Unf*cking It Up With Katie Goodman

by Pepper Dennis

Performer Katie Goodman is probably best known for the musical-comedy song “I Didn’t F*ck It Up,” which made waves online and was featured in the Occupy Wall Street documentary ‘American Autumn.’ (We also like her song “Probably Gay,” above, which she performs with her sketch troupe Broad Comedy.) We checked in with Katie as she gears up for a show at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, in New York City, on Sept 22 (tickets available here).

Okay, so who DID fuck it up?

Oh, them. Most definitely THEM.

Not you?

Um … well, my kid could tell you otherwise in terms of parenting, and I’m putting away money now for his future therapist, but as far as the state of politics and the planet, I’m clean. Besides, shifting the blame is a skill that takes a lot of practice, and I’m dedicated.

So, you’re a musical comic…

Yes. I chose that so I could make sure my career was hard to market.

Yeah, not a lot of you?

Six.

As a mom, how do you tour and make a career out of performing at night away from home?

Well, I’m just very good at instilling a sense of worthlessness in my nine-year-old. Like, “Honey, don’t make me feel bad about going on tour — what are YOU doing to save the world and fuck up the Tea Party? Nothing? See that’s what I thought. When you are a more productive member of society, come talk to me then.”

Do you get overwhelmed by it all?

Yes. Seriously, to answer your question, yes. I used to do yoga and mediate and all kinds of self-help stuff. I even wrote a creative personal growth book. And while I totally see the value of all of that, lately I have turned away from working on myself to putting that same energy into activism. In a lot of ways I couldn’t have done that before I took care of myself. I know that. And now, I get so much more out of going out there and trying to change things. It’s existentially easier, too. I mean you could work on yourself til the cows came home, and not make a dent and not feel better about anything. I suppose that’s true of the national debt and trying to overturn Citizens United, too, but you at least get laid more. Self-absorbed people are not getting laid. Well, maybe self-laid, but … you know what I mean.

So I hear we should not go see your show with our children?

Or probably your conservative mother-in-law. Unless you want to watch her suffer. But please don’t sit in the front row.

So it’s pretty liberal AND rated R?

Yup. My faves are my newest songs, “Probably Gay: The Homophobia Song” and my anthem for The Tea Party: “I Ain’t Funding That Shit.” But I also really love doing my songs “MILF” and some of the more personal ones, like about how I can’t remember shit.

What’s that one called?

Um, I have no fucking clue.

Pepper Dennis is a fake name for a lady who likes to keep her professional habits a secret until she obtains her dream job of naming Essie colors.