Jon Friedman: Bio
“Adept host.” -The Onion
“His comedy starts off with his totally deadpan delivery and then instantly morphs into something creative, memorable and sidesplitting.” -Gothamist
“A wryly amusing but intensely shy person whose awkwardness onstage is part of his appeal.” -LA Times
“A bit of a modern day renaissance man.” -Until Monday
“Everyone’s favorite reject.” -Flavorpill
JON FRIEDMAN is a writer, comedian and producer living in New York City. He founded Tremendous Rabbit Productions (soon to be Rejection Show Productions) as a way to bring his many collaborative and original projects to the stage, page and screen. He is the creator/producer and host of the New York City cult hit show, The Rejection Show as well as the New York City Beard & Moustache Championships, The Delicious Sandwich Social, The ECNY Awards and many other popular live events.
Jon is currently editing the upcoming “Rejected” for Villard (Random House) as the first official book of The Rejection Show to be released in 2009. His humor writings have been featured in McSweeney’s, The Huffington Post, 236.com, Pindeldyboz, Paper Magazine, Mortified Big Book of Angst and at his own humor page, Sincerely, Jon. He has performed and read at literary events and stand-up comedy venues throughout New York City and beyond.
Jon also works behind the scenes as an award winning producer and director of stage, video and film producing and directing one-person shows, sketch/variety productions and short videos and films. The New York Press applauded his shows as being “So candid and real that they are hysterically funny.”
In addition to producing and performing, Jon is the creator of the popular cult t-shirt website ElamenoTees.com, which offers t-shirts with off-beat humor such as “I Like Bacon More Than You Think” and “My Father Has A Mustache.” ElamenoTees.com were featured in Penthouse Magazine.
As well as his ongoing development of Rejection Show Productions, Jon has written for television shows in development (and canceled) by Comedy Central, animated humor segments for America’s Test Kitchen on PBS, and as a creative consultant and writer for Odd Todd cartoons on Comedy Central.com. He was also the voice of an animated bear on ABC News (one grunt) as well as the voice of Johnny, the young man trying to buy a home (said “Hi”) on ABC’s Nightline.
As an actor Jon has appeared on Law and Order SVU (crossing the street), on Saturday Night Live (as a junkie), as the bass player in Stuckey and Murray’s Tonight video and cut from the background of Music and Lyrics By starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore.
In addition to appearing on NPR many times, Jon’s works have been featured in the LA Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsday, ABC Evening News, Good Morning America, ABC’s The View, The Early Show on CBS, CBS Sunday Morning, K-Rock, NPR’s The Brian Lehrer Show, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, Life’s Work with Lisa Belkin on XM, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Daily News, The New York Post, New York Metro, The Onion, The Village Voice and many others.
Emerging Comics of New York Award: Best Comedy Writer – Jon Friedman
Emerging Comics of New York Award: Best One Person Show – Swollen Head (Producer/Director)
Emerging Comics of New York Award: Best Comedy Variety Show – The Rejection Show
