August 26, 2025 • 29 mins
In this inspiring episode of The Hope Radio Show, host Karen Jayne Marchione welcomes Janet Regensburg, a teacher and comedian who embodies the power of laughter as a tool for healing and resilience.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Hi, I'm Karen MARCIONI your host for the Hope Show,
which was inspired by my book Hope How Other People Endure,
which is about everyday people overcoming life's challenges. Today, I
would like to introduce you to my fellow teacher and friend,
who taught high school math for thirty two years. She
also coached tennis, track and cross country. She has been
(01:09):
a comedian since twenty fourteen, and i'd like you to
welcome Janet Regensberg.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Thank you so much, Karen. It is truly an honor
to be here today.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Oh, I'm so glad that you could join us. We
all need a little humor in our lives.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
We sure do so.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Janet, you spent years as a math teacher before stepping
into comedy. What sparked that change?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Well, I always wanted to be a comedian since I
was about five years old watching the Carabernet Show. And
I always wanted to be a teacher since about third grade. Wow,
So I'm pretty lucky that I was able to pursue both.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Absolutely, And I have to say, you were always funny
when you would come into the teacher's room and stop by.
She kind of helped lighten the air in the room.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Well, you deal with hundreds of teenagers a day, you
need a little lightning up.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
It's so true. I'm sure everyone can relate to that.
Do you remember the first time performing stand up and
how did it feel compared to teaching in front of
a classroom? Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I do remember the first time. It was at Gotham
Comedy Club under Stephen Rosenfield and I had taken a
three week intensive course and then we were to all
of the students were to perform five minutes and it
felt like when I first had to teach my first
real class. It was frightening, yes, but I was very
(02:40):
lucky to have the support that I had of all
my colleagues being there and friends and family coming. That
made it a little more nervous, nerve wracking, let's say.
But it was definitely an experience that was a story
to tell. Oh. No, and it's been great since then.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Oh, that's great. That's great. So how do you create
your stand up routines? Do you create them yourself or
do you have help from others?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Okay, so I do all of my writing and then
I have groups of friends in the comedy business that
I work with and we all share and help each
other with our punchlines or maybe the bits that we're
thinking about. We speak together. I have a really nice
community of friends who are comedians and professional comedians who
(03:32):
have helped me, you know, with my material.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Oh that's great. I can remember the one thing that
made that I thought was really funny that you were
talking about your first one of your first jobs when
you were in high school yourself. I think at Chicken Delight.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, at Chicken Delight. I used to answer the phone,
Hello Chicken Delight, and I had one customers always would
answer enough for the chickens, it ain't sweetheart.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I think that's pretty funny. So a few weeks ago
I did an episode on how Humor helps Us heal
and I did use this. This book was one of
my choices that I use, The healing Power of Humor,
and it's by Allen Klein, and he says that humor
(04:23):
can help us cope with and provide strength for going
through some of the most adverse situations. And he also
mentions how large corporations may use muppets to present a
program explaining that the company's restructuring and there may be
planning some layoffs. So they're for their employees, and that's
(04:48):
kind of to help ease the burden. I guess or
do this with a sense of humor. And at a
Texas hospital, a volunteer shows patients comedy videos to help
reduce their pain. So, in your experience, how has humor
helped people through stressful or difficult times. Well, I think
(05:09):
humor is a great mechanism for coping. It truly is.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah. I mean, we all face adverse situations in our lives,
and without certain tools to help us process these events
in our lives, it could be very difficult. So I
think humor is like the number one tool that I
have used in my life to overcome any type of
(05:37):
obstacle that I've been faced with.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Okay, yeah, do you have a story where your comedy
made a real difference in someone's day or outlook?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Well, I have a lot of people tell me that, Oh, Janet,
you know, thank you so much for talking to me
today because I was like kind of feeling down about
this and you put a funny twist to it. And
so I have lots of stories like that, which I'm
happy about because that's what I want to do. I
want to make people feel better and lighthearted given the
(06:10):
situations that they've been through.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Right, absolutely, And I'm sure you do. I know, whenever
we get together, it's always a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
It is, it is well, you know, you it's important
to see the lighter side of things, absolutely, especially in
these times.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yes, yeah, the world is at a difficult moment in
this time, and I you know, unfortunately see a lot
of hate around instead of a lot of you know,
friendliness and love. When when you do see that, it's like,
oh wow, thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yes, And I think I noticed that a lot of
people are now returning to comedy clubs and really packing
them out because they need it and they want it
and they know that it makes them feel better. Let's
the escape from their phones and all of this bombardment
of information that just comes at us all day long,
right right.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
With this news, I mean, the news is so depressing,
right right. And I know my very good friend often
calls and says, when's Janet doing another gig? Because I
need some comedy.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Oh that's great. Oh that's so nice to hear.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, definitely. And Janet is funny, you know, and her
