Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Jeffrey
Hi Megan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Tired of all the bullshit that global society fed me about myself and other women–unfair expectations of female behavior versus that of males in relationships; corporate standards of what a “successful woman” entailed; and how mothers should no longer have personalities of their own–I split at the seams with the vengeance of a thousand swords.
I was done. So done.
I couldn’t keep up the façade that everything was picture perfect. It was 2020 and I abruptly became a single mother of three, I was laid off, my mother entered hospice for terminal cancer, and there was some weird pandemic circling the globe. But instead of crying–which by that point, I had already done enough of–my instinct melted into laughter.
I’ve always used jokes as a mechanism to push away the pain. (I’m telling you, I even giggle at the doctors. Just be glad you’re not my gynecologist. Talk about awkward…) So when I found myself a year later in the suit of a new life–one where I couldn’t get a job, couldn’t leave the house, and had three kids to entertain, I started making videos. I uploaded my impressions and skits on TikTok and within 8 months accrued over 100,000 followers.
But my newfound online success wasn’t without trepidation. When people asked when my next show was, I looked behind me to see who they were talking to. When people stopped me in stores to get a picture, I asked them if they were sure. I had tremendous imposter syndrome. But at the heart of it all was an intense fear that I wasn’t allowed to be in this newfound space of fame, that I wasn’t allowed to have what I didn’t know I wanted the entire time: to make people think through laughter.
Fast forward to today, I’ve had the chance to work with some amazing talent, to explore new avenues of my own creativity, and to challenge social norms that we just seem to accept (*cough cough* that “men will be men and women…well, just have to accept it”). I absolutely adore my fans and have been working feverishly to put together a piece of live art for them to enjoy–one that not only allows me to share my story, but also allows them to participate in ways beyond a traditional stand-up show.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Roads aren’t ever smooth. Just look at 695. How many times does that get repaved?!
Two things have been my biggest challenges. The first is being a single mother of three with very little support, which carries within that smaller but very real challenges including the necessity to carry a job with benefits, paying for babysitters to work the mics, and of course, missing integral moments of their childhood to go on the road. And the second, and potentially bigger challenge is believing in myself. I’ll never forget I had just bombed the most important show of my life and the comedians manager took me into the greenroom afterward and said “Megan, I believe you, but if you don’t believe in you, we have nothing.”
With that being said, I have come a significant way and can confidently say that I have made huge strides in that department. But alas, I’ll likely be traveling that journey for a lifetime. And that’s okay with me.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Hailing from East Baltimore (Bonview Ave!), I am a sketch comic who specializes in both accents and impression skits, and I’m most known for my Trinidadian accent skits, and The DM Series, which is a comedy series of my witty retorts to men who hit on me through direct messages.
As a lifelong lover and student of global cultures and languages, I use a lot of my life experience to put together skits that incorporate the global cultures that I’ve been exposed. I am fluent in Mandarin, Chinese, and dabble in Farsi, Tagalog, Russian, and Lingala. The majority of my fanbase is Trinidadian so I have a hefty amount of Trini-accent skits on my social pages.
The DM Series is a fan-favorite, and I have to say, is also one of my favorite pieces of artistry. When I rose in popularity online I started getting a lot of male attention, and my first salivating thought was, “Ooohhh, material!” It started out as a video series where I read people’s comments to the camera but people couldn’t believe women got these comments, so I created a fictitious research organization called The Dry Mouth Association of America (DMAA), deemed myself the president, and I started releasing the screenshots of the DMs I received.
To protect the identities of all unsuspecting individuals, I blacken out all identifying features. Yet still, I’ve gotten plenty of angry men, which has led to The DM Series’ slogan: “If I’m ever found murdered, it should be considered a double homicide because I killed his ego first.”
What are your plans for the future?
First and foremost, I’d love to put together a series of shows for my loyal fanbase and host a bunch of soca parties afterward to meet everyone. I’m also writing a book about my life and the very ordinary human struggles of feeling inadequate that lead so many, especially women, to tread lightly. Secondly, I’d LOVE to write and star in movies and television and bring some of my characters to life. And finally, I’d love to cohost a podcast that talks about love and life. So many exciting things to come!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.meganjeffrey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themeganjeffrey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhythmismyright
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaYM_u-nHjdpMrzXoTY8KKQ
- Other: https://https//www.tiktok.com/@themeganjeffrey
