The Internet Comedians That Got Us Through 2020
These viral comedians helped us laugh in 2020, and we couldn't be more thankful
Let’s be honest: 2020 has truly been the epitome of a dumpster fire. If there was a CTL-ALT-DLT button on this year, we would have been pressing it nonstop since March. But there has been at least one silver lining to this hectic time. With many people isolating at home, inevitably spending more time on their phones and looking for *some* form of entertainment, this was truly the year for some of the most hilarious, side-splitting and mind-numbing comedy (because we obviously needed it), much of it originating on a little old app called Instagram.
If 2020 gave us anything, it was a plethora of internet comedians that helped us laugh, made us cry (mostly happy, sometimes sad tears) and generally just helped us get through this shit storm of a year. From eerily on-point impressions of Australia’s national treasure Nicole Kidman (and her many shawls) and Shawn Mendes’s love for anything cheesy, to comedic (if not entirely horrifying) Instagram Live shows about race, the internet’s comedy stars have continued to give throughout quarantine. And we couldn’t be more thankful.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the iconic internet comedians that have made 2020 that much more bearable.
Jordan Firstman
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I’m sorry but if you don’t know who Jordan Firstman is, you’re as oblivious as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence with a fly on his head (an actual skit Firstman has done). Firstman, a writer, producer and comedian, has been hustling for *years.* But in 2020, he really went viral with the launch of his “impressions” video series on Instagram. Ranging from doing an impression of the literal (and now infamous) fly that landed on Pence’s head during the first 2020 Vice Presidential debate to mimicking that one friend we all have who is “doing the work“—whatever “the work” is—Firstman’s impressions are creative, hilarious and, above all, so damn accurate.
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Also, if you haven’t seen Firstman’s Los Angeles home—which was featured in the November issue of Architectural Digest—do it. It’s honestly a treat for the eyes.
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Elsa Majimbo
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Elsa Majimbo is the epitome of “WFH Mood.” The Kenya-based comedian, who rose to social media fame during the pandemic, has become a visual representation of how we’re *all* feeling by this point in 2020—i.e. over it. Her videos often feature Majimbo in a close-up shot, rocking Matrix-style (or Kim Kardashian West-esque) teeny, tiny sunglasses, snacking away on chips as she throws out one liners about working in the pandemic (work? who’s she?), before unleashing her now signature and infectious laugh.
Is anyone looking for an IRL visual of me on my morning Zoom calls? Look no further than Majimbo.
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Benito Skinner
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If the Oxford English Dictionary is looking for their official phrase of 2020, we have a suggestion. No, not dumpster fire. “Gorgeous garments.” It’s a phrase uttered by comedian Benito Skinner (a.k.a. Benny Drama) during his Thanksgiving-themed Shawn Mendes impression video, in which Skinner as Mendes is complimented for his cowl necked sweater. Skinner’s caricature of the wholesome, earnest pop singer is honestly so accurate that you won’t be able to watch Mendes’s new Netflix documentary In Wonder without legitimately wondering if it’s actually Benny Drama in disguise. But Skinner’s talent goes beyond just Mendes. Whether he’s Jenni, the chaotic AF hairstylist of your nightmares who talks about taking a dump in between hacking at your hair, cosplaying as your astrological sign (truly messy), or competing with his boyfriend’s mom for her son’s affection, Skinner is going to make you cackle aloud.
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Good thing we’re at home with no one else to disturb.
Chloe Fineman
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If you’re a fan of Saturday Night Live, you’re probably familiar with Chloe Fineman. The comedian has been a star on the show for the past two seasons. But TBQH, after quarantine’s over, Lorne Michaels should consider giving her her own show. Fineman—who was isolating in Los Angeles at the height of the pandemic lockdown—took off on her personal account during quarantine, posting beyond funny impressions of celebrities on FaceTime. From Normal People’s Connell and Marianne doing their version of dirty talk (think, “wet arse pussy”) to Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban keeping the flame (and Kidman’s shawl collection) thriving, to Fineman’s impression of actor Drew Barrymore (which garnered Fineman a spot on Barrymore’s own talkshow and a lifelong fan in Barrymore herself), Fineman’s impressions are one of the only things getting us through this year. Besides lots of Netflix, of course.
Ziwe Fumudoh
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Comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, who is a writer on Desus & Mero, made a name for herself in front of the camera during lockdown, interviewing controversial stars like Alison Roman about race, live on Instagram. Her questions are typically *quite* pointed, with Fumudoh asking the aforementioned Roman—who found herself facing backlash after some choice comments about Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo in May 2020—questions like: “Why do you hate Asian women?,” “Would you consider yourself the Christopher Columbus of food influencing?,” and “How do you describe the difference between curry and stew?”
The answers to these questions are usually not great, but it’s pretty fun to watch privileged, powerful people flounder a little.
Caitlin Reilly
@itscaitlinhello##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##weddingvows ##DontLeaveMe♬ original sound – Caitlin Reilly
Remember that popular girl who probably bullied you in school, made your life a living nightmare and now sells makeup for an MLM whilst posting photos of the handmade self-love quote boards around her house? Yeah, Caitlin Reilly remembers her too. And she’s imitating her to perfection.
TikTok is brimming with talent, but Reilly *really* stood out in 2020 with her impressions of pretty much every annoying person who has ever existed in your life and on the internet, like the privileged mom at the nail salon, or at Starbucks, or who’s trying to start a dance party with her kids at home.
@itscaitlinhelloCheryl needs ASSISTANCE. ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##waspmom ##Snapshot♬ original sound – Caitlin Reilly
Boman Martinez-Reid
@bomanizerBeing ghosted but it’s reality TV ##realitytv ##halloween ##spooky♬ original sound – Boman Martinez-Reid
Another TikTok star, Canada’s own Boman Martinez-Reid (a.k.a. Bomanizer) has helped meld our quarantine obsession with comedy and reality TV into one guilty pleasure: his TikTok account. Inspired by his love for reality shows like The Real Housewives franchise, Martinez-Reid takes everyday situations, like fighting with your sister or being ghosted, and amps up the *drama*. His videos feature Martinez-Reid often literally melting from the disrespect shown towards him by his friends and family. And it’s the best viewing you can get off cable.
Here’s hoping that 2021 is just as funny.