routine in her.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Routine, yeah, not just funny looking no.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
See. So you told me a funny story recently about
some students that were in the audience. So the question is,
have they have some of your old maths students ever
come to see you perform and what's their reaction.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yes. I actually had a couple of their young men now,
but they were boys, and they were not easy students
to have in class. But I used to have a
lot of fun with but because we could, we kind
of it was a give and take to get them
to behave you know, I'd have a little fun with them,
but you know, we'd have to have boundaries, right. So
(08:10):
these guys came to one of my shows and they
had a great time. They loved it, and they follow
me and I just they surprised me. Oh okay, you
know because their adults. One just got married, one is
getting married, and we follow each other on Facebook and
it was just wonderful. And I've had other students come
and surprise me as well.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
That's great, that's great. And are they surprised that you're
so funny.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
I don't know whether they're surprised or not, but I
think they enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, I'm sure they do, because I always do. Is
there a formula for a great joke or is it
more about life experiences and timing.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Well, there's all different types of comedy. There's comedians who
like to do the setup punch, you know, where they're
just firing out jokes, and then there are other storyteller
type comedians, which I'm sort of I can do a
couple of like set up punches, but I likes to
tell life experiences observational humor, and then bring a twist
(09:15):
to it and a funny kind of conclusion to how
I viewed that situation or that event that happened.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Okay, all right, great. What would you say to someone
who's going through a hard time and feels like they've
lost their sense of humor?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Oh, that's a great question. I would I would tell
them to really tune into some of these videos, you know,
old little video clips, and because it helps for me
sometimes I'm feeling a little bit down. I mean, it
was just just a few nights ago. I was I
was fell asleep early, and I was up at three am,
and I guess I had a lot on my mind,
(09:54):
and I went, I I you know, I went into
the other room and I said, you know, I'll try
and read. The reading wasn't working, and I said, I'm
going to just put on some of these reels and
they were hilarious and it cheered me up at three
o'clock in the morning. And I think you have to
steer away from news and sad stories when you're in
a space of feeling down, and I think you have
(10:18):
to turn to humor and just sometimes ridiculous humor is
the best to get you out of it.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Absolutely, it's so true. I know my husband watches some
of these funny sitcoms just to relieve some of the
stress in his life.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Yes, And I think some form of mindless entertainment is very,
very helpful. It doesn't have to do anything for you
except make you laugh.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
And there's nothing like a good laugh.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Nothing like it.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Yeah, you've told some of the jokes about being a
teacher that I've said, would you like to share any
of them to day?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Sure? Sure, Like I say, you know, I always uh
regret it, like and not not regret it. I didn't
like the parent teacher conference, Oh yes, okay, And it
would kind of stress me out me too. And I
would tell my students, if your parents don't come to
back to school, night you get extra credit.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
That's a good one. I should have told my students
that that was very good. How can people connect with you?
And where and where are some of the places that
you perform your comedy?
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Okay? They can connect with me on Facebook with my
full name Janet Regensburg. And they can connect with me
on Instagram at at Janet REGs okay, and that's where
I post my my shows and what's happening. And I
like to post also some inspirational thing for people to
(12:01):
you know, sometimes they read it. I forward something that
I see. I want to spread, you know, hope and
happiness and positive thoughts. I don't like to put anything
negative out there because I think there's enough people doing that,
so we might as well do the reverse and override
it with some positive things. Absolutely, you're right, And you know,
(12:23):
I'm working on a website. I'm probably a little bit
behind on things that I you know, because I was
still teaching for up until a few years ago. So
my comedy career, so to speak, was really balancing that
with full time teaching, right it was, which was difficult.
It was a lot to do, but I enjoyed it.
(12:44):
It was you know, and I'm still enjoying it. Now
that I'm retired from teaching, I could spend more time
on my craft.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And I always make a joke when people ask me, like,
how long have you been doing comedy? And if I
tell them, well, I had my eleventh year anniversary, but
I don't like to say it because I feel like
I should be a lot funnier by now, right. But
it's a craft that takes so many years to develop.
How you have to develop your style, your delivery. When
(13:15):
you see, you know, these famous comedians up there, they
have worked hard. A lot of them have been in
the business twenty five thirty years to be where they're at.
So I'm kind of still in the infant stages, so
to speak. But I'm getting there little by little.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
And that's what counts. That you keep doing this. And
I think you were naturally a funny person.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
That helps things. And the teaching did help me because
I was in front of how many hecklers every day? Really,
and the being up in front of the classroom five
classes a day, twenty five to thirty students in a
class and you're doing that five days a week. Stepping
into comedy for me I had a little advantage of
(13:58):
being more comfortable up in front of.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
People, right right, it makes and that makes such a difference.
