Spencer Glassman exists at the intersection of grumpy middle-aged Jewish/Italian man energy and Zillennial musical theatre girly with a high-pitched voice, resulting in comedy that transforms neurosis into what he calls “a weapon of mass seduction… and also into jokes.” Working across stand-up, sketch, musical comedy (to the audience’s chagrin), and improv, Glassman gravitates toward unself-aware, overly emotional characters—a rebellion against being socialized as a girl to fear appearing unrefined, chaotic, or needy.
How would you describe your comedy style?
In my head, I’m a middle-aged Jewish and/or Italian man, so a lot of my jokes start out as grumpy observations. Outside of my head, where all of you are, I’m a Zillenial musical theatre girly with a high-pitched voice, so my cadence ends up more sassy. I talk a lot about being queer, and I try to do it in a whimsical, hyperbolic way. As a solo sketch performer, I gravitate towards characters that are unself-aware and overly emotional. As a girl, in that world, I have been socialized to fear being perceived as unrefined, chaotic or, god-forbid, needy. So I like to create characters that are all of those things. Comedy is a place for me to take my own neurosis and turn it into a weapon of mass seduction… and also into jokes. I do stand-up, sketch, musical comedy (to the audience’s chagrin), and improv. In each form, I explore different sides of myself. Ideally, only the hot sides.
Who are some of your influences?
John Early and Kate Berlant built me. When I saw the Late Night bit they did in 2017, where the entire set was just them fighting over who was gonna start the set and then realizing they were running out of time and finally apologizing to the communities they had let down, I was hooked. It might have been the first time I’d seen sincerity parodied like that. They are such good actors first and foremost. Edgy in a theatrical way that both includes and mocks queerness. Bo Burnam, Rachel Bloom and Cat Cohen are huge for me for musical comedy. All of my influences are people who blend hyper-sincerity and cutting self-deprecation. They’re all theatre kids making fun of their own sensitivity. Also, Anna Faris and the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
Growing up, I loved John Mulaney. “New In Town” was probably the first special I memorized. I also loved the SNL Weekend Update character Stefan, which John Mulaney co-wrote. It was the bit that my classmates and I would imitate the most, and I didn’t even know he had written it until years later, when I was old enough to understand that that was a character and not just a very whimsical person.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Lisa Gilroy.
What is your pre-show ritual?
Gym, tan, laundry and matcha! I don’t drink alcohol or carbonated beverages (can’t wait to look back at that sentence and laugh when it’s not true anymore), so really the only way for me to get loose or lock in is with sugar and breathing exercises. I’m kind of avoidant, so unless it’s a showcase or a particularly important set, I don’t decide what I’m going to say until an hour before. Then, right before the show starts, I repeat the mantra: I love the audience. I’m so grateful to be here. I’m so excited that I get to do what I love in front of these people. If they don’t laugh, I will NOT turn on them and start frantically repeating “ so you guys hate this, eh?”.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
I spent a magical summer in New York training and working at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective. A year later, I went back and performed my solo show Child Star on the mainstage there, with Montessori Boy opening and hosted by Rachel Coster. The skills I learned at BCC and the way that environment encourages you to be the freakiest version of yourself is what gave me the courage to write and perform a show like that. Doing it there in front of the community that had been so welcoming to me was a total full-circle moment.
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
I have a joke about Steve Jobs (super timely, I know) where I basically say that people made such a big deal about how he wore the same thing every day to maximize productivity, but “what was he wearing before that was so distracting?” It was kind of the first joke I wrote that people would consistently compliment, and it was also the first time I took a joke from one punch-line to a 4-minute bit. Writing that joke felt like I was finally starting to fill out my comedy training bra.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
YouTube Shorts is kind of fire for finding new people. It’s the only algorithm left that isn’t completely cursed for me. My whole recommended is just Ruby Setnick, Jeff Arcuri and cookie-decorating.
Tell us a joke about your city.
Toronto is full of hypocrites. People complain about safe-injection sites ruining their neighborhood but they’re totally fine with “Fancy Induced Burger.” The real threat to the resale value of your home is a syringe… full of cheese. <3
Where can we follow you?
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Threads
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
Callum O’Neil makes me laugh endlessly. Both on and off-stage. It’s been said before, but he’s one of the best joke writers in Toronto.
Lily Langen and I do a podcast called Amateurs The Pod. She’s such a hilarious shining star. Her jokes are so raunchy, but she delivers them in such a sweet, cartoonish way that is so endearing.
Sarah Bennett is a refreshing, unique voice in both sketch and standup. She’s mastered an off-kilter, alternative style that a lot of guys in the city try to do, but with half the charm.
Have to shout out my faves in the sketch scene: 24 Double B, Small Friend Tall Friend and Gabe Meacher and Taylor Hreljac, who are putting the whole sketch scene on their backs with Toronto Sketch Comedy.
