Leslie Jones

Biography: “I ain’t no damsel in distress”

Leslie Jones was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1967 (1). Since her father was in the army, she moved around the country in her youth, calling Los Angeles and New York home as well (2).

While she wanted to be a gymnast at a young age, at six feet tall, Jones ended up playing basketball to please her father. After high school, she received a basketball scholarship at Chapman University, where she struggled to find a major that suited her interests (1, 3). She considered law, but found the books to be too “fuckin’ expensive” and the material to be “extremely crazy.” After that, she considered majoring in business accounting, but quit after a single day of microeconomics. Bored by her foray into computer science, she ended up majoring in communications after becoming a radio DJ (3).

When her basketball coach started a new job at Colorado State University, Jones transferred with him in 1987. Though she never played in an actual game at the university, her attendance there resulted in her first foray into the world of stand up comedy (4).

Later that year, one of Jones’ friends signed her up for a campus comedy competition. While Jones was known to be “hysterically funny” by her friends and teammates, she had never performed comedy onstage before that night (4). Though she was new to the craft, she won the competition and was named “funniest person on campus” by her school newspaper. That’s when she decided to give up her basketball scholarship to pursue comedy full-time (3).

“I felt like I had been doing it forever. The stage felt like home, and I felt that mic had been part of my life forever. It all came together the first time I heard that laughter.” – Jones on her first performance at CSU (4)

Though Jones found initial success as a comedian, she soon experienced difficulties after she moved back to California to pursue the craft. In one performance at the famous Comedy Store, she “bombed like a frickin’ 747” and stopped performing for three years as a result. When she came back to the stage and opened for Jamie Foxx, she bombed again. Foxx suggested her poor performance was due to a lack of life experience, and Jones decided to pursue other lines of work (3).

Seeking life experience, Jones held a variety of jobs in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. She was a maintenance worker, perfume saleswoman, and even officiated weddings (2). She continued performing at clubs in Los Angeles, and was eventually approached by humorist Mother Love while working at a restaurant called Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. Mother Love encouraged Jones to move to New York to perform and hone her craft, and after further prodding from comedian Dave Chappelle, she decided to give the city a shot (3).

Though Jones was initially scared to tears when arriving in New York, she soon realized it was “the most wonderful place for someone trying to become a creative vessel,” (3). Jones stayed in the city for two and a half years, learning to handle hecklers and crowds and discovering how to “write correctly.” When she moved back to Los Angeles, she was filled with confidence (3).

“When I came back here to L.A., I was like the dragon slayer. I was killing clubs. It’s just training.” – Jones on her life after New York (3)

Though Jones found success in comedy after she returned to L.A., she noticed that she wasn’t getting high-paying shows as her career progressed. Even after working with big names like Katt Williams and Dave Chappelle, she was relegated to what she would later call “shitty chitlin-circuit-ass rooms, where you’re just hoping the promoter pays you,”. Jones even decided to stop exclusively playing at black clubs in 2010, because she simply wasn’t “moving forward” with her career and felt that she was being “pigeonholed” as a black comic (5).

“I remember some nights where I was, like, ‘All right, this comedy shit just ain’t working out.'” – Jones on her stagnant career in the late 2000’s (5)

In 2009, Jones released her first full-length televised comedy special on Showtime. Called Problem Child, the hour-long special introduced Jones’ unique style of comedy to a national audience. With dynamic movements that included basketball stances, running, and multiple cartwheels, Jones showcased a physical talent often reserved for male comedians. She also displayed a level of raunchiness often only portrayed by men, openly discussing her sex drive (6).

Pictured: A promotional image for Problem Child

 

“Motherfuckers always be talkin’ about ‘Is it the size of the ship or the motion of the ocean?’ I just wanna fuck a ship in the ocean, how bout that? Tugboat, rowboat, I don’t give a FUCK!” – Jones on her sexuality in Problem Child (6)

In this special, Jones also unapologetically describes her six foot figure and large feet- a noticeable departure from many female comics who lampoon their appearances in their acts.

“I swear men if you can get past my big ass feet and how tall I am, I’m a great fuckin’ catch. I’m a great fuckin’ catch if you can get past these 13’s. I am the shit. I’m fine. I can fuck. I can fight. Oh, I ain’t no damsel in distress motherfucker. You can get the car baby while I handle these three thug motherfuckers. I’m a top shelf bitch.” – Jones on self-confidence in Problem Child (6)

In 2013, Jones was asked about then-recent comments that Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson made about black women who auditioned for the show. When a reporter asked Thompson why there were no black women in the show’s cast, he replied “In auditions, they just never find ones that are ready.” When Jones was asked to comment on Thompson’s statement, she replied with confidence:

“They’re not ‘ready’? That’s bullshit. ‘Cause I know I’m ready.” (5)

After criticism regarding the lack of black women on SNL, the show began looking to hire a black woman in the winter of 2013. Over one hundred women were considered by producers, though Jones did not make the list. However, when SNL’s producer Lorne Michaels had dinner with Chris Rock, Rock suggested that the show consider hiring Jones. She was added to the short list of comedians to be considered, and after performing stand up at the audition, she was hired as a writer for the show (5).