I'll never forget. One of the other teachers commented one day,
it's like standing. It's like doing a show every day
in front of all these teenagers, you know, and trying
to keep their attention right right.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
With their hormones going out of their you know, out
of their.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Minds, right right. So funny. So, were there any lessons
from teaching that, Well, you just said that carried over
into your stand up, So yeah, being in front of
the students.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Yes, And you know, sometimes you'll have an audience member,
you know, yell something out and you know, not so
much heckle in a negative way, but like yell something out,
and you have to be in the moment. You have
to be able to let that in and be able
to be right, you know, on your toes about that.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
So kind of just like teaching, like exactly like.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Teaching, right, exactly like teaching.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
So, h, is there any other jokes that you would
like to part with for us?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Well, I usually if I when I start my teacher
set off, you know, I tell people, you know, I
taught for thirty two years. And when you teach that long,
you learn a thing or two. One is how totally
uncool you are. Another is how incredibly cool you get
when they need a college recommendation.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Oh, there you go.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
And then you and I share we shared a classroom together.
You were my inclusion teacher for you know, a group
of students that needed special help inside the classroom.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
And it's interesting when we had a student teacher at
that time. And one of my jokes is, you know,
I had a student teacher asked me how do I,
you know, handle discipline? And I tell her it's easy.
In my classroom, I put all the good kids on
the right side of the room and all the bad
kids on the left. And she said, is that so
(15:59):
you can manage the try trouble makers? I said, no,
it's because I'm blind in my left eye, which I am,
which a lot of people don't know. Byron, you know,
I lost my vision from an accident in nineteen ninety eight.
Oh my, and so and I've had to adjust my
life a cored you know, with the vision in one eye.
(16:20):
And so I don't focus on that. I focus on always,
like just overcoming something like that. And using humor to
just be funny about it.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Wow, that's really so that's a lesson in itself, you know,
how you over overcame losing vision in one eye. I mean,
that's really that can be really upsetting and send some
people off into a depression.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Yeah, And I mean I think I did struggle for
a while after that because I was in great shape,
you know, I was coaching and I was doing lots
of things, you know, and then I was just totally
shut down from the surgeries I had to have and
things like that.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
But one of the funniest this is before I became
a comedian. This is back in nineteen ninety eight that
this happened. And there's a funny story about when I
was in the hospital and I had so many I
had students visit, I had my family visit. I had
so many visitors, right they and I had I was
under strict orders not to like move, I had to
(17:25):
sit at a right angle to save the eye. There
was all these things that happened. But I had people
coming in making me laugh, right and really like cracking
me up, and so many visitors that when I checked
out of the hospital, the woman downstairs says, I want
to meet you. We have not had someone have so
many visitors. She thought I was famous. I said, that's hilarious.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
You know, well you were famous in our school system.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Well thank you, but I knew that we all needed
a laugh, Karen. You know, we all know as teachers
how difficult some days can be.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Yes, oh, absolutely, you know. Some days are really trying,
and one thing after another it just kind of tumbles
and keeps going and getting worse by the hour.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Right, And then there are other days where you just
love the kids. They're just beautiful, they're wonderful, you know,
but you know, you get one or two in the
mix that could, you know, really mess up your karma.
Right then you're driving home saying, what else could I
really do than this? How about a bus driver? You know,
you know, something like that, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
What, they have a tough time too.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Sometimes not school bus driver, not a school bus no,
I mean yeah, or maybe you know, maybe something else
that's a little less you know, interactive with teenagers.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Here you go, and then you know, I was in
middle school for the last several years, and you know,
there was some very challenging moments and I had decided
to do the detention one year, and so when I
was in detention, I had a different frame of mind.
(19:10):
And so then the following year I get some of
those students that were in detention and they decided to
give me a hard time because they thought I was
that mean detention person.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
And they see that's interesting in the different positions that
we take as teachers and then how you have to
deal with the students and they see you one way
here and one way there, you know, like I would
be a math I was a math teacher, but then
after school, I was a coach, and they had to
be a different type of you know, way that you manage.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
That right exactly. You know, from being a coach to teaching.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
You know, it's especially a discipline subject like mathematics. You know,
you need them to be focused, they need to do
the proper work, you know, and for coaching, they have
to do something similar. But it's were of a you know,
camaraderie type of thing between coach and athlete and you
you know, and.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
They're probably having a lot more fun and they're.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Having more fun and they want to do that, you know,
they want to run track. They don't want to solve equations.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Right, I wind some of those equations, and I could
remember in teaching, I don't remember the lesson, but they played,
you played battleship with them, and that was a way
to teach them the coordinate system. Oh yes, yes, the
coordinate system. That was a really good game for them
(20:35):
to know.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
And and you know north south, east west angles there,
there's so many things that you can do with the
with the battleship game.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Right because and it's north south east west. Some of
the students don't know that in high school, or they
don't know where north is supposed to be compared to
south and east and west right right.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
And And one time I was in the city and
I and it was at the beginning when wed Uber,
and I'm pretty great with directions, or at least I thought.
Then I got a note from Uber that says, meet
your Uber driver on the southwest corner of fifty third Street.
I'm like, where is southwest?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
To think about?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Like the coordinate system, Like where am I looking? Where
am I?
Speaker 1 (21:20):
It's so true. I lived in New York City for
a few years and I had to figure out which
side was the north side and the east side in
the south side of the street. Yeah, Fifth Avenue is
the dividing line. I've learned.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I learned that as well, carried right.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
One side is east, the other side is west.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
The higher the numbers is north, the lower numbers south.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
And it sounds easy until you're you're not. Your brain
isn't thinking about that at the moment.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Where am I right now?
