2 Dope Queens is a WNYC comedy podcast hosted by Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson in front of a live audience in Brooklyn, New York. The podcast is a recording of the stand-up comedy show held at Union Hall.
Williams and Robinson begin each episode with banter recorded separately from the show. In the episode, “That Time I Had Sex with The Rock,” they start the show by talking about how Brad Pitt is “trash.” Although Williams and Robinson are two comedians trying to entertain an audience, their conversation feels natural, like a fun exchange between best friends, which, evidently, is exactly what they are. Their opening topics have included sex and their tastes in men, Heidi Klum and Seal, and PTSD-triggering war movies. After a few minutes of hilarious conversation, they introduce the recording of the show and name the lineup for the episode.
Theme music fades out to Williams and Robinson onstage, riffing with each other about their lives in New York City. They both tell wild stories, like Williams’ cancer scare or Robinson’s return to the dating life. The atmosphere they create in Union Hall with their witty and raunchy charm eases the crowd into their act. It’s refreshing to hear Williams and Robinson boast about their sex lives, the way men so often do in the world of comedy.
After their stories conclude and the audience is warmed up, the featured comedians enter the show. Their sets usually last around 10 to 15 minutes. Past guests have included Ilana Glazer of Broad City and Eric Andre of The Eric Andre Show. In between sets, Williams and Robinson return to the stage and resume their stories. A favourite episode of mine is the first season’s finale, “A Lenny Kravitz Smackdown,” where the duo argues about Lenny Kravitz’s attractiveness throughout the whole episode.
A defining aspect in this stand-up comedy podcast is the hosts’ efforts to feature people of colour, female comedians, and comedians from the LGBTQ community. 2 Dope Queens expands the experience of stand-up to include more diversity. Comedians tell stories about being first-generation immigrants, poke fun at their own sexualities, and cathartically discuss the discrimination imposed on them as people of colour.
The episodes not only provide side-splitting laughter, but also offer different perspectives on life that you might never have considered otherwise. 2 Dope Queens is a refreshing experience with a wide variety of stories, helmed by two of the most intelligent comics on the scene.