As a writer for SNL, Jones found herself surrounded by young white people who went to elite colleges. She often found that these writers lacked real-world experience and did not know how to cater to non-white audiences. During her first week on the job, the writers wrote a sketch about “The Glass Menagerie” for rapper Drake to play a part in. Jones found the joke to be out of touch with anything black people would want to watch and was not surprised when the joke was cut after bombing in dress rehearsal. Cast member Sasheer Zamata then noted that “Leslie is a pretty good litmus test for what America will think is funny,” (5).

After success as a writer for SNL, Jones was added to the cast for the 2014 season. She was only the sixth black woman to be a cast member on SNL in its 40 year period, adding needed diversity to the program (7). Additionally, at age 49, she was also the oldest person to be added to SNL’s cast. In one of her first appearances on a segment called Weekend Update, she received praise and criticism for jokes about how she would have had a better love life “back in the slave days,” (7). SNL’s Youtube channel does not display this video likely because of the backlash it received, and so I cannot link it here. The cowards!

Pictured: Leslie Jones on SNL’s Weekend Update

On SNL, Jones performed in sketches and frequently performed stand up style material on Weekend Update. In these segments, she expressed her opinions in the same comedic style that she developed prior to SNL. She would also jokingly flirt with Weekend Update co-host Colin Jost on nearly every segment, tackling the idea that women should be submissive even when performing. Here are examples of Jones in a sketch and on Weekend Update.

After she started her career on SNL, Jones began receiving offers to appear in films. She appeared in Chris Rock’s Top Five in 2014 and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck in 2015, and landed her first major role in the all-female reboot of Ghostbusters in 2016. While the film was unsuccessful in the box offices, the biggest problem Jones faced was the backlash she received for appearing in a film that supposedly belongs to white men.

Pictured: Jones in her Ghostbusters costume

While all of Ghostbusters‘ female leads faced attacks for performing in a “men’s film,” Jones faced the brunt of the hate. She was sent racist and misogynistic tweets on Twitter, including messages that compared her to an “ape.” Jones temporarily left the site in response to these attacks, but later returned after working with Twitter to ban the offending accounts (8). Later, her website was hacked by those who could not bear to see a black woman do a “man’s job,” and photos revealing her personal information were posted on the site. Additionally, images of her naked body were posted, which she soon addressed on Weekend Update.

As of 2019, Leslie Jones is still a cast member on SNL. She is currently working as a voice actor for The Angry Birds Movie 2 and is still as badass as ever.

Jones’ Experiences as a Woman in Comedy:

As a black woman in the world of comedy, Leslie Jones faced and continues to face hostility from both industry professionals and audiences.

In terms of sexism in the industry, Jones often notices that she is treated differently from male comics.

“Some of the stuff I go through as a woman is so messed up. I show up and they won’t even pick up my bags. The type of little shit you notice – opening doors or making sure I have something to eat. But they do it for the male comics.” – Jones on sexism from club owners and staff (3)

She also notes that she often gets the “compliment” that she “performs like a man.” Her boisterous and physical style is still considered unusual for a female comic, and many people can’t seem to get over the idea that a comedy style does not have to be gendered (3).

Jones’ ability to do what is considered “men’s comedy” also enrages certain portions of the Internet. When the female-led reboot of the originally male-led Ghostbusters was announced and Jones was revealed to be one of the stars, she received massive amounts of hate messages on Youtube and Twitter. These attacks were often both sexist and racist in nature, with some comparing Jones to a “gorilla.” Her website was also hacked, with hackers posting her personal information and nude photos. Jones handled the attacks and hack by getting the offending Twitter users banned and releasing a humorous statement on SNL (see above), fighting back against the notion that a black woman should not do “men’s comedy” (8).

Impacts and Influences:

Since Jones has only appeared in mainstream comedy within the past decade, information on her impact in the industry is largely speculative.

While Tina Fey’s legacy at SNL involves bringing more women into the cast, Jones represents a further push for diversity on the show. As one of only six black women to ever appear as an SNL cast member, Jones is hopefully helping to open the door for women of color in the same way that Fey opened the door for white women. Additionally, Jones’ shift from being what she called a “BET comic” to performing for white (and simultaneously more mainstream) audiences will hopefully be part of a larger push to showcase comics of color for audiences who might have otherwise only known about white comedians.

I am also hopeful that Jones’ highly physical and aggressive style of performing will inspire other female comics to perform in styles traditionally only seen in male comics. As we have seen, sexism in the world of comedy is alive and well, and groundbreaking female comics such as Leslie Jones are fighting it with every performance.

