Writing for the room

Janine’s account of learning comedy returns to a practical distinction: making friends laugh is different from reaching strangers. Her influences, writing advice and attention to the audience reveal how she approaches that work.

The voices she grew up with

Janine has recalled her father’s enthusiasm for Gilda Radner and Carol Burnett, alongside George Carlin. She also named Lewis Black as an influence and remembered working security for him before her own comedy career.

Her cultural interests extend beyond stand-up. In a 2015 interview, she named Scooby-Doo among her childhood favourites and discussed The Goonies and Hackers. She singled out The Color Purple as her favourite film, drawing a distinction between the comedy she admired and the wider stories she enjoyed.

Learning to make strangers laugh

When asked for advice about changing careers, Janine stressed the work of learning to write jokes and testing material at open mics. Being funny among friends did not guarantee a successful performance for people who knew nothing about the speaker.

She explained that a comic cannot assume strangers know their history or understand the background to a story. In that same 2015 conversation, she said she was not yet ready to record a comedy album. Having material was only part of the preparation.

Leaving room for a response

Janine has described her comedy as dark and quick, with material that sometimes returns to her previous career. She has also said that no broad subject is automatically off limits for her writing, while discussing how she handles the pace of a set.

In a 2023 interview, she noted that she had become better at giving audiences time to react. That observation puts listening alongside delivery: the performance includes the room’s response, rather than simply the sequence of lines the comedian brings to the microphone.