A few years ago I caught your appearance at Barracuda, a Manhattan gay bar, where you told a great story about working with Toni Basil on Legally Blonde.
I told that story in P-town too. Toni Basil is very famous choreographer who’s done a lot of movies, but she never had to deal with anyone like me who just couldn’t get it. Reese Witherspoon learned the “bend and snap” in about five minutes, and I was in Toni’s garage for ages trying to learn that thing, so she was incredibly frustrated. I pitched to her that my character was so uncoordinated that I shouldn’t bother to learn her choreography. I was like, “My character’s kind of retarded, so I don’t really have to learn this stuff, right? It’ll be really true to character if I just pretend to know the moves.” Toni said, “I’ll tell you what, Jennifer. Learn all the dance steps and do your best, because even your best will still look retarded.” And you know what? She was kind of right.


I guess we shouldn’t expect to see you on Dancing with the Stars.
No. My agent called me about a year ago and said that Dancing with the Stars had approached me, but I passed. I want to be asked to be on a show that I’d be good on. I want to do a show where I just have to run really fast. If there was a show where celebrities just had to run fast, play capture the flag, and not be clever like you have to be on Amazing Race, I’d do that show.

When doing stand-up, do you notice any difference between straight crowds and gay crowds?
I’ve been doing a lot of comedy clubs, and that’s a very hetero audience. They don’t say mean stuff, but they’ll yell out my movies that they love over and over again, or all through the act they’ll ask me to go out with them after the show. The gay audience is just a much better match for me. I don’t know if it’s because gays can handle their liquor better, but you never have a heckler in a gay crowd. They’re so well mannered and polite because they go to the show like it’s theater.

Are you specially crafting your act for the lesbian crowd at The Dinah?

I’m trying some stuff out now because do want to have some good stuff for the girls. What can I talk about?

Well, the DJ headliner for the weekend is Samantha Ronson, who’s proven to be a pretty easy target for comics.
I like Samantha Ronson, though. I did some awards show last year and she was there in the green room, and I actually thought she was quite cool. Who else can I go after?