Leslie Jones and Feminism:

Leslie Jones tends to avoid politics in her comedy, arguing that modern comedy is often too serious.

“Comedy is a release just like art and music. All of that is the same thing. You need that release. It can’t always be serious. You need The Three Stooges just as much as you need John Oliver.” – Jones on why she hopes SNL will pull back on its political commentary (9)

While she does not discuss feminism during or after her performances, Jones’ comedy may still be considered feminist. By performing in a style typically only seen in male comics, she is subverting gender stereotypes. By displaying confidence about her body, she is challenging the idea that only petite white women should feel beautiful. By fighting back against the Internet trolls who sought to tear her down, she refused to give into sexism and racism. If you ask me, that’s feminist as fuck.

Pictured: Jones at the premier of Ghostbusters

It is important to note that Jones received criticism from feminists on a few occasions, with the most notable instance occurring after she joked about forced breeding during slavery. In the joke, which is unfortunately not posted on SNL’s Youtube, Jones claims that she would have had a great love life during slavery because of her height and build. Critics claimed that the joke was racially insensitive, and the senior editor of Ebony called Jones an “embarrassment,” (10). Jones fired back by tweeting that black male artists get away with similar themes in their work and that her status as a black woman “who ain’t afraid to be real” was at the root of the criticisms (11).

In her own stand up comedy and on SNL, Jones expresses her sexuality in a way that may seem to play into stereotypes about the supposed hypersexuality of black women. On SNL, she flirts with male actors fairly regularly, such as in this Naked and Afraid sketch:

While I agree that stereotypes about black women’s sexuality are harmful, I do not think that censorship Jones’ sexual humor is part of the answer. Black women are silenced too often in our society and asking one of only a handful of mainstream black women in comedy to “tone it down” seems counterproductive if we want to call ourselves anti-racist feminists. While scholars and feminists will continue to debate this issue, Jones does not plan on changing her comedy to please the critics. She will continue to do what she calls “keeping it real” in her comedy, and if a black woman expressing herself unapologetically isn’t feminist, I don’t know what is.

Works Cited:

(1) “Leslie Jones.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 2 Feb. 2018, http://www.biography.com/people/leslie-jones-071516.

(2) Gardenswartz, Noah. “Leslie Jones: Just Wants to Make You Laugh.” LAUGHSPIN, 2010, web.archive.org/web/20141102051948/http://www.laughspin.com/2010/03/15/leslie-jones-just-wants-to-make-you-laugh/.

(3) Smith, Jay. “Leslie Jones: Comedian at Work.” Pollstar, 2010, http://www.pollstar.com/article/leslie-jones-comedian-at-work-15922.

(4) “Leslie Jones Found Her Funny at CSU | Fall – 2015 | Colorado State Un…” Archive.is, 31 July 2017, archive.is/20170731092134/http://magazine.colostate.edu/issues/fall-2015/leslie-jones-found-her-funny-at-csu/.

(5) Marantz, Andrew. “Leslie Jones: Always Funny, Finally Famous.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 12 July 2017, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/01/04/ready-for-prime-time.

(6) Binkow, Gary, director. Problem Child: Leslie Jones. Amazon Prime, 2010.

(7) Gay, Verne. “Leslie Jones Joins ‘SNL’ Cast.” Newsday, Newsday, 21 Oct. 2014, http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/leslie-jones-joins-saturday-night-live-cast-1.9526435.

(8) Fisher, Luchina. “’Ghostbusters’ Star Leslie Jones Quits Twitter After Online Harassment.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 2016, abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/ghostbusters-star-leslie-jones-quits-twitter-online-harassment/story?id=40698459.

(9) Welk, Brian. “Leslie Jones Hopes Comedians and ‘SNL’ Can Move Past Constant Trump Jokes.” TheWrap, TheWrap, 13 June 2018, http://www.thewrap.com/leslie-jones-snl-saturday-night-live-constant-trump-jokes/.

(10) “’Saturday Night Live’ Writer Leslie Jones Responds to Criticism.” EW.com, ew.com/article/2014/05/05/leslie-jones-saturday-night-live-slavery/.

(11) McDonald, Soraya Nadia. “Leslie Jones of ‘SNL’ Defends Her Jokes about Forced Breeding during Slavery.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 5 May 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/05/05/leslie-jones-of-snl-defends-her-jokes-about-forced-breeding-during-slavery/?utm_term=.9f0d0932e5f3.

(Photo Number One: https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/09/leslie-jones-calls-out-kevin-hart-katt-williams)

(Photo Number Two: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2450366/)

(Photo Number Three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv59ImL2LKg)

(Photo Number Four: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jul/07/leslie-jones-ghostbusters-us-most-depressed-nation-blame-comedians)

(Photo Number Five: http://thesource.com/2016/07/11/actress-leslie-jones-gets-the-last-laugh-at-ghostbusters-premiere-after-dress-debacle/)