By Abigail Quint, Editor in Chief ||
This article is not so much a review but instead a celebration of the best comedian working right now: Chelsea V. Peretti. In high school, a friend recommended her Twitter feed to me. (It’s hysterical. Get a Twitter and follow @chelseaVPeretti). Recent standout tweets include “DON’T FORGET TO BEHAVE AS CHILDREN OF GOD WHEN U COMMENT ONLINE” and a side-by-side comparison picture of her and a bear.
She loves to cook and shares the delicious meals she makes with her followers. A current favorite is chicken carbonara.
Her Twitter had me hooked, and I saw her stand-up a year later. Her act was hilarious, of course, and I am dying to see her again in Philly this April.
Peretti worked as a writer on many television shows, including Parks and Recreation, and plays a few different characters on Nick Kroll’s sketch show, The Kroll Show.
Recently, Peretti received attention for her work as Gina Linetti, the office administrator for the Brooklyn Nine-Nine precinct. Gina is the only character not on the force, and her funny quips draw the attention of the viewer. Her special relationship with the serious Captain Holt provides a zany edge to the typical workplace drama. In a recent episode, Gina grew attached to a wolf blanket, otherwise known as “Wolfie.” The show was nominated and won two Golden Globes, one for Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy and another for Best Actor, Television Series Musical or Comedy for Andy Samberg.
Fun fact: Peretti and Samberg went to elementary school together in the Bay Area!
Fox recently renewed Brooklyn Nine-Nine for a second season. Be sure to catch it next year.
Peretti also has a presence on the podcast scene, with her hit show Call Chelsea Peretti. Featuring guests like Bill Burr and Aziz Ansari, her call-in show does not disappoint. Peretti accepts calls from fans and asks them about their favorite foods and if they have any interesting stories, amongst other conversation topics. Her array of sound effects provides constant humor. If the caller makes a funny comment or tells a great story, she presses the “jackpot” button and an arcade machine sound effect blares. If the caller isn’t interesting, she presses a button that says “whoops gotta go bye” or will play the car crash sound effect. Extra points if a caller has a story about a bear attack!
As an offshoot of her podcast, Peretti developed an app for iPhone. The app features a button to call the podcast, a soundboard with the special effects from the show, and “Chelstagram,” an Instagram-like filter service. The filters include black mold, psycho, sexy music, boring, wolf mode, bug, I.F.F., bear, crankin’, iPhone 4, blocked, cracked, and elf. Each filter ties into an issue Chelsea explored on her podcast, Twitter, Instagram, or Vine. The ‘crankin’’ filter places a cup of coffee over any picture, a reference to a song she made for her podcast. “I got coffee crankin’ through my sys, I got coffee crankin’ through my sys,” celebrates Chelsea’s caffeination.
Whether its Brooklyn Nine-Nine, her social media presence, or her podcast, Peretti is a hilarious comic that can’t be missed. #oneofthegreats
Junior Abigail Quint is the Editor in Chief. Her email is aquint@fandm.edu.