Last week, for the first time since March 2020, I went to a thing.
That thing? A comedy show. A real, live comedy show with a stage and a microphone and lights and everything. The tables were spaced out, and only about 20 people were in attendance, but it was a real life comedy show, something I haven’t been to since the pandemic started.
Prior to the pandemic, I saw four to five comedy shows a week; I worked as a server and bartender at a comedy club here in Vancouver, slinging drinks while jokes and chuckles echoed in the background. Every night, a rotating cast of comics would take the stage. But in March 2020, I lost that job and the club shut down. And not only were my co-workers and I out of work, the comics on who were on the stage nightly were too.
Live shows are slowly starting to come back in North America. But for the past year, many comics found a way to bide their time on a new kind of stage: TikTok.
It turns out the same comic timing and jokes that make up a five-minute set can easily be converted into a series of TikToks. It may not always pay the bills, but the platform has given comedians space to work on new material, keep old favourites sharp and experiment with the medium—and some are even going viral.
This week on Tik Talk, we’re looking at some of the comics doing TikTok best. Here are four queer and trans comedians who’ve found a way to make TikTok work for them.
Darcy Michael (and his husband!)
If you’re gay and on TikTok, you’ve likely seen one of Darcy Michael’s videos. The Vancouver-based stand-up comedian and actor launched a TikTok account with his husband, Jer, and the pair have skyrocketed to internet fame over the past year, accumulating over 1.6 million followers and 37.5 million likes on their videos.
Jordan Raskopoulos
Trans comic Jordan Raskopoulos has brought her stand-up chops not only to TikTok, but to the streaming platform Twitch as well. The Australian comedian and actress uses humour to take down everyone from transphobes to her fellow Australians.
James Tison
Non-binary comedian James Tison has made TikTok a home for his sharp wit and hilarious takes. The New York-based comic not only integrates jokes into their posts, they also speak frankly about non-binary identities and their HIV-positive status.
Meg Stalter
Meg Stalter went viral during Pride month for her hilarious skewering of corporate Pride (“Hi gay!” will echo in my mind forever), but over the past year the Los Angeles bisexual icon has used TikTok to share hilarious and biting jokes about everything from office work to straight girls at Pride. A sketch comedian and writer by trade, her wacky characters have made the perfect leap to TikTok.
Queer Tiktoker of the week 🌈
Besides the comedy creators listed above, this week I wanted to highlight Mercury Stardust-Top, a self-described “trans handy ma’am” based in Wisconsin, who uses her videos to give advice on everything from finding a wall stud to clearing a clogged sink. Educational and entertaining? Sign me up!
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