Katie Green picks her  comedy favourites

Edinburgh Fringe comedian Katie Green picks her Perfect Playlist of comedy favourites.

Jerrod Carmichael: Love At The Store.

Jerrod was the first comedian I saw live that really moved me. I had never seen a performer be so captivating.  It was at the Purple Onion in San Francisco, which was quite a famous venue, but also a sentimental one for me because it was the venue where I did my first ever gig.

I had never seen a comedian so good in real life before I saw Jerrod that day. His performance was captivating.  He was more than just funny, he was pensive and deep, and he handled the crowd so well. I left the show in love with his comedy brain.

That was years ago, and I still remember feeling so in awe of his performance. He was probably the first comedian that I was a real fan of, so when his special came out, it was highly anticipated for me. I loved his social commentary in this special, and I love that he challenges social norms and makes you think.

Mitch Hedberg, Mitch All Together

When I started comedy, I didn’t know much about stand-up, so I used to go to the library and check out comedy albums on CD. (This makes me sound so old, but my first car only had a CD player).

Mitch All Together and Strategic Grill Locations were the CDs I renewed the most. I think I might have had those CDs checked out for a year or so before finally returning them (which I understand is not the point of the library, but the CD-ROM section was not very popular so I think it was okay).

Mitch was always my favourite to listen to because he was so talented and the jokes were so clever. I also love how he addresses the fact that the album is going to be on a CD by saying things like, ‘this will be track 5’ or ‘this won't be good for the CD,’ it makes it so funny. His albums are also great to listen to while driving. He made the most everyday things so funny. I never pass a broken escalator and not think of his joke: ‘An escalator can never break, it can only become stairs.’

He was so talented, and It’s quite beautiful to think that he lives on through his jokes.

Cristela Alonzo: Lower Classy

Cristela is a Mexican-American icon. Her special was one of the first Netflix specials I watched that really resonated with me in terms of representation. Her bit about Selena Quintanilla being the closest thing Latinos have to a superhero is soo funny because it’s so true. I love her stories about growing up, and I definitely look up to her. 

Latinos on Saturday Night Live

I love watching SNL on YouTube. It’s a big way I keep connected with US current events while I am in the UK. I love waking up on Sunday morning and watching Weekend Update. But I especially love the increased presence of Latino cast members and hosts.

Bad Bunny hosting and having bilingual sketches was so, so big. The Latino sketches are just so good and relatable. The overprotective mom sketch with Bad Bunny, Pedro Pascal, and Marcello Hernandez is soo funny. I love the details like the sewing kit tin, and the Spanglish. Sketches Marcello does are usually my favourite right now.

Bob’s Burgers 

I love Bob's Burgers! My guilty pleasure is watching Bob’s Burgers while eating a burger. Tina is the best. She’s so funny, and really reminds me of me, but I’m not sure how great that is haha.

The show is just so relatable because my family has a restaurant and I worked there when I was younger so it’s just so funny to see the Belcher family dynamic. I just love animated shows like Rick and Morty, but Bob’s Burgers takes the win.

Aziz Ansari: Modern Romance

Okay I know this is a book, but I do like to read so I will put this in my playlist. Modern Romance is probably my favourite book about dating, and trust me, I have read a lot! It’s an impactful read because it is a research-based investigation of dating today (well it's almost ten years old, but it's still quite relevant).

I absolutely love research-based books that can justify the reasons as to why I am single, and this one is written very well and it’s smart and funny. I enjoyed the book as a whole, but I also found it very inspiring because I read it when I was still at university and just starting comedy so I remember being like ‘wow this idea started because of a stand-up bit, then he conducted research, made it funny, and then made it into all into a book?!’ That was goals.

• Katie Green: ¡Ay Mija! is on at the Pleasance Courtyard at 9.35pm

Published: 12 Aug 2024