By Hollie Harper
Even though I was 26 when I first got up, the idea of making people laugh had been brewing in me for as far as I can remember. When I was growing up, Joan Rivers was my idol and I would see her perform at any opportunity. Although my family never fully understood my obsession, they supported me and even bought me one of their ribbons for Christmas when I was 15. I’ve worn out that tape and perfectly memorized every word of their monologues and jokes, many of which I still live today.
Growing up, I spent every free moment joking around. While working as a waitress, I would write jokes between taking orders and delivering groceries to my customers. Every situation was an opportunity to write something funny. After all, it was my older sister who pushed me to admit that this was not only my passion, but my future as well.
It was scary for so many reasons. While Joan was my idol, she was the exception to the rule as most comedians were men. Even less was my chance of seeing someone who looked like me, a woman of color. I decided to quit before I started, or keep fighting and working for my place in the industry that I knew I deserved.
My one-time chance finally came one night while I was working as a waitress in a blues bar. The host did not appear to the open microphone. Knowing this was my “do or die” moment, I decided to take my shot and between taking orders and delivering drinks, I manned the stage and this stand-up comedian was born.
Becoming a stand-up is a mixed blessing. I love connecting with the audience and making people laugh. There is nothing like seeing people enjoying themselves because of your activities. What I didn’t love was the feeling that stand-up comedy was a “boys club”. No matter how hard I worked, I felt like I would never be a part of this club and after three years I switched to sketch comedy. I spent the next ten years improving my craft, and while I loved sketch comedy, my first real love was still stand-up.
I know they say lightning doesn’t strike twice, but for me it actually was. On one of my sketch shows the comedian was a no show and I couldn’t miss the opportunity and opened the show. I stayed there for many years but was still reluctant to refer to myself as a stand up until just five years ago I had the courage to try my jokes on an open microphone for an important upcoming show and thought, “I can do this! “
Two years ago when he was discussing the names of comics for a show a friend was making, he turned to me and said, “What about you?” The trust he had in me was what it took me to get back to the platform I loved so much.
It is extremely important to see more women, especially young women with color standing up. No girl should ever think that there is no place for her because of her gender, and I never want to hear the phrase “women are as funny as men” again. It’s 2020, we can do what we want regardless of gender, race, sexuality or any other identifier, as long as we have the passion, talent and desire. However, many girls today are still told that they are not that funny just because they are girls and unfortunately they believe it.
I found Stand Up! Girl 18 months ago when I was introduced to Bryn Bowen, a board member, at the Black Women in Comedy Festival. I remember going to my first show and thinking about how I could have used that in 1985. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I finally got to see an all-female stand-up show.
Get up! Girls is a non-profit organization founded by Holly Weiss. Her primary role is to educate, inspire, and equip girls from underserved communities with the communication skills necessary to succeed and lead in male-dominated jobs. By developing and performing stand-up comedy, the girls gain confidence and learn to “own the space.” The hope is that by learning these skills at a young age, young girls will feel empowered to seek leadership positions in settings such as the courtroom, operating room, or boardroom.
Saying yes was a breeze when I was offered the opportunity to become an instructor. It was an honor to give these girls the opportunity to find their voice and take care of them as they improve their craft in a caring and welcoming environment. It was an absolute joy to see these girls transform into confident young ladies and our future leaders!
Get up! girl is hosting a virtual fundraiser on October 29th at 7:30 p.m. EST. The fundraiser, Sit back, relax, and get up for girls, consists of a film screening at home by Everyone is joking asidefollowed by a Q&A hosted by award-winning comedian and writer Judy Gold.
The Q&A panel consists of the film’s leading actress Raylene Harewood and director Shannon Harwood, Stand Up! Participants in the girls program of Cristo Rey HS (Brooklyn), Stuyvesant (Manhattan) and Democracy Prep (Harlem) as well as a group of female comedians, including me!
Topics to be discussed are empowerment of women, gender bias, mentoring and what we can learn from bombing on stage.
Stand up! Founded in 2018 by successful professional women and people of color. Girls have 30-50 girls enrolled per semester in New York City. Each program consists of 8-12 weeks of lessons and culminates in a performance showcase in a comedy club in NYC and for the time being at Zoom. Visit to learn how to get involved http://standupgirlsnyc.org.
Everyone is joking aside will be available to rent and sell on November 13th on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and other major platforms.
By teaching girls to stand up comedy, we teach them to use their voice, speak and be HEARD.
Because in the words of Kamala Harris, “Sorry, I’m still talking.”
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