Sarah Haskins (comedian)

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Sarah Haskins
Haskins in 2005
Born (1979-08-03) August 3, 1979 (age 44)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
MediumImprovisational comedy, television, internet
NationalityAmerican
GenresSatire
Subject(s)Feminism, popular culture, advertising, media

Sarah Haskins (born August 3, 1979) is an American comedian known for her satire about gender stereotypes in the media.

Background and politics[edit]

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Haskins attended Francis W. Parker School in Chicago's Lincoln Park.[1] A 2001 graduate of Harvard College, she was also a member of the improv comedy troupe The Immediate Gratification Players.[2]

Once, when I was about eleven and my sister was eight, we were going on a camping trip. The day of the trip, in the car, on the way, I got scared and started trying to back out of the trip saying I don't want to go. And my Mom, turned around in her seat and yelled "YOU'RE GOING! YOU COME FROM A LINE OF STRONG WOMEN!" And I think that attitude's infected me. There are also strong women in the industry, and a lot of them have been very helpful to me – so, I have a positive attitude right now. I want to do stuff, and I don't want anyone to stop me.[3]

When asked if she is a feminist: "Yes, I’m a feminist. It is an extension of my lifelong war against pantyhose. To me it means that as women we are individuals before we are gendered people and that we’re not defined by our gender except in the ways we chose to appropriate that definition. We’re in a weird generation, right? Our moms were forced to grapple with that definition more immediately, and I think it’s changed as we’ve grown up. The core issue 'how do I fight bias against me because of my gender' is still there but has gotten more complicated and wrapped into all kinds of identity issues about how you present yourself as a woman and I pretty much think it's your choice. And fuck pantyhose."[4]

A self-described liberal and feminist,[4] she has spoken in interviews about the many traditional and new roles that women of the modern world are expected to fulfill: taking on new roles as career women and as financially independent individuals while still adhering to antiquated stereotypes about an ideal woman and her role in a traditional society.[5]

Career[edit]

Haskins majored in American history and literature at Harvard University. While at Harvard she began improvising with a group called IGP or "the Immediate Gratification Players." This inspired her interest in comedy. "Freshman year of college I saw a show at Second City called The Psychopath Not Taken. I loved it—I was doing improv at the time at school with a great group called IGP—and Psychopath expanded my sense of what comedy could do. It was funny, smart, and important.”[4]

Haskins was an improvisational and sketch comedy performer at I.O. (ImprovOlympic) Chicago as well as with the Second City National Touring Company for six years before moving to California.[6] She lists her influences and heroes as "Chicago, Katharine Graham, Tina Fey, improvisation, Francis Parker".[6]

In October 2007, she relocated to Los Angeles, where she currently resides.[2] She worked as a full-time writer for Current TV and a regular contributor to the weekly series InfoMania on Current, a network co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore. Haskins wrote and starred in the InfoMania segment "Target Women" in which she commented on products, advertising, and media aimed at women. Segment topics have included: wedding shows, jewelry, cleaning supplies, Sarah Palin and the "lady vote", Twilight, cars and The View. The show’s first episode, "Target Women: Yogurt", was an online hit.

Her comedy led to interviews with The Rumpus,[7] Mother Jones,[8] Jezebel,[3] and The Paper Machete.[9] Utne Reader named her one of "50 Visionaries Who Are Changing The World".[10]

In January 2010, Haskins parted ways with Current TV, leaving her central role in the Target Women segment behind.[3] After InfoMania, Haskins and Emily Halpern co-wrote the short film DILF.[11][12] Haskins also co-starred in the short films The Cat Whisperer[13] and How To Be Sexy.[14]

Despite positive reviews by critics,[15] Haskins' sitcom project Trophy Wife aired for one season on ABC before being canceled.[16][17] Haskins and Emily Halpern co-wrote the 2019 film Booksmart.

Personal life[edit]

Haskins married writer Geoffrey Edwards, son of Blake Edwards and stepson of Julie Andrews, on August 6, 2010,[18] and gave birth to a child in December 2010.[19][20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wiser, Paige (8 August 2008). "Chicagoan Haskins targets silly media messages". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 14, 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2012. Haskins grew up in Chicago, attending Francis Parker.
  2. ^ a b "Online gambling Archived 2009-01-16 at the Wayback Machine", Comedy, Time Out Chicago. August 21/27, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Dodai Stewart (2010-01-25). ""I Murdered A Screenwriter & Slept My Way To The Top": Getting Frank & Funny With Sarah Haskins". Jezebel.com. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  4. ^ a b c The Bastion (broken link). Retrieved January 29, 2009.
  5. ^ "American comedian shows the funny side of feminism", The Guardian, November 27, 2008. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  6. ^ a b Sarah_Haskins, Current TV. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
  7. ^ Bassist, Elissa (7 June 2010). "The Rumpus Funny Interview With Sarah Haskins". Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  8. ^ Baldwin, Sam (12 June 2009). "MoJo Interview: Comedian Sarah Haskins". Mother Jones. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  9. ^ Heintz, Kurt. "Sarah Haskins on Pregnancy and the Apocalypse". Podcast. The Paper Machete. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  10. ^ "Sarah Haskins: Comedian: Utne Reader visionary". November–December 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  11. ^ Reihani, Sara (30 March 2010). "Sarah Haskins Update!". Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  12. ^ "Dilf Full Movie". Full-length movies. IMDb. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  13. ^ "The Cat Whisperer, Ep. 2". The Cat Whisperer. Julie Klausner. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  14. ^ How to Be Sexy on YouTube
  15. ^ "Trophy Wife: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  16. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (7 September 2012). "ABC Gives Pilot Order to Comedy 'Trophy Wife'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  17. ^ Villarreal, Yvonne (8 May 2014). "ABC renews 'The Middle,' cancels 'Trophy Wife'". LA Times. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  18. ^ Biography for Sarah Haskins at IMDb
  19. ^ Sarah Haskins [@sarah_haskins] (December 17, 2010). "@Tambone If I haven't delivered by next week, I'm just going to come and give birth at the show if that's ok by you" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 November 2012 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Sarah Haskins [@sarah_haskins] (January 1, 2011). "you are too sweet. Now come visit la and babysit already" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 November 2012 – via Twitter.

External links[edit]

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