Megan Amram Talks Growing Up In Portland, the Simpsons and Female Comedians

Photography Matthias Clamer

Comedian Megan Amram’s first book, Science…For Her!, comes out tomorrow, but it isn’t your typical collection of essays coming from her life. Instead it’s a science text written by “Megan Amram,” a deranged scientist obsessed with her NASA employee ex-boyfriend, Xander Mince. It covers topics like “Hot to build a biological clock out of a potato,” “sexiest molecules,” and “The Period! Ick! Table,” an instant classic whose elements include “Bk: Burger King Cravings” and “Fe: Feeling Gross.” It’s absurd and an enlightening commentary on the way women are marketed to. Yahoo Style spoke to Megan from her home in Los Angeles about awards shows, college musicals, and being a total nerd.

Yahoo Style: Were you into science in school?
Megan Amram: Yes, definitely. I was a huge nerd. That’s the scientific term. I did Science Olympiad and was a mathlete and I considered majoring in math in college. But I didn’t think I was up for the Beautiful Mind level commitment to it.

YS: Did you go to the kind of high school where it was cool to be a nerd?
MA: I think you know the answer to “Was it cool to be a nerd?” I grew up in Portland, Oregon and went to a small hippie school that was half college prep, half very Portland-y. Portland is probably where I’ll end up and that’s the type of person I am, though.

YS: Were you the class clown type?
MA: Growing up, I was not humorous at all. My twin brother is so funny to the point I am mad at him. He’s a doctor now. We had a real flip-flop.

YS: And then you went to Harvard.
MA: If you are trying to be the smartest kid at Harvard, you’re going to be very frustrated. You really have to find your own niche. I took a class with a formative English teacher and one assignment was to try to make him laugh. It was the first time I considered writing comedy.

YS: Why did it appeal to you?
MA: I knew the words to 200 Simpsons episodes by heart. Half of my brain is taken up by Broadway lyrics. Without them it would be like that move Lucy and I would have 100% of my brain. It came from a more intellectual place — I realized how fun it is to try to figure out the puzzle of a joke rather than being someone who’s just a clown.

YS: Did you perform in college?
MA: I wrote three musicals, the book and lyrics, with a friend. One was called Acropolis Now about ancient Greece. I really do think that puns are the highest form of humor.

YS: And then once you graduated?
MA: I thought comedy is what I should be putting all my eggs in. I had started my Twitter account when I graduated in 2010 and I was seen by influential strangers: writers and comedians. My first tv job was writing for the Oscars in 2011.

YS: With Broad City and Lena Dunham and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, it seems like a moment for women and comedy. Does everyone ask you about that? Is it annoying?
MA: I don’t think it’s annoying. It’s funny we still have to talk about it, but I prefer it to be over-discussed rather than under-discussed. How long are women going to be masters of this craft — I can’t believe I said “craft.” It sounded like a joke in my head.