Jeanie Doogan’s Inspired Comedy

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Photo via Jeanie Doogan - jeanniedoogan.com

Jeanie Doogan

Jeanie Doogan

Inspiration for Jeanie Doogan’s comedy could come to her at any time of day. And she’s ready for it. “A lot of comedians sit and write at specified times during the day, but I’ve always been better at jotting down ideas when they come to me or when I notice something absurd or annoying,” Doogan explains. “I jot it down, and I return to it later to work it into a comedy bit. It’s always about asking ‘What’s funny about this?’”

Many of her answers to that question will inform Dioogan's three appearances at the Laughing Tap on Friday June 14 and Saturday June 15.  

Fun from Life

“I think what I love most about stand-up comedy is when some small thing from my own life or a pet peeve I have, of which I have many, can resonate with someone in an audience to the effect that they think ‘Hey,  I thought I was the only person that thought that way or was annoyed by such a thing,’ and then then we can laugh about it together,” Her spouse, however, takes issue with Doogan’s multiple peevish pets. 

“My husband insists that you’re only allowed one pet peeve by nature of the term,” she offers. Doogan employs hers to making relatable punchlines. She has had plenty of practice with many of her bits drawn from her pre-comedy employment as a schoolteacher. 

“Every teacher is a performer; you have to be in order to keep your students’ attention,” she says. “Being a teacher for over 25 years, I learned how to read a room, how to check for understanding, and that served me well as a comedian because it really taught me to be in tune with the audience.” And she honors her fans involved in her former line of work.

Celebrate Teachers

“I love to celebrate teachers in the audience. I love to make sure they get round of applause because it is the hardest job on earth. There is so much required of you as a teacher that is out of your control. Teachers need to be celebrated,” Doogan insists. She sometimes encounters ex-students. “They reach out like ‘Wow, this is so cool. I can’t believe you’re a comedian! You were never funny in class.’ Either way I always like to hear from them and hear how they’re doing.”

The response of a contingent of another group of younger people means even more to Doogan than her former students. 

“I have four kids and my youngest just graduated high school,” she says. Like many comedian parents, Doogan’s children provide inspiration for much of her work. But she's careful not to reference them too specifically. “All my jokes about them, while rooted in truth, are usually a mashup of several of their idiosyncrasies, so I am not necessarily, putting one of them on blast. They all have a great sense of humor themselves, so they don’t take themselves too seriously. And they find plenty of chances to make fun of me at home so it all evens out.” 

What can her Milwaukee audience anticipate? “Audiences at the Laughing Tap can expect new material about some familiar topics and some new topics, like marriage, raising kids, teaching, tricking your spouse into starting a new DIY project. …” 

At a club in her hometown of Chicago, Doogan elaborates on how fashions in one particular color don’t complement all women: