5 Women to Watch – Stand-Up Edition

By Hannah Ziegler

Sometimes, laughter can be the best remedy when things feel impossible or tense. If you’re looking for some comedic relief, we’ve got you covered with laugh-out-load specials that spotlight women to close out Women’s History Month. Here are five women who are currently killing it on the Netflix comedy stage by serving up smart, relatable and hilarious realness.  

Ali Wong

Ali Wong made waves back in 2016, with her Netflix special smash hit, “Baby Cobra”. Clad in what is now an iconic outfit — a tight animal-print dress and glasses — Wong won fans over with her frank sense of humour about topics ranging from pregnancy, motherhood and relationships. Her success over the past two years has been astronomical; she’s been featured on episodes of Bill Nye Saves the World, Ugly Delicious, and just last year, she released another Netflix special called “Hard Knock Wife.” If you’re looking for a comedian who is equal parts raunchy and relatable in their material, Ali Wong is for you.  

Hannah Gadsby

Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby’s special “Nanette” is a must-watch if you enjoy LGBTQ+-friendly content, and like comedy with a lot of emotion behind it. The hour-long stand-up set begins with lighthearted, self-deprecating jokes but viewers will realize that Hannah Gadsby can go much deeper. She deals with topics such as sexism, homophobia and mental health with power and grace. This one will make you laugh until you cry, and vice versa. It’s worth it.  

Iliza Shlesinger

Iliza Shlesinger has been a winner since the start, having come out on top of NBC’s 2008 TV show Last Coming Standing. She’s made the rounds hosting other game shows such as Excused and Separation Anxiety, but her true calling is original comedy. She’s had four Netflix comedy specials to date, including last year’s hit “Elder Millennial.” As the title suggests, the then newly-engaged 35-year-old dives into the trials and tribulations of dating, including rejection.  

Chelsea Peretti

You may know Chelsea Peretti as Gina Linetti in Brooklyn 99, but the seasoned sitcom actor has lots of good lines of her own. “One of the Greats” shows us Peretti’s natural comedic timing; she cracks jokes about Googling yourself and the awkwardness of making small talk. Her live stage presence is just as charming as her on-screen one — it’s the perfect post- 99 binge fix.  

Jen Kirkman

Jen Kirkman likes to keep busy — apart from her successful career as a stand-up comedian, she also is a screenwriter, podcaster, and actor on the side. But let’s focus on the comedy: Kirkman is mostly known as a regular panelist on the Chelsea Lately show and recurring star on Funny or Die’s Drunk History. However, her 2015 Netflix special “I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine)” resonated with audiences so much that she returned in 2017 with “Just Keep Livin’?”. With Jen Kirkman, you’ll never run out resources to make you laugh.