Your typical girls’ night out probably includes catching up on gossip about last night’s party, your sorority sister who had one drink too many before puking in the bushes, and the always-classy dance floor make-out. But now imagine that same girls’ night out… only your best friends are all MTV-approved comedians. That’s the premise behind Girl Code, premiering tonight at 10:30 pm, and we love it. The show is raunchy, relatable, and totally quotable. Take a sneak peek:
Get More: Girl Code, Full Episodes
Blonde bombshell Jessimae Peluso is the stand-out star of the show. Her humor is deadpan, risqué, and highly opinionated — she reminds us of a (dare we say it?) funnier version of Jenna Marbles. She has a quip for every subject:
On friends with benefits: “The worst part of friends with benefits is catching feelings. Or an STD. Or both.”
On dancing: “If you’re going to dance, do it with conviction. Be the baddest b*tch on the dance floor. I don’t care if you suck — get up there, shimmy a t*tty, flap a labia, and mean it.”
On girls’ night out: “The worst part of girls’ night out is when someone cries. Shut the f*ck up and have a shot.”
Her Campus chatted with Jessimae for an exclusive interview about Girl Code, her tips for making it big in comedy, and her undying love for John Stamos.
What’s been your favorite part of filming Girl Code?
Being able to talk about things that I was put in the hallway for in school is amazing.
Have you worked with any of the other comedians on the show prior to filming?
I knew Jamie Lee, Esther Ku, Carly Aquilino, and a couple of the guys from Guy Code. We have a comedy community here in New York City, so it’s nice to do a show with people I respect and thrive off of and think are hilarious.
You made the decision to pursue comedy straight out of high school instead of going to college. How did you work up the courage to start your career at such a young age?
A lot of comedians have this ridiculous mode of confidence in the beginning of their careers. It’s a survival mechanism, because for a long time, you suck. When you have this blind confidence, you’re like, “Oh great, nobody laughed? They’re quiet laughers! I just can’t hear them! I have a head cold!” I have my first show on tape and I watch it every once in awhile. Even though the jokes sucked and watching it now gives me nausea and nightmares, I knew then that comedy was something I had to do.
What is it like to work as a comedian?
You can’t succeed in any career without working your ass off. I have good stage presence and people think I’m charming, but what I’ve always struggled with was sitting down and working out my jokes. It takes a long time to work on one joke. It’s like art – you never feel like they’re done. I keep a catalog of all my jokes on my computer – I have three or four back-ups of twenty thousand jokes you will probably never hear!
For young women looking to break into comedy, what do you recommend for their first few gigs?
The main thing is to just get up and do it. Don’t look to kill the room or knock it out of the park. Doing great won’t be the thing that makes you get better. You get better at those shows you do where nobody laughs, where you feel the pain of a joke not working. Those are the most valuable things that will make you succeed as a performer.
What was your craziest experience on stage?
I was recently in the middle of doing a physical joke. I slipped on the microphone cord, my feet went up in the air, and I landed on my back. In any other situation when people fall, it’s f*cking hilarious. I love when people fall. But for some reason, the audience was waiting for a punchline because I was in the middle of a physical joke. In my mind, I’m like, “Oh my God, I can’t make these people laugh even when I fall. What’s wrong with me?” So, I just laid there and finished my joke on my back and then yelled at them for not laughing at me.
In the past few years, there’s been an explosion of female writers making it big on TV: Lena Dunham, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Whitney Cummings. What do you think of this change?
I think it’s awesome. Sure, it’s a man’s world, but men come out of women’s wombs, so we can stand up and tell jokes about it.
Do you watch Girls? Girl Code touches on so many of the same issues.
I just got into Girls recently, actually. My favorite part is just how Lena Dunham is always naked. She’s naked and very proud and I think it’s so important for girls to see her so comfortable in her own skin.
I’ve seen all over the Internet your infatuation with John Stamos. Why John Stamos?
I like chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, strawberries, and horses, and Stamos is right in that list. Probably top one or two. I don’t want to say top one, because I don’t want his ego to get too blown up. He always looks great. He likes blondes. Hello! I’m waiting for the stars to align and for him to realize I’m just the souvlaki he needs. I met him once and I tried to speak Greek to him, but he doesn’t speak a lot of Greek. I was a little disappointed that I learned the language for my loved one and he didn’t appreciate it.
Girl Code premieres Tuesday, April 23 at 10:30 pm. Tune in to watch Jessimae and the rest of the cast!
Image credit: MTV