Iliza Shlesinger talks funny business ahead of performing in Indio

For self-proclaimed elder millennial and stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger, her first big break of winning NBC’s reality competition “Last Comic Standing” feels distant, but not something she’ll ever truly forget.

“I can’t imagine anyone winning a contest on national TV with a bunch of money and ever feeling super bad about it unless it’s some sort of ‘Squid Game’ thing,” Shlesinger said in a recent phone interview.

In 2008, Shlesinger became the first woman and youngest contestant to take the title of “Last Comic Standing.” Since then, she’s released six Netflix specials, including the latest “Iliza Shlesinger: Hot Forever,” and hosts her weekly podcast “Ask Iliza Anything,” a free-flowing show consisting of advice she gives to listeners. The comedian has also dabbled in film, including her costar role with Mark Walberg and Winston Duke on the Peter Berg-directed Netflix movie, “Spenser Confidential.”

Now, she’s preparing for a headlining gig at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio on Friday, March 24.

“It’s going to be a ton of new material,” she shared. “It’s very fast-paced, energetic, and will have a lot of physicality, so people can expect to laugh their faces off.”

Ahead of her stop in Indio, Shlesinger spoke to the Southern California News Group about comedy’s place on the internet, how to utilize stand-up for criticism and more. The following conversation was edited for space and clarity.

Q: How did being a part of your college’s comedy sketch club prepare your comedy career?

Shlesinger: Well, I just turned 40, so I can’t tell you that the details of college are super fresh in my mind, but I love sketch comedy. I think it really informs how colorful and multi-character and textured my stand-up is. I think it took me working with a group to realize that I could make comedy on my own. I think, especially when we’re younger, we’re always taught that you need to be in a group and stand-up is a solo sport, so having both experiences made me realize I wanted to do stand-up. That being said, I love being on movie sets and working with other talented comedians and actors. I’m glad to be in a place where I can do both.

Q: When did you start to feel that your career was taking off?

Shlesinger: I think with the advent of Netflix, and those specials, I feel like my career has been taken to new heights in the last several years. Not only am I touring major venues in the U.S., but I have access to international markets. Before Netflix came along, you would not get to go play a foreign market, perhaps unless you were from there, but because of Netflix, I get to go to places like Malaysia, Finland and Portugal. So having access to people all over the world just to see what we all have in common is unparalleled to anything else ever done in comedy.

Q: Stand-up comedy can serve as a de-armoring experience where people can find a place to laugh, but has historically been a space where comics can point out hypocrisy and make other criticisms. Can you talk about how you approach that with criticism, but also with personal vulnerability? 

Shlesinger: I think a mark of a master comic is offering up your own vulnerability first, because otherwise, it’s just accusatory and a little holier-than-thou. This isn’t to say you need to be fully self-deprecating, but you need to be able to say, “Hey, I’ve been affected by something” or “Here’s what I do.” That helps to get people on your side. When it comes to a criticism, at least the way I do it, is there’s a way to offend and blame everyone. I like the idea that I make a statement and everyone leaves thinking someone else is the problem. In doing that, you’re sort of creating a community and doing it from a place of well intention and love versus full anger. If you are angry about something, wrap it in comedy, so that people want to hear your message. Nobody is paying for drinks, tickets and a sitter to come and be preached to and leave feeling like they did something wrong. There’s a way to get your message across that includes everyone.

Q: You seem to have your finger on the pulse of the internet and have developed quite a following on social media. Why do you think keeping up on it is important?

Shlesinger: I’m really into quality over quantity and I don’t just say things that I don’t mean. Of course, everybody says things once in a while that are flippant or you made a mistake, but we all need to lighten up in terms of getting over things. It’s about continually talking to my own fan base with comedy, integrity and just being yourself. I think people really respond to authenticity, and you see that not just with me, but with tons of people and their brands. The good news about the internet versus television is whatever type of weirdo you are, there is an audience out there that likes you and so you just got to tap into it and keep staying true to yourself.

Q: What are your thoughts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok and their place in comedy?

Shlesinger: There’s a billion people out there and everybody makes content. Good is so subjective, but if you find an audience and people watch it, then it works. When it comes to stand-up in particular, that’s a craft, but making a perfectly timed, funny TikTok video is also a craft. So people are endlessly comparing these mediums and getting frustrated that someone has a billion views and they don’t. At the end of the day, what I judge my success on is ticket sales. You can have a trillion followers on TikTok and not have a lot of ticket sales, but then again, you’re making a billion dollars a year so it doesn’t matter. Truly, at the end of the day, stand-up comedy isn’t a job, it’s a passion and it’s my favorite thing to do. I’m never annoyed that I have to do my job. As long as you’re making comedy, and it’s making you happy, at least in some capacity, then you’re winning.

Q: What things on TV or the internet make you laugh?

Shlesinger: I take down about two to three episodes of “The Office” every night. We watch a lot of comedies in this house, but we also watch a lot of dramas. Because it’s Oscar season, we’re watching a lot of that. I just watched a documentary about volcanoes, so that wasn’t funny. I guess that would be my self-medicating; watching “The Office” before I go to bed.

Iliza Shlesinger

When: 8 p.m. Friday, March 24

Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Pkwy., Indio.

Tickets: $39-$79 at fantasyspringsresort.com.