this one bombed the other day. Just about how the ice thing and how I think it's crazy that every, like, obese comedian knows jujit

Sue, but we can't. But cops need to full, like, empty around of an AK on a person. You know what I mean? I'm like, why is this, like, why are my buddies able to, like, get my hand into a crimp hold? Oh, my God.

But every cop is just like, ugh, uh, it's crazy. First of all, great point. It is weird, right? Like, actual bonafide, good point. Oh, thanks. Great. Good. Okay. Well, yeah. Like.

I said it the other day on stage, and they were like, what? And I was like, you guys don't have friends that are like, I'm taking boy. I'm like, can't one cop take Maitai? No, I know. These cops, my God. I know, they're like premature ejaculator.

It's like, oh, and you're like, whoa, bro. That's crazy. Oh, you're going kill. You're going kill? You're going to kill? You're going straight kill. Remove a person's future immediately. It's, I would make sure to do that again as a bit.

Because, like, that's a real-y-a-stude observation. I just think, like, go hard. into like the specifics of like the various holds and things like that. Yeah. Because I don't know what you're talking about, but I know that I believe you. Okay, okay. You know what I mean?

Yeah. Yeah, maybe make it specifically about my friends. Yeah. Like I know nine days. My friend Bobby can blah blah blah, blah, blah, flip a guy and use 700 pounds. Right, right, right, right. But like you, this is your job.

Yeah. It's really. Literally your job. Yeah, you get paid for this. You're trained. Yeah. He's doing it as a hobby because he hates his wife. Like

I need to make this down Great Great What else you got? Oh this was when I wrote down This is a cuter one About how like if somebody from the past Came into the future

And saw how much old shit we're using How much it would like upset them Yeah yeah You know what I mean? Like they'd be like you don't have to use the typewriter anymore And we're like actually know it allows me to focus Because I can get off the internet You know what I mean like

Or seeing somebody with the handlebar moustache, and we were like, we did that to cover up our disgusting hair lips. Right. You don't need to do that. It's actually quite unhygienic. Right. It doesn't make sense. Right.

It's not an improvement. It's lateral. Yes. The suspenders, no need. No need. We have belts. Yeah. Yeah.

Totally. Yeah. That's a cuter one. That's cute. I want to give you one that's really hard. I'm trying to do one about, um, this one's dark. It's not dark, but it's fucked up. So like, this happens with,

women where you'll be like, it'll be a group of women. And there's one woman that kind of sucks, right? She's just, she's just kind of sloppy and she's annoying. Okay. And you'll hear her get the same spiel that you do about how much you deserve love and the best man. Does that make sense? Like, you hear your friends be like, you deserve a guy that's going to treat you with a, and you're like, well, I get that, you said.

Yeah, I deserve that. She has to get a lower level. Why are we telling her she deserves that? Yeah, yeah, she doesn't deserve that. Yes. And if you're telling her that, what does that mean about me? She deserves next to nothing. Yeah.

And what are you lying to me and how can I trust you? Right. If I ask you, does this outfit look good? And you're telling everybody they look good. I have no judge. It always reminds me of like when people are like, Jesus loves everybody. And I'm like, well, he has low standards. He has low standards.

And now I can just fuck around. Not everybody's great. Yeah, I don't trust Jesus anymore. Yeah, totally. Jesus is an idiot. He's actually an idiot. That is what that means. He's one of those people that's like, dude, I just love everybody and you can't, nobody wants that guy around. Right. Yeah. And it's a big thing with women right now because they're very much like, every woman deserves a da-da. And I'm like, some people don't deserve that. Right. Some people deserve a fat man who doesn't talk to them. You know what I mean? Like that, some people do. Who doesn't talk to them? You know what I mean? Like sometimes- I don't know if anyone deserves that. Yeah, they all deserve it.

Some people suck. Some people, you're like, you deserve no relationship, you deserve about six months of therapy, and then maybe we'll talk. But we can't all go in deserving. Right. That's crazy. I think the way to make that bit makes sense.

Not that it doesn't make sense, because I understand what you're saying, is like specifying that a friend of yours said that to you, but then he said it to this other lady. Right. You know what I mean? Right, right, right. So like there's this kind of like,

it's more like cinematic like a scene where you're like, oh, okay, it's that same person who said that advice. Yeah. And I like, don't trust this person. Right. Now I don't know what I possibly deserve. Now I'm disoriented.

I don't know what I deserve. That's crazy. Yeah. And now I can't ever communicate with that person again because they're not trustworthy. Yeah. I like that.

Yeah. It was because my friend was telling me she was gassing me up and I was like, I heard you say that same thing to that girl. And she was like, it's different. And I was like, no, but you said the same thing.

