Black nerds rejoice!
Today, Jessica Williams (The Daily Show) and Phoebe Robinson (Blaria) debut their podcast, 2 Dope Queens, on America’s most listened-to public radio station, WNYC. 2 Dope Queens is a comedy podcast recorded weekly, from their seriously funny and serially sold-out live show in Brooklyn (of the same name). Their podcast (and live show) mixes stand-up with storytelling, and showcases diverse and distinct voices often suppressed in comedy.
2 Dope Queens represents the full scope of NYC comedians, with the stories of women, people of color, the LGBTQ community and the occasional underrepresented straight white guy, at the very center. These ladies and their funny friends talk about everything from racist cab drivers to Billy Joel’s soft hands with witty, thought-provoking and hilarious anecdotes.
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Phoebe and Jessica first met on The Daily Show, where Robinson filmed background for a segment Williams did on natural hair in the military. Having stalked Phoebe on social media, Jessica was familiar with her comedic chops and they became fast friends. Phoebe eventually invited Jessica to co-host her Blaria podcast, and they had instant chemistry. They both describe it as “a really good first date, where you know you’re going home with them TONIGHT.” They eventually took their relationship to the next level and started the 2 Dope Queens comedy show at Union Hall in Brooklyn, which has been running for 2 years.
They wanted to bring the communal and kinetic vibe of their show to people nationwide, so they partnered with public radio darling WNYC to amplify their platform. In the pervasive whiteness of public radio, Williams and Robinson are new and necessary voices helping to add color to the spectrum. “On our show, people get to be the stars of their own stories. We give them an opportunity to speak for themselves,” says Williams.
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2 Dope Queens is the latest project from WNYC Studios, which is also home to podcasts like There Goes the Neighborhood, about gentrification in Brooklyn, and an upcoming project with “Bad Feminist” Roxane Gay. 2 Dope Queens drops every Tuesday and can be heard on WNYC or iTunes. To get your own dose of dopeness, stream the first episode below:
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