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The best source of material for New York comics are the mean streets of this crazy and endearing city. And for the comediennes featured at this year's Ladies Who Laugh, on July 14, that's certainly the case. Here, two of the comics, Asie Mohtarez and Desiree Burch, share New York stories.
From Asie
Carrot-tops and convicts "Recently, I was featured in a local magazine as a sexy single New Yorker."My friends, naturally, insisted that I was going to meet a ton of great guys from this experience. But I couldn't imagine what type of people would contact a stranger who was shamelessly boasting how she was attractive, yet mysteriously, single.
"Once the article came out, responses filled my inbox. You would not believe how many prisoners and redheads read local magazines.
"Did you know you have to accept [certain] terms and consequences when you receive a correspondence from an inmate at the Department of Corrections?
One of the 30-35 ginger-heads who emailed me actually sent a picture of a red Thundercat [from the animation series Thundercats about catlike action figures] instead of himself.
"I'm still single."
Asie, an Iranian-American comedian, began studying improv and acting after several failed attempts at fulfilling her immigrant parents' American dream of her becoming a doctor, lawyer or engineer. Asie performs stand-up around the city and hosts The Local Show at Pianos on Ludlow. Catch her blog posts at asie.tumblr.com.
From Desiree
A New York tail "As I was walking up Eighth Avenue in Chelsea one day, I noticed a golden retriever barking at garbage. He was being walked by an attractive man.Suddenly, a rat darted out in plain sight and ran away from the pretty man and his dog and toward me. I went left to avoid the creature, but the fat rat followed me. I dodged right, but the rat zoomed toward me like a laser beam. Creepily, the rodent and I were one: The rat was like Visa — 'everywhere I want to be.'
"Surely, the rat would disappear into some crevice, I was thinking, hoping, praying. Instead, it ran right into me. I felt its tiny ratty legs hit my shoe, about to crawl up my leg. Without thinking I lobbed him into the window of the Banana Republic to my left.
"The rodent slammed into the window and skidded like a car in a police chase, then whimpered and scurried away.
The guy looked at his dog and at me and said: 'Did that just happen?' "'I am afraid it did,' I said, thus proving, if it's possible, it's happening — somewhere in New York City."
Desiree is one of New York Magazine's "Ten New Comedians that Funny People Find Funny." She can be seen at "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" and in August in the U.K. performing her solo show, "52-Man Pickup."
— As told to Michelle Lodge
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