The Ironic Feminine: 10 Questions with Brooklyn Peterson and Alyssa Brown
The Ironic Feminine: 10 Questions with Brooklyn Peterson and Alyssa Brown
Tulsa’s comedy scene has found its dynamic duo in the form of Brooklyn Peterson and Alyssa Brown, the inseparable comedic force known as the Ironic Feminine. Whether they’re recording a podcast, writing a sketch for a video or performing live, the pair have undeniable comedic chemistry. These hilarious women are much more than partners in comedy, however — they’re also best friends — and roommates — whose camaraderie fuels their unique brand of humor. Peterson and Brown sat down with ASLUT to talk about their friendship, comedic process, what it’s like to be creative with a best friend, and what it means to be the Ironic Feminine.
ASLUT ZINE: When did the two of you first become friends?
Brooklyn Peterson: We met at [Claremore] high school. We both auditioned for the same play and then we got cast as sisters.
Alyssa Brown: That was in 2015.
BP: And we were so small.
AB: Very, very tiny.
BP: After that, we became immediate friends.
AZ: When did you start doing creative things together?
BP: We’ve always done bits together — we love a good bit, and we always play off each other. So probably around January 2021 is when we started writing songs and then we turned that into a show.
AB: We got really drunk one night at a Mexican restaurant, and that’s when we wrote our first song ever. We were like, ‘This is really, really good.’
BP: It’s the thing you always say with your friends where you’re like, ‘We need to start a show!’ But then we were like, ‘Wait, let’s actually do it.’
AZ: How would you describe your friendship dynamic?
BP: I feel like we’re really similar in a lot of ways … We have the same comedy style, and we think the same things are funny. Sometimes, we have our own language, and we can just go off of each other, and that’s what I really enjoy about it: We kind of get each other without having to say anything.
AB: It’s a very telepathic connection, which is a rarity. You really don’t have to say a lot.
BP: We can be at a party and I’ll just look at her like, ‘Do you wanna go home?’ and she’s like, ‘Yep, let’s get out of here.’
AB: It’s effortless.
BP: At this point, we’re like a married couple living together.
AB: Yeah. And it switches on who’s the husband and who’s the wife.
AZ: How did you come up with the name ‘Ironic Feminine’?
BP: We went through a phase of trying to come up with names. When we were thinking about just being a musical comedy duo, we came up with ‘P.B. and Jam’.
AB: If we were a kids’ band, that would’ve been a perfect name.
AB: And then I think we tried ‘Brown and Peterson’ because we were like, ‘That sounds gross and funny.’
BP: And then she texted me one day and was like, ‘What about Ironic Feminine?’
AB: I think of “The Divine Feminine” which is a fabulous book and also a Mac Miller album that’s special to me. And I was thinking about how the divine feminine is that energy you harness as a woman, but, also, we’re funny.
BP: I wish there was a really deep meaning to it, but we were both just like, ‘That’s good!’
AB: It’s kind of like how Metallica became Metallica. They were just like, ‘How cool would this be?’
BP: We just imagined it in lights!
AZ: How do you decide which ideas to pursue creatively?
AB: I feel like we fly by the seat of our pants.
BK: If we like an idea, we’re just gonna do it. There’s no game plan. We’re just going to do what’s funny right now and see where it goes.
AB: I also feel like we live our life by improv. And we’re just like, ‘Alright, let’s see if this flows.’
BK: It’s just what we feel in the moment, like if we feel like recording a podcast that day or if we have a last-minute idea for an episode. And while it’s not the most consistent, it’s a lot better on my brain.
AB: You need a break from some artistic things, and it’s great not to nail it down to a complete schedule. When you’re not bound by a schedule, you can just have fun with it.
AZ: How do you maintain your close friendship while juggling your creative projects?
BP: Working with her isn’t tiring; creating together and writing together is so fun and exciting to me. It’s so nice to get my weirdness out that it doesn’t feel overbearing or tiring to be together so much.
AB: I don’t get tired of Brooklyn, I don’t think I ever have. It’s like doing a dance, man. It’s easy. It feels fun and free.
BK: We’re the samba, dude.
AB: I wake up in the morning, we see each other, and no matter what we’re doing, we’re gonna end up on the couch watching our shows.
AZ: I bet it doesn’t happen often, but how do you handle disagreements when they come up?
AB: I punch her right in the noggin.
BK: Fisticuffs.
AB: We fight in the street.
AB: But if we have disagreements when we’re writing, we never go the negative route: No idea is a bad idea between us. If there’s a questionable idea, we will question it, and more so laugh about it.
BK: I feel like it always takes the comedic route, it’s never hostile.
AB: I don’t think friendship should have to be hard. With any relationship, it shouldn’t be work. And especially with friendships, we’ve found that communication is super key.
AZ: What’s your favorite part of being creative together?
BK: I think just getting to be as weird as possible, and encouraging each other to be as weird as possible. And building on each other’s ideas.
AB: Embracing the weird, for sure.
BK: There’s no limits when it comes to being creative with your best friend. And that’s what makes it so comfortable. When you’re working with other people, you can go out of the box, but when you’re working with your friend, you can just lay it on them. It’s like, ‘I have this idea, do you want to do it?’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, but let’s make it even weirder.’ That’s my favorite part: pushing ourselves to be different.
AB: Just being different and not caring about anyone’s perception. And realizing that everyone has their own form of best friendship, so people can connect with that, but also know that they can express theirs their own way.
AZ: How would you describe your friendship in three words?
BK: Authentic, joyful…
AB: Groovy. Experimental?
BK: That’s gonna sound like…
AB: They’re gonna get the gay vibe anyway. Everyone thinks we’re dating.
BK: We do always kind of look like we’re dating. And that’s real girlhood.
AB: If you’re gonna have a duo, they’re gonna maybe be dating, and you don’t know that. And we’re not answering that for the magazine.
AZ: If you had to compare your friendship to any friendship in media, what would it be?
BK: Definitely Anna and Maya from “PEN15.”
AB: They were our biggest inspirations for the Ironic Feminine show. Maya [Erskine] and Anna [Konkle] in real life: Y’all are geniuses.
BK: Jemaine and Bret from “Flight of the Conchords.”
AB: Spongebob and Patrick.
BK: Benjamin Franklin and his kite — the static, the energy!
Alyssa Brown is also co-director and co-founder of the Sunday Collective. Follow them on Instagram @sundaysintulsa
Brooklyn Peterson handmakes needle felted earrings. Follow her business on Instagram @sweetorangegoods.