Brooklyn’s 50 Funniest People: Adam Goldman
Adam Goldman
We’re in the middle of what one might call a Webseries Boom, and the current wave of enterprising filmmakers bypassing the gatekeepers of traditional media owe a debt to Adam Goldman, who raised the bar with The Outs in 2012. Directed by and starring Goldman, who wrote the series with co-star Sasha Winters, The Outs depicts the excruciating horrors of love and lust in modern-day Brooklyn (and managed to do so before Lena Dunham all but cornered the market—The Outs premiered a month before Girls).
Like its more female-focused contemporary cable series, The Outs looks at the perils of modern dating—but with a queer focus. It gained a cult following thanks to its its crowdfunded first season. And it wasn’t just well made and relatable, it was also extremely funny. Goldman might not be on the Brooklyn comedy circuit himself, but he is certainly working on its fringes. The Outs’ second season, which premiered in April on Vimeo on Demand, found many of its supporting stars from the borough’s wealth of comedic talent.
When was the first time you remember making someone laugh? What happened?
I honestly don’t remember. I bet you’re getting a lot of those answers from people. Just like everyone else on this list, I’ve always been crushed under the weight of crippling insecurity, and laughter is the best medicine or whatever, so.
What is the toughest part about being on the comedy scene in Brooklyn today? What is the best?
Fortunately I am not on the comedy scene in Brooklyn, or anywhere else! I write scripts for things and I tweet, but I don’t do standup or improv or anything. That grind seems really hard! I dabbled in standup during and after college and one time I won $20 at some open mic so I figured I’d quit while I was ahead.
Who do you find funny?
Bowen Yang and Sharon Horgan. She created Catastrophe and also this British show Pulling that nobody over here has seen but it’s so funny and smart and dark and she’s a total genius performer. I want to hug her real bad. And Bowen is a friend who I would like to be president, even in a better election year. I’ll hug him next time I see him so it’s not as big a deal.
What was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
I do not remember, but it was almost certainly on set of my show The Outs, and probably with my co-star Sasha Winters and/or our director of photography Jay Gillespie. I think we are comedy soul mates.
What are your goals for your comedy career?
I don’t really think I have a comedy career! Probably being on this list will be the equivalent of winning $20 in that open mic and I’ll quit while I’m ahead.
What is your favorite knock-knock (or otherwise goofy) joke?
It’s incredibly long and the punchline is “Fuck you, clown.” Like I said: no comedy career.
To see 49 more of Brooklyn’s funniest people, click here.
Photo by Nicolas Maloof.