So you're going to have to either judge it up for me or... What was the specific thing that she was saying to you? Oh, just like that I was super attractive and that I need to be with an attractive person and I don't need to like keep settling. And like, you know, where a woman will be like, you're like a... You're so beautiful and you're so strong and like da-da-da.

And I was like, I just heard you say that to our friend that is literally obese and needs to work on that. Right. There are rats in our ceiling. And we have these, we had these pest control people come over and this guy Eric. And he's like, we're going to put poison in the ceiling. My wife is like, I don't think we want to have poison in our ceiling. And it's this bizarre moment where Eric's looking at me. Yeah. It's like, what do we do? What do we do about her? About this while. And we do we poison her as well. And then I had to be like, I am, I also believe we should not have poison in the ceiling. Yeah, like this guy's whole job is to put poison in the ceiling.

Yeah, like his reason for being, he's been trained to put poison. That's his job. That's why he's there. In the ceiling. And I'm like, that's, no, we're not. We're in time. And having to break his heart. Like when he's looking at you and he's like man to man.

I know. Yeah, yeah. And you have to be like, actually. My wife had the point. Yeah. And then I joke is like I go, they say in hundreds of years from now, it's going to be rats and cockroaches. And I can imagine these rats sitting around a table holding hands, being like, we want to give thanks for the husbands who agreed with their wives. Yeah.

Not to put poison in those things. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Despite the shame. Despite the shame from handy men. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I had a, I've been working on a joke like the last few months where I'm where I'm like. Like, I think in every relationship there's, you need one person who understands heating and electricity and plumbing. And we don't have that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so I think we're going to need a husband. Yeah, you're going to have to bring somebody in. We've been recruiting at local technical colleges because we're going to need to get a third. I, like, was talking to my friend.

I was like, I'm overwhelmed that I need somebody to like, I just fix my door and I just like respackled my, the, this leak that happened and I was like, I just need somebody to come by and just like cook a couple meals and my friend goes, oh, you need a wife. And I was like, yeah. And I like described that.

I was like, just like, you know, just somebody's gonna pick up a little bit. But yeah, I have that. All the dad shit I have covered. I cannot cook. I cannot clean. I cannot do it. But I will fix anything.

Yeah. Oh, you can fix. Yeah, yeah. I was a contractor for a month. Oh, because you were in construction. Yeah. But I totally. yeah having not having that

because I always ate dudes and we're like we both have this right and I'm like but we have to eat and they're like we're fucked we're fucked yeah wow all right so the last thing we do is working it out for our cause is there a non-profit that you like to support and then we contribute to them and then we link to them wow yeah the humane society

humane society and I hate people and I only like animals I'm like an animal cuck like I just yeah I can't it's the gayest thing about me, but I will weep at any animal video. So, yeah, animal humane society. We will contribute to the Humane Society. We will link to them in the show notes.

Jordan, congrats on your special. It's so good. Thank you. This was so fun. Thanks for coming over. Thank you for having me. This was great. Working it out because it's not done. We're working it out because there's no.

That's going to do it for another episode of Working It Out. You can follow Jordan Jensen on Instagram I'm at Jordan Jensen, LOL, stop. That's a great handle. You can watch your special Take Me With You on Netflix. You can catch her on screen. And is this thing on in theaters now? Check up for berbigs.com to sign up for the mailing list

to be the first to know about my upcoming show and sign up for the text message alerts because I'm doing some small club shows coming up that are not yet announced in Madison, Wisconsin, Philadelphia, Florida, a bunch of other places. I'm really excited about. you can watch the full video of this episode on our YouTube channel at Mike Barbiglia.

Please subscribe because we're posting more and more videos. Our producers of working it out are myself along with Peter Salomon, Joseph Barbiglia, Mabel Lewis, and Gary Simon. Sound Mixed by Ben Cruz, Supervising Engineer Kate Balinski. Special thanks to Jack Antonov and bleachers for their music. Special

thanks to my wife, the poet Jay Hope Stein, and our daughter, Una, who built the original radio fort made of pillows. As always, thanks most of all to you who are listening if you enjoy the show, rate us and review us on Apple Podcasts. Almost 200 episodes all free. No paywall.

Check them out. Episode 200 coming up next week. Thanks most of all to you who are listening. Tell your friends, tell your enemies. Tell the person you're dating who's playing too many video games. That's a red flag, according to Jordan Jensen. Just say, hey, look, I think you might be spending too much time with that video game headset on. Why don't we do something as a couple?

You can swap out the video game headset for an AirPod, and we can both listen to this podcast I enjoy called Mike Barbigley's Working It Out, where Mike Barbigley talks about the creative process with other comedians and creatives. It's better than video games. Thanks, everybody. We're working it out. We'll see you next time.