Conversations with Ethan Thomson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethan Thomson

Hi Ethan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started doing stand-up comedy in New York City when I was 16 years old. Having grown up nearby in Norwalk, CT, I always found NYC to be this beacon of creativity and culture that I felt deeply connected to. So, I spent many nights in my Highschool years in the basements of Manhattan bars doing five-minute open mic sets for a handful of amateur comedians.
When I (miraculously) got into the University of Southern California, I moved out to Los Angeles and brought my jokes with me. In college I co-founded USC’s stand up comedy club, wrote for its satirical newspaper, and produced immersive comedy shows. Unfortunately, I graduated in December of 2019, just in time for all of the comedy clubs to shut down during Covid. That led me to lean more into screenwriting and directing, ultimately resulting in the production of my debut short film “Shock, Drugs, Anger, Love” (2022) which I co-directed with my best friend since 3rd grade, Austin Cieszko. A year later, I wrote and starred in my second short film, “Minor Key” (2023) alongside Brady Noon and Josh Duhamel.
Now, I am back on stage and performing in shows all around Los Angeles, as well as maintaining a social media presence through my @WhiteShrivelage accounts.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has been bumpy as all hell. It’s been mostly bumps, actually. I would kill for someone to pave this goddamn road BUT that doesn’t mean it’s all bad.
I’ve had moments that felt like things were finally taking off and I’ve had moments that felt like I’d be stuck on the ground forever. Covid caused a big setback in my momentum as a stage performer but, by the end of it, I had made two short films and garnered a decent social media following. Things can get better as quickly as they got worse.

I’ve been doing comedy for over 10 years now. I could look at that and say “wow, I should be really successful by now” but the fact is that the only thing that guarantees your failure is giving up. When I think about the reasons why trying to be an artist can be so insufferably disheartening, I’m reminded of the fact that I stick with it because I love it. No sane person with the ability to make good money and have a happy life doing anything else would choose this instead. I don’t do comedy because it’s an easy, reliable career path. I do it because it’s the only thing that’s ever made sense to me. I’d rather make people laugh on a bumpy road than sell them insurance or something on a smooth one.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a comedian who utilizes multiple forms of media in different facets of my work. Specifically, I’m a stand up comic, a a screenwriter/actor/director, a musician, and a visual artist. All of these things can work independently or in conjunction with each other, which is why I mention them all. I’m most known for sketch comedy videos on social media, but I’m most proud of work that fewer people have seen. I’m very excited about a TV Pilot I’m currently shopping around called “Damned” which is about a wannabe comedian who happens to be the son of Satan. I’m also proud of an immersive comedy show I produced in college which involved mixing a plot-based narrative with a traditional stand up show. I hope to do another version of that project in the near future. Additionally, I have been developing a music persona under the name BARTAB which has been a fun divergence from my traditional material.
In terms of what sets me apart, I’d say the mixed media element of my work and the content I discuss. My style of comedy is, loosely, Subversive Dirtbag Political Buffoonery and Narcissistic Self-Deprecation. I also like to use big words to make myself sound more interesting.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think a willingness to be weird and lean into alternative forms of thinking is most important for success. Comedy, in general, is such a great tool for people to point out the absurd, senseless, unfair and/or uncomfortable parts of life. I like to think that the foundation of my comedic senses comes from open-mindedness and a preexisting confusion about things. Many of my heroes, such as Jon Stewart, George Carlin, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Louis C.K., Bo Burnham, Steven Wright, Norm Macdonald, and many more, embody what it means to balance absurdity with insight. If I could have even an eighth of what they do in regards to that skill, I would consider myself a success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.iammaniac.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiteshrivelage?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Twitter: https://x.com/trashboytweets?s=21&t=7wcuEVf2CZQuF6JLiaInPA
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-593145252?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@whiteshrivelage?_t=ZP-8udESSlLOjG&_r=1

Image Credits
Austin Cieszko