An Interview with Cam Mesinger '16
During Cam's senior year at Andover, after a college counseling meeting, Cam discovered that comedy was something they could pursue professionally. After successfully auditioning to emcee for the Grasshopper show during their senior year, Cam experienced writing and performing comedy for the first time. They recall having “so much fun that I then changed up my major in college.” Cam’s Grasshopper comedy consisted of inside jokes about Andover, accumulated from their time and experience at school. Cam recalls their Grasshopper experience fondly, as there is no record of their performance.
“You can read your old material, or watch your old sets, or try to pick through stuff and be very self-critical, but I have nothing to reflect on it for so I can still think of it fondly.”
Besides working for The Tonight Show, Cam is producing a live, stand-up variety show with their friends. Cam describes their work in comedy as being a collaborative process. They detailed how it involves workshopping and participating in it with other people, whether they are writing comedy with someone or performing it for them. In the comedic process, Cam says they are “constantly surprised by watching the process,” as it involves a lot of tries before success.
“I work with some of the most professional people on Earth… people who have been doing what they do for years and years and years and have written for this show for 10 years and before that, another show for 15 years, and still, for every one joke that gets on TV, they're writing 20 or 30 jokes.”
Cam’s favorite types of comedy are varied, but they generally do not engage in, nor enjoy slapstick or aggressive comedy. “I feel like any kind of comedy that is like hurting someone else, making someone else the butt of the joke, and not laughing with them… I don't vibe with that, not just on principle, I just don't find it funny either.”
Cam says that, to them, comedy is all about being able to feel closer to someone by learning about them. They describe good comedy as something that allows bonding with other people, and “[making] you feel better about yourself and the world”. Most importantly, Cam says, “I really appreciate using comedy as a form of healing… I think that comedy can be harmful if it's used in a malicious way but I feel like good comedy can only inform you and uplift you.”
"I work for one of the biggest companies in New York, and they still don't have any good Wi Fi in this building"
Cam Mesinger is a member of Andover's class of 2016, and works at the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Cam is an associate producer for the show and has involvement in writing as well. At Andover, emceeing for Grasshopper (Andover's yearly Family Weekend show) helped them try out comedy and changed the trajectory of their career. One of Cam's favorite aspects of comedy is how it serves as "cool social commentary."
22. Cam Mesinger (comedian), in discussion with the author, September 26, 2024.
23. Photograph of Bo Burnham playing the piano, in Zinoman, Jason. "Evolving Young Satirist Stands Up to Convention." The New York Times, December 25, 2013. Accessed November 26, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/26/arts/bo-burnham-releases-his-comedy-special.html.
24. Getty Images. David Sedaris Is Still Having a Hoot Getting Dressed. July 9, 2021. Photograph. Accessed October 17, 2024. https://www.gq.com/story/david-sedaris-style-interview.
