Jamie Alexander Kilstein (born May 17, 1982) is an American writer, radio host, and

stand-up comic Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage and delivers humorous and satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical acts. These performances are typically composed of rehears ...

. He grew up in

Pennington, New Jersey Pennington is a borough in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is located at the cross-roads between the Delaware Valley region to the southwest and the Raritan Valley region to the northeast. As of the 2020 United St ...

, and is the oldest of five children. He lives in Austin, TX.

Career

Writing

Kilstein's writing has appeared on left-leaning sites including ''

Wonkette ''Wonkette'' is an American online magazine of topical and political gossip, established in 2004 by Gawker Media and founding editor Ana Marie Cox. The editor since 2012 is Rebecca Schoenkopf, formerly of '' OC Weekly''. ''Wonkette'' covers U. ...

'', which featured a recurring column in summer 2012 titled ''Sundays with Jamie Kilstein and the Lord''. The column covered topics like pundits' penchant for overusing 9/11 analogies and " anchor babies". In September 2013, Kilstein came out publicly as suffering from both alcoholism and an eating disorder in a front-page article for ''

Jezebel Jezebel ()"Jezebel"
(US) and

'', "I'm an Alcoholic Dude With an Eating Disorder. Hi." He and Kilkenny (his ''Citizen Radio'' co-host and wife at the time) wrote the book ''Newsfail'', which was released on October 14, 2014. The book covers topics including

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

trans rights The legal status of transgender people varies greatly around the world. Some countries have enacted laws protecting the rights of transgender individuals, but others have criminalized their gender identity or expression. In many cases, transg ...

, feminism, atheists, and

factory farming Intensive animal farming, industrial livestock production, and macro-farms, also known as factory farming, is a type of intensive agriculture, specifically an approach to mass animal husbandry designed to maximize production while minimizing co ...

Comedy

Kilstein's first comedy album, ''Please Buy My Jokes'', was recorded on February 23, 2008 in front of a live audience at the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago. It was released in 2008. His second comedy album, ''Zombie Jesus'', was also recorded at the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago, on September 11–13, 2008. It was released on October 27, 2009. Kilstein released his third album, ''Libel, Slander, and Sedition'', on September 13, 2011. It was recorded at the Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 13–16, 2010. Kilstein made his U.S. debut TV appearance on February 2, 2011, on the talk show '' Conan'', on which he performed a stand-up routine critical of continued involvement in the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

. Kilstein's fourth comedy album, ''What Alive People Do'', was released on October 22, 2013. It was a double album recorded in front of an

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

audience at the New Movement Theater on December 2, 2012. He is heavily influenced by comedian and actor

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...

who helped him through tough times.

Controversy

On February 27, 2017, Kilstein announced on that day's ''Citizen Radio'' episode that he was leaving the show. Later that day, his co-host and ex-wife Allison Kilkenny accused Kilstein of inappropriate behavior associated with the show. On October 30, 2017, Kilstein clarified on ''

The Joe Rogan Experience ''The Joe Rogan Experience'' is a podcast hosted by American comedian, presenter, and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. It was initiated on December 24