Speaker 2 (21:52):
I need to meet the southwest corner? You know?
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Yes, it's so true. And sometimes you get out of
a cab and you around and say where where.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Am I right right?
Speaker 1 (22:03):
And then you go downtown into Soho and it changes everything.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Absolutely, it's a whole different bowl game, right right, right.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
So do you have any other favorite comedians besides Carol Burnette?
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Well, I have a lot of comedians that I like.
You know, I like Wanda Psykes, Oh yes, of course.
Joan Rivers was my old time favorite. You know, she
was just like she can fire off those one liners
and everybody has it. You know. I have favorite male comedians.
You know, I grew up with Steve Martin, Yes, yes,
(22:39):
and Martin Short. You know, those are old time comedians.
You know. I don't mean to say two old times,
but you know, I think Steve Martin just turned eighty,
So I'm not I'm not going to get in any
trouble with Steve like he would call me and say,
I hope not call me into a janet. I'm not
an old time comedian.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
You're still funny, so funny, Steve.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, yeah, but no, I I like, you know, you
got Jimmy Fallon and you know he's so multi talented
and h Sebastian Maniscalco and with his his Italian family.
That's that type of thing. So so many there are
so many to list. Oh yes, yeah, yeah, male and
female right right.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
We went to see Manuscalco uh a year or so ago,
and my husband being Italian and the friends we went
with Italian. It was really quite funny.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Right, and you know my husband's Italian as well. So
I learned a lot through watching Sebastian Maniscalco's comedy. I
learned a lot about my husband. There you go and
the way, yeah, yeah, you learn a lot, Yeah you do,
and in a fun way. And that's what it's about,
you know, making fun of ourselves.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
That's right. Yeah, we have to. We have to laugh
a little bit more at ourselves, yes, and not take
things so seriously.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Okay, Oh and we do have a few oh questions.
How do you from Vanessa? How do you balance all
your roles?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Oh, that's a great question. It I've always been a
very good manager of time and things, so I think
since I was a kid, I was very organized. So
I balance it by getting enough rest. Number one. I
think everybody has to do that. We can't burn ourselves out.
So if you're going to balance your life, you have
(24:31):
to balance yourself in terms of getting enough rest, keeping organized,
and just total about exercise, exercise and very self care.
Thank you, Karen. That type of thing very good.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
And John has a question, can you share your favorite joke?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I share my favorite joke? Oh wow, I don't know
if I can, off the top of my head have
a favorite joke. John. I'm sorry, you know, but there
there's one joke that because I'm Irish, you know, part Irish.
My mom was British, you know, so I'm there's a
joke about, you know, an irishman walks out of a bar,
(25:17):
said no irishman. Ever, he doesn't ever walk out of
the bar. I don't know, I probably said that wrong.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
He stays in the bar.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Yeah, because you know, the Irish, they like to drink. Yeah,
that kind I see when I have to explain to
John it's a bad joke. I just messed that up.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
That's all right, Not that all Irish people drink.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
No, not no, we don't want to say that, but
I mean, it's just a stereotype of the Irish people,
you know. And I guess because I'm like probably twenty
percent Irish, I'm allowed to say that.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Oh okay, there we go, there we go.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Who knows, but John, I could have answered that better, John,
But I'll work on it. I'll have to think about that.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
You know. Next time, perhaps you can come again, Janet,
and maybe you could do one of your your gigs here.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Oh that would be fun.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yes, yeah, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Well when he said share your favorite joke, is it
my joke or somebody else's joke?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Can you share your face?
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Oh my favorite joke? I'm sorry, John, I read that
as like me because we were talking about other comedians. Okay.
One of my favorite jokes that I like to tell is.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
When I was talking about the student, teacher asked me
how to I maintain discipline? I tell her, you know,
it's important to be honest with the kids. For example,
a kid yelled out my algebra class, when am I
ever going to use factoring a quadratic? I said, you never.
(26:49):
That's one of the favorite ones I like to tell.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
And that's a good one because many times the students
are asking, why do I need to learn this? It's
so true?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Right right? So John, now we've clarified the question.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
All right, So I can't believe that thirty minutes have
gone by. So I want to thank you for joining
me today on the Hope Show.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
It was great and hopefully you'll come back. I want
to all right, that would be great. And if anyone
out there has a story of resilience, healing, or transformation,
I'd love to hear from you because your journey could
be the light that someone needs today. Let's keep Hope together.
This program is made possible through the support of our listeners, friends,
(27:42):
and sponsors. If you'd like to donate, please click on
my profile, and if you would like to become a
sponsor or an advertiser, please visit my website at Wwwkarenmarscioni
dot com to connect, contribute, or share your story. You'll
be helping us share more uplifting conversations that inspire and heal.
(28:06):
Tune in to all the uplifting programs on Sosradio dot
Live beginning at nine am and until next time. Remember,
hope is not just something we feel, it's something we share.
