Comedian Hannah Berner has lived many lives in her mere 31 years. You may know her from her days on the reality show “Summer House,” her D1 collegiate tennis career, her “Man on the Street” TikTok videos, or one of her two podcasts: “Giggly Squad” with Paige DeSorbo and “Berning in Hell” solo. If you just know her as “some comedian girl,” you are in good company with Emily Ratajkowski.
Berner is on tour for her solo standup act and sold out two consecutive shows at Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Theater on April 14. The comedian was decked out in her best impression of a “slutty Hillary Clinton”: a pink Rosette NYC set and silver Larroude platform sandals.
On stage, Berner joked about everything from espresso martinis being a triple threat (“caffeine, alcohol and laxative all in one!”) to beauty industry scare tactics and had the audience in shambles all night.
Berner has been to The District several times before, even to the Lincoln for a “Giggly Squad” live show. She likes the city just fine but takes issue with the extended timer on its crosswalk signs. A born and raised New Yorker, Berner is not used to the minute-long walk times. She said believes fixing this could have greater implications,
“I think bills could be moving faster if we just fixed the signs!”
Backstage, Berner had finally narrowed in on her stage rider. Her dressing room was stocked with popcorn, granola bars, water, apple juice and a fruit basket (though she confessed that part is mostly for show). Before the show, Berner explained that food is a pre-stage ritual for her,
“I can’t go up there hangry! How am I going to make people laugh if I’m in a bad mood?”
The comedian is a huge fan of Gen Z women. In a recent episode of Jackie and Claudia Oshry’s “The Toast,” Berner gushed,
“If the Gen Zs think I’m cool, I’m done.”
Much of her content revolves around women’s empowerment and sexual liberty. The comedian earned a gender and women’s studies certificate from the University of Wisconsin and has maintained a passion for feminism since.
Berner often discusses her conscious effort to decenter men from her life and jokes about the absurd standards we hold women to in our society. Berner’s love for Gen Z comes from this perspective, as she feels her words resonate best with this generation that has grown up with powerful female figures. Berner aims to be one of those women,
“I hope that I can inspire more Gen Z women to get into comedy or to just get into more male-dominated spaces that they were scared about in the past. I just think the Gen Z girls are going to rule the world.”
Berner is also a huge advocate for mental health. Her podcast “Berning in Hell” focuses on the topic through her interviews with celebrities such as Barbara Corcoran, Chris Olsen and Luann de Lesseps. Having struggled under the pressure of being a student-athlete, Berner is no stranger to mental health troubles. She feels that,
“We have to normalize being imperfect and it being ok, because then you become yourself. We can’t all be cookie-cutter [people]!”
The comedian views fear of failure as a huge roadblock in the journey to mental wellness and success. Berner often says that failure and breakups are her favorite things because they represent new beginnings. She hopes people will be willing to take more chances and use failure to learn more about themselves,
“I’ve crumbled under pressure many times, so then you start to learn that this is life and not to be too scared of failing. Being scared of failing is really the only failure you can have.”
In terms of finding yourself, Hannah believes in a return to one’s childhood,
“you’re that same girl you were when you were 5 years old. Find that energy. I was a goofy little [kid].”
And goofy she remains. Berner has a reputation for lusting after college mascots, Clawed Z. Eagle included. The comedian said of Clawed,
“Yeah he’s hot. I mean, he definitely is a [player]. He definitely will not text you back, but like he seems like a good time. Fun to watch a game with, fun to have some drinks with. Probably not gonna have any in-depth conversations with him and doesn’t look like he’s been to therapy.”
So beware American girls! The expert says that Clawed E. Gull may break your heart.