I am online far more than I should be but most of the things I find funny are not right to share here – mainly stories about idiots who think they are geniuses, or dating app profiles of men that friends have shown me. I can’t pretend I am an internet-savvy sophisticate who has conducted extensive research to try to avoid posting a cat meme in this list (spoiler alert: I failed). My main aim here is to ask readers to attend live standup comedy and get off their phones.
1. Maria Bamford’s special Weakness Is the Brand
If I were not me but infinitely better, funnier, smarter and more adorable I would be Maria Bamford. Her standup has everything from a perfectly rendered cast of characters and voices to sharp insights into hypocrisy, religion and politics – and, more importantly, the human condition. She owns her anxiety but never seeks sympathy or swerves off into pathos or cringe. I adore her.
2. Bottlo by Cam Knight and Luke Heggie
This series captures everything dumb anyone’s ever said at a bottle shop since the beginning of time. The cameos by Australian and international standup comedians are great but my favourite bit is the end-of-year bloopers reel when Heggie finally cracks a smile.
3. Anne Edmonds
Undoubtedly one of the best, Anne never fails to make me laugh. I love how crazy she is on stage, her act-outs, her yelling – she’s just so funny, irreverent and unafraid to put her most embarrassing thoughts and deeds under the microscope. I admire her enormously.
4. The outtakes from After Life 2
A comedian friend sent this to me and I scream laughed. I don’t particularly like Ricky Gervais’ standup but this show is great and the outtakes are stellar. If I could capture a modicum of this hilarity in anything I would be thrilled.
5. Party Shirt by Sarah Gaul
When I first saw Sarah perform at an all-women’s comedy night at the Chippo in Sydney I couldn’t believe she wasn’t famous yet. She’s brilliant. The jokes are packed in thick and fast and they are always super sharp. Her mind scans everything from the relatable laziness of calling Uber Eats to the incessant way guys who drive Teslas tell you about it.
6. Brian Regan’s special I Walked on the Moon
When I started comedy, two of my buddies on the Canberra scene, Emo Parsonson and Tom Gibson, told me to watch this clip by Brian Regan, about a showoff at a dinner party. It taught me more about standup than any book has.
7. Saint Hoax
At the risk of making this account less cool by just articulating that I like and follow it, I can honestly say Saint Hoax serves me sometimes the only source of international news I’ll get in a day. It mashes up popular culture and memes with contemporary politics, with no respect for hierarchy or the highbrow. I’m here for it, as the kids say.
8. Cats talking as if they’re in jail
I’m ashamed to say I adore cat videos. But this is no place for shame so I have outed myself. Whoever thinks these things up is a genius. I wish I had a cat.
9. Luke Heggie’s special Have That
Luke Heggie wastes no time or words on stage. He just eviscerates middle Australia one bowl of Bondi oats at a time. Get ready to hit pause so you can get the laughter out of the way before the next bit. Unparalleled. He’s the best.
10. Chats with Mum
Look, it may not be the funniest thing on the internet and maybe I shouldn’t plug my own stuff here but I interviewed my mother and turned it into animations when Covid-19 hit and shut down gigs. There are some glimpses into generational difference, mother-daughter relationships and my own psyche here. I learned how to use semi-automated animation software called Vyond to make them – it was easier to do than a podcast.
Chris Ryan is touring her new show, Busy, across Australia from March