I'm Karen MARCIONI stay well, be hopeful and until next
week at three o'clock on Sosradio dot Live
Hi, I'm Karen MARCIONI your host for the Hope Show,
which was inspired by my book Hope How Other People Endure,
which is about everyday people overcoming life's challenges. Today, I
would like to introduce you to my fellow teacher and friend,
who taught high school math for thirty two years. She
also coached tennis, track and cross country. She has been
(01:09):
a comedian since twenty fourteen, and i'd like you to
welcome Janet Regensberg.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Thank you so much, Karen. It is truly an honor
to be here today.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Oh, I'm so glad that you could join us. We
all need a little humor in our lives.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
We sure do so.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Janet, you spent years as a math teacher before stepping
into comedy. What sparked that change?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Well, I always wanted to be a comedian since I
was about five years old watching the Carabernet Show. And
I always wanted to be a teacher since about third grade. Wow,
So I'm pretty lucky that I was able to pursue both.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Absolutely, And I have to say, you were always funny
when you would come into the teacher's room and stop by.
She kind of helped lighten the air in the room.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Well, you deal with hundreds of teenagers a day, you
need a little lightning up.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
It's so true. I'm sure everyone can relate to that.
Do you remember the first time performing stand up and
how did it feel compared to teaching in front of
a classroom? Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I do remember the first time. It was at Gotham
Comedy Club under Stephen Rosenfield and I had taken a
three week intensive course and then we were to all
of the students were to perform five minutes and it
felt like when I first had to teach my first
real class. It was frightening, yes, but I was very
(02:40):
lucky to have the support that I had of all
my colleagues being there and friends and family coming. That
made it a little more nervous, nerve wracking, let's say.
But it was definitely an experience that was a story
to tell. Oh. No, and it's been great since then.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Oh, that's great. That's great. So how do you create
your stand up routines? Do you create them yourself or
do you have help from others?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Okay, so I do all of my writing and then
I have groups of friends in the comedy business that
I work with and we all share and help each
other with our punchlines or maybe the bits that we're
thinking about. We speak together. I have a really nice
community of friends who are comedians and professional comedians who
(03:32):
have helped me, you know, with my material.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Oh that's great. I can remember the one thing that
made that I thought was really funny that you were
talking about your first one of your first jobs when
you were in high school yourself. I think at Chicken Delight.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, at Chicken Delight. I used to answer the phone,
Hello Chicken Delight, and I had one customers always would
answer enough for the chickens, it ain't sweetheart.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I think that's pretty funny. So a few weeks ago
I did an episode on how Humor helps Us heal
and I did use this. This book was one of
my choices that I use, The healing Power of Humor,
and it's by Allen Klein, and he says that humor
(04:23):
can help us cope with and provide strength for going
through some of the most adverse situations. And he also
mentions how large corporations may use muppets to present a
program explaining that the company's restructuring and there may be
planning some layoffs. So they're for their employees, and that's
(04:48):
kind of to help ease the burden. I guess or
do this with a sense of humor. And at a
Texas hospital, a volunteer shows patients comedy videos to help
reduce their pain. So, in your experience, how has humor
helped people through stressful or difficult times. Well, I think
(05:09):
humor is a great mechanism for coping. It truly is.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah. I mean, we all face adverse situations in our lives,
and without certain tools to help us process these events
in our lives, it could be very difficult. So I
think humor is like the number one tool that I
have used in my life to overcome any type of
(05:37):
obstacle that I've been faced with.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Okay, yeah, do you have a story where your comedy
made a real difference in someone's day or outlook?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Well, I have a lot of people tell me that, Oh, Janet,
you know, thank you so much for talking to me
today because I was like kind of feeling down about
this and you put a funny twist to it. And
so I have lots of stories like that, which I'm
happy about because that's what I want to do. I
want to make people feel better and lighthearted given the
(06:10):
situations that they've been through.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Right, absolutely, And I'm sure you do. I know, whenever
we get together, it's always a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
It is, it is well, you know, you it's important
to see the lighter side of things, absolutely, especially in
these times.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yes, yeah, the world is at a difficult moment in
this time, and I you know, unfortunately see a lot
of hate around instead of a lot of you know,
friendliness and love. When when you do see that, it's like,
oh wow, thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yes, And I think I noticed that a lot of
people are now returning to comedy clubs and really packing
them out because they need it and they want it
and they know that it makes them feel better. Let's
the escape from their phones and all of this bombardment
of information that just comes at us all day long,
right right.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
With this news, I mean, the news is so depressing,
right right. And I know my very good friend often
calls and says, when's Janet doing another gig? Because I
need some comedy.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Oh that's great. Oh that's so nice to hear.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, definitely. And Janet is funny, you know, and her
routine in her.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Routine, yeah, not just funny looking no.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
See. So you told me a funny story recently about
some students that were in the audience. So the question is,
have they have some of your old maths students ever
come to see you perform and what's their reaction.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yes. I actually had a couple of their young men now,
but they were boys, and they were not easy students
to have in class. But I used to have a
lot of fun with but because we could, we kind
of it was a give and take to get them
to behave you know, I'd have a little fun with them,
but you know, we'd have to have boundaries, right. So
(08:10):
these guys came to one of my shows and they
had a great time. They loved it, and they follow
