"It's Great Right?" is your go-to DIY if you want a laugh: Interviewing Beth Hoyt

Women In Comedy: Could you please tell us a little bit about your background? How did you start to do comedy?

Beth Hoyt: I grew up in Wisconsin and went to the University of Michigan and got a BFA in Theater performance and then I moved to New York City and became a really great bartender. Also worked bottle service, so- sorry to brag- my tray balancing skills are on POINT. Or they were. I have a lot of trouble in tree pose so I think I might just have really strong hands. Anyways, I should have been a masseuse I guess BUT INSTEAD I kept pursuing the stage. I did a lot of shows at the Flea Theater – mostly comedic plays. Okay, only comedic plays. I started working with Reggie Watts and doing a lot of improvising on stage and that led my transition from theater to stand up, and I’ve never looked back. Except when I go through old photos every Thursday. I also got a job on the internets hosting a live comedy show and that led me to my vlog, BethinShow, where I have tons of fun making videos of all the characters I want to play in the theat-UH (see above).

Women In Comedy: Tell us about the show It's Great, Right? How did you come up with the idea of giving a comedy twist to a DIY?

Beth Hoyt: I made It’s Great, Right? with an awesome little team at WhoHaha. It’s is a sweet simple tutorial show where Deb teaches you something, and then Deb falls apart. It’s my favorite formula. Good intentions + bad luck x desperation / positive attitude = funny!

For some reason whenever I try to do something to appeal to my own demographic, it becomes tragic. I love press on nails. I loooove press on nails. I like to pretend that I work at a department store and am picking up credit cards and folding clothes. Used to do this every Christmas morning with my sister, now it’s just random afternoons by myself. Anyways, of course when I performed this character on stage, preparing for her interview at Macy’s, I added fake blood coming from her eyes because she couldn’t get her contacts out.

I also, surprise surprise! – have a little DEB in me. I love a good DIY and I can’t think of the last time I nailed one. I am absolutely in awe of all the vloggers who effortlessly apply make up or make earrings out of slime or whatever. I wanted to give ladies a few tidbits of real, useable information so it wasn’t all a mess, but then, show off my only real skill, which is having a meltdown.

Women In Comedy: What does your creative process look like? Starting with how do you choose what your next video will be about?

Beth Hoyt: For It’s Great, Right? I started with the few things that I do know how to do that I thought could be a useful DIY. Then I think of the worst place it could go that is still sort of plausible, and also, like, easily filmed. Since I’m used to being my own DP for BethInShow, right behind “is this funny to me?” is usually the thought “can I film this in 20 minutes?” Not that that should be your goal!, but sometimes when I write something too daunting, it becomes precious. For most videos my process is first to have a seed of inspiration. Is that a ride at Epcot? Maybe it’s a new wig, or an exchange I saw at the gym, or a celebrity that I can maybe impersonate did something that got attention. Then I figure out a fun reason they’d be making a video, or wanting stage time. I find the “game”, write a loose outline, and then improvise a lot when I film it.

Women In Comedy: What episode are you are especially excited about?

Beth Hoyt: I’m partial to the Make Up for a First Date episode. I think it most perfectly outlines the structure I was going for in that the first minute is a pretty decent DIY. If it ended there, it wouldn’t be memorable, but Deb might have a successful date! I love a good quick dive into despair, and yet it has a happy ending. I appreciate Deb’s optimistic resilience. If it were me, I would have had my sweatpants on already and wouldn’t have answered his call. I think. I don’t know. I’m married, I haven’t been single for a long time. But they’re super short, you should just check ‘em all out on Whohaha!

Women In Comedy: Do you have any message you would like to share with the fans or with Women In Comedy?

Beth Hoyt: Just to keep making stuff! But, not only that: make what you love. It shows when you’re doing something you yourself really find funny. It’s awesome there are so many outlets for content – WhoHaha being, of course, one of them! They are so positive and supportive and fun to work with – but having so many outlets, you know, leads to so much stuff to watch. So I say make things a little bit personal. There’s a million funny sketches but there’s only one You. AHhhh so cheesy!! I just chewed off the inside of my cheek out of discomfort as I wrote that. But it’s true, duhhhh. People and points of view are interesting, so put yours out there.

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You can watch It's Great, Right? on WhoHaha.