The Gist Funny You Should Mention: Ariel Elias
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Oct 24, 2025 Ariel Elias, a stand-up comedian and writer, shines as she discusses her special, A Jewish Star, and her Kentucky roots. She reveals how growing up Jewish in a conservative state shaped her comedic voice. Ariel dives into her viral beer-can incident and its impact on her career, including her appearance on Kimmel. The conversation also explores the art of crafting jokes, the significance of storytelling, and her process of writing cleaner material for synagogue gigs. Her insights into seizing opportunities and navigating the comedy landscape are both relatable and inspiring.
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Explaining Kentucky To New Yorkers
- Ariel Elias often explains how Jews ended up in Kentucky to New Yorkers because they lack context about the state.
- She finds New Yorkers treat Kentucky as a blank slate, forcing her to describe its regional quirks.
Getting Spanish Citizenship On Jan 6, 2021
- Ariel pursued Spanish citizenship via Sephardic ancestry and took her oath on January 6, 2021.
- She celebrated unaware of the insurrection that would unfold hours later, later getting recurring social reminders.
Outsider Status Fuels Observational Comedy
- Ariel says outsider status and repeated storytelling in Jewish culture sharpen observational comedy skills.
- Explaining yourself growing up teaches you to turn cultural burden into material and angle-driven jokes.