me and I just they surprised me. Oh okay, you
know because their adults. One just got married, one is
getting married, and we follow each other on Facebook and
it was just wonderful. And I've had other students come
and surprise me as well.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
That's great, that's great. And are they surprised that you're
so funny.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
I don't know whether they're surprised or not, but I
think they enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, I'm sure they do, because I always do. Is
there a formula for a great joke or is it
more about life experiences and timing.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Well, there's all different types of comedy. There's comedians who
like to do the setup punch, you know, where they're
just firing out jokes, and then there are other storyteller
type comedians, which I'm sort of I can do a
couple of like set up punches, but I likes to
tell life experiences observational humor, and then bring a twist
(09:15):
to it and a funny kind of conclusion to how
I viewed that situation or that event that happened.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Okay, all right, great. What would you say to someone
who's going through a hard time and feels like they've
lost their sense of humor?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Oh, that's a great question. I would I would tell
them to really tune into some of these videos, you know,
old little video clips, and because it helps for me
sometimes I'm feeling a little bit down. I mean, it
was just just a few nights ago. I was I
was fell asleep early, and I was up at three am,
and I guess I had a lot on my mind,
(09:54):
and I went, I I you know, I went into
the other room and I said, you know, I'll try
and read. The reading wasn't working, and I said, I'm
going to just put on some of these reels and
they were hilarious and it cheered me up at three
o'clock in the morning. And I think you have to
steer away from news and sad stories when you're in
a space of feeling down, and I think you have
(10:18):
to turn to humor and just sometimes ridiculous humor is
the best to get you out of it.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Absolutely, it's so true. I know my husband watches some
of these funny sitcoms just to relieve some of the
stress in his life.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Yes, And I think some form of mindless entertainment is very,
very helpful. It doesn't have to do anything for you
except make you laugh.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
And there's nothing like a good laugh.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Nothing like it.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Yeah, you've told some of the jokes about being a
teacher that I've said, would you like to share any
of them to day?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Sure? Sure, Like I say, you know, I always uh
regret it, like and not not regret it. I didn't
like the parent teacher conference, Oh yes, okay, And it
would kind of stress me out me too. And I
would tell my students, if your parents don't come to
back to school, night you get extra credit.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
That's a good one. I should have told my students
that that was very good. How can people connect with you?
And where and where are some of the places that
you perform your comedy?
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Okay? They can connect with me on Facebook with my
full name Janet Regensburg. And they can connect with me
on Instagram at at Janet REGs okay, and that's where
I post my my shows and what's happening. And I
like to post also some inspirational thing for people to
(12:01):
you know, sometimes they read it. I forward something that
I see. I want to spread, you know, hope and
happiness and positive thoughts. I don't like to put anything
negative out there because I think there's enough people doing that,
so we might as well do the reverse and override
it with some positive things. Absolutely, you're right, And you know,
(12:23):
I'm working on a website. I'm probably a little bit
behind on things that I you know, because I was
still teaching for up until a few years ago. So
my comedy career, so to speak, was really balancing that
with full time teaching, right it was, which was difficult.
It was a lot to do, but I enjoyed it.
(12:44):
It was you know, and I'm still enjoying it. Now
that I'm retired from teaching, I could spend more time
on my craft.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And I always make a joke when people ask me, like,
how long have you been doing comedy? And if I
tell them, well, I had my eleventh year anniversary, but
I don't like to say it because I feel like
I should be a lot funnier by now, right. But
it's a craft that takes so many years to develop.
How you have to develop your style, your delivery. When
(13:15):
you see, you know, these famous comedians up there, they
have worked hard. A lot of them have been in
the business twenty five thirty years to be where they're at.
So I'm kind of still in the infant stages, so
to speak. But I'm getting there little by little.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
And that's what counts. That you keep doing this. And
I think you were naturally a funny person.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
That helps things. And the teaching did help me because
I was in front of how many hecklers every day? Really,
and the being up in front of the classroom five
classes a day, twenty five to thirty students in a
class and you're doing that five days a week. Stepping
into comedy for me I had a little advantage of
(13:58):
being more comfortable up in front of.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
People, right right, it makes and that makes such a difference.
I'll never forget. One of the other teachers commented one day,
it's like standing. It's like doing a show every day
in front of all these teenagers, you know, and trying
to keep their attention right right.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
With their hormones going out of their you know, out
of their.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Minds, right right. So funny. So, were there any lessons
from teaching that, Well, you just said that carried over
into your stand up, So yeah, being in front of
the students.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Yes, And you know, sometimes you'll have an audience member,
you know, yell something out and you know, not so
much heckle in a negative way, but like yell something out,
and you have to be in the moment. You have
to be able to let that in and be able
to be right, you know, on your toes about that.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
So kind of just like teaching, like exactly like.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Teaching, right, exactly like teaching.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
So, h, is there any other jokes that you would
like to part with for us?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Well, I usually if I when I start my teacher
set off, you know, I tell people, you know, I
taught for thirty two years. And when you teach that long,
you learn a thing or two. One is how totally
uncool you are. Another is how incredibly cool you get
when they need a college recommendation.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Oh, there you go.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
And then you and I share we shared a classroom together.
You were my inclusion teacher for you know, a group
of students that needed special help inside the classroom.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
And it's interesting when we had a student teacher at
that time. And one of my jokes is, you know,
I had a student teacher asked me how do I,
you know, handle discipline? And I tell her it's easy.
In my classroom, I put all the good kids on
the right side of the room and all the bad
kids on the left. And she said, is that so
(15:59):
you can manage the try trouble makers? I said, no,
it's because I'm blind in my left eye, which I am,
which a lot of people don't know. Byron, you know,
I lost my vision from an accident in nineteen ninety eight.
Oh my, and so and I've had to adjust my
life a cored you know, with the vision in one eye.
(16:20):
And so I don't focus on that. I focus on always,
like just overcoming something like that. And using humor to
just be funny about it.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Wow, that's really so that's a lesson in itself, you know,
how you over overcame losing vision in one eye. I mean,
that's really that can be really upsetting and send some
people off into a depression.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Yeah, And I mean I think I did struggle for
a while after that because I was in great shape,
you know, I was coaching and I was doing lots
of things, you know, and then I was just totally
shut down from the surgeries I had to have and
things like that.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
But one of the funniest this is before I became
a comedian. This is back in nineteen ninety eight that
this happened. And there's a funny story about when I
was in the hospital and I had so many I
had students visit, I had my family visit. I had
so many visitors, right they and I had I was
under strict orders not to like move, I had to
(17:25):
sit at a right angle to save the eye. There
was all these things that happened. But I had people
coming in making me laugh, right and really like cracking
me up, and so many visitors that when I checked
out of the hospital, the woman downstairs says, I want
to meet you. We have not had someone have so
many visitors. She thought I was famous. I said, that's hilarious.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
You know, well you were famous in our school system.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Well thank you, but I knew that we all needed
a laugh, Karen. You know, we all know as teachers
how difficult some days can be.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Yes, oh, absolutely, you know. Some days are really trying,
and one thing after another it just kind of tumbles
and keeps going and getting worse by the hour.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Right, And then there are other days where you just
love the kids. They're just beautiful, they're wonderful, you know,
but you know, you get one or two in the
mix that could, you know, really mess up your karma.
Right then you're driving home saying, what else could I
really do than this? How about a bus driver? You know,
you know, something like that, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
What, they have a tough time too.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Sometimes not school bus driver, not a school bus no,
I mean yeah, or maybe you know, maybe something else
that's a little less you know, interactive with teenagers.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Here you go, and then you know, I was in
middle school for the last several years, and you know,
there was some very challenging moments and I had decided
to do the detention one year, and so when I
was in detention, I had a different frame of mind.
(19:10):
And so then the following year I get some of
those students that were in detention and they decided to
give me a hard time because they thought I was
that mean detention person.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
And they see that's interesting in the different positions that
we take as teachers and then how you have to
deal with the students and they see you one way
here and one way there, you know, like I would
be a math I was a math teacher, but then
after school, I was a coach, and they had to
be a different type of you know, way that you manage.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
That right exactly. You know, from being a coach to teaching.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
You know, it's especially a discipline subject like mathematics. You know,
you need them to be focused, they need to do
the proper work, you know, and for coaching, they have
to do something similar. But it's were of a you know,
camaraderie type of thing between coach and athlete and you
you know, and.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
They're probably having a lot more fun and they're.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Having more fun and they want to do that, you know,
they want to run track. They don't want to solve equations.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Right, I wind some of those equations, and I could
remember in teaching, I don't remember the lesson, but they played,
you played battleship with them, and that was a way
to teach them the coordinate system. Oh yes, yes, the
coordinate system. That was a really good game for them
(20:35):
to know.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
And and you know north south, east west angles there,
there's so many things that you can do with the
with the battleship game.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Right because and it's north south east west. Some of
the students don't know that in high school, or they
don't know where north is supposed to be compared to
south and east and west right right.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
And And one time I was in the city and
I and it was at the beginning when wed Uber,
and I'm pretty great with directions, or at least I thought.
Then I got a note from Uber that says, meet
your Uber driver on the southwest corner of fifty third Street.
I'm like, where is southwest?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
To think about?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Like the coordinate system, Like where am I looking? Where
am I?
Speaker 1 (21:20):
It's so true. I lived in New York City for
a few years and I had to figure out which
side was the north side and the east side in
the south side of the street. Yeah, Fifth Avenue is
the dividing line. I've learned.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I learned that as well, carried right.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
One side is east, the other side is west.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
The higher the numbers is north, the lower numbers south.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
And it sounds easy until you're you're not. Your brain
isn't thinking about that at the moment.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Where am I right now?
Speaker 2 (21:52):
I need to meet the southwest corner? You know?
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Yes, it's so true. And sometimes you get out of
a cab and you around and say where where.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Am I right right?
Speaker 1 (22:03):
And then you go downtown into Soho and it changes everything.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Absolutely, it's a whole different bowl game, right right, right.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
So do you have any other favorite comedians besides Carol Burnette?
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Well, I have a lot of comedians that I like.
You know, I like Wanda Psykes, Oh yes, of course.
Joan Rivers was my old time favorite. You know, she
was just like she can fire off those one liners
and everybody has it. You know. I have favorite male comedians.
You know, I grew up with Steve Martin, Yes, yes,
(22:39):
and Martin Short. You know, those are old time comedians.
You know. I don't mean to say two old times,
but you know, I think Steve Martin just turned eighty,
So I'm not I'm not going to get in any
trouble with Steve like he would call me and say,
I hope not call me into a janet. I'm not
an old time comedian.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
You're still funny, so funny, Steve.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, yeah, but no, I I like, you know, you
got Jimmy Fallon and you know he's so multi talented
and h Sebastian Maniscalco and with his his Italian family.
That's that type of thing. So so many there are
so many to list. Oh yes, yeah, yeah, male and
female right right.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
We went to see Manuscalco uh a year or so ago,
and my husband being Italian and the friends we went
with Italian. It was really quite funny.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Right, and you know my husband's Italian as well. So
I learned a lot through watching Sebastian Maniscalco's comedy. I
learned a lot about my husband. There you go and
the way, yeah, yeah, you learn a lot, Yeah you do,
and in a fun way. And that's what it's about,
you know, making fun of ourselves.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
That's right. Yeah, we have to. We have to laugh
a little bit more at ourselves, yes, and not take
things so seriously.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Okay, Oh and we do have a few oh questions.
How do you from Vanessa? How do you balance all
your roles?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Oh, that's a great question. It I've always been a
very good manager of time and things, so I think
since I was a kid, I was very organized. So
I balance it by getting enough rest. Number one. I
think everybody has to do that. We can't burn ourselves out.
So if you're going to balance your life, you have
(24:31):
to balance yourself in terms of getting enough rest, keeping organized,
and just total about exercise, exercise and very self care.
Thank you, Karen. That type of thing very good.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
And John has a question, can you share your favorite joke?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I share my favorite joke? Oh wow, I don't know
if I can, off the top of my head have
a favorite joke. John. I'm sorry, you know, but there
there's one joke that because I'm Irish, you know, part Irish.
My mom was British, you know, so I'm there's a
joke about, you know, an irishman walks out of a bar,
(25:17):
said no irishman. Ever, he doesn't ever walk out of
the bar. I don't know, I probably said that wrong.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
He stays in the bar.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Yeah, because you know, the Irish, they like to drink. Yeah,
that kind I see when I have to explain to
John it's a bad joke. I just messed that up.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
That's all right, Not that all Irish people drink.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
No, not no, we don't want to say that, but
I mean, it's just a stereotype of the Irish people,
you know. And I guess because I'm like probably twenty
percent Irish, I'm allowed to say that.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Oh okay, there we go, there we go.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Who knows, but John, I could have answered that better, John,
But I'll work on it. I'll have to think about that.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
You know. Next time, perhaps you can come again, Janet,
and maybe you could do one of your your gigs here.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Oh that would be fun.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yes, yeah, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Well when he said share your favorite joke, is it
my joke or somebody else's joke?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Can you share your face?
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Oh my favorite joke? I'm sorry, John, I read that
as like me because we were talking about other comedians. Okay.
One of my favorite jokes that I like to tell is.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
When I was talking about the student, teacher asked me
how to I maintain discipline? I tell her, you know,
it's important to be honest with the kids. For example,
a kid yelled out my algebra class, when am I
ever going to use factoring a quadratic? I said, you never.
(26:49):
That's one of the favorite ones I like to tell.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
And that's a good one because many times the students
are asking, why do I need to learn this? It's
so true?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Right right? So John, now we've clarified the question.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
All right, So I can't believe that thirty minutes have
gone by. So I want to thank you for joining
me today on the Hope Show.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
It was great and hopefully you'll come back. I want
to all right, that would be great. And if anyone
out there has a story of resilience, healing, or transformation,
I'd love to hear from you because your journey could
be the light that someone needs today. Let's keep Hope together.
This program is made possible through the support of our listeners, friends,
(27:42):
and sponsors. If you'd like to donate, please click on
my profile, and if you would like to become a
sponsor or an advertiser, please visit my website at Wwwkarenmarscioni
dot com to connect, contribute, or share your story. You'll
be helping us share more uplifting conversations that inspire and heal.
(28:06):
Tune in to all the uplifting programs on Sosradio dot
Live beginning at nine am and until next time. Remember,
hope is not just something we feel, it's something we share.
I'm Karen MARCIONI stay well, be hopeful and until next
week at three o'clock on Sosradio dot Live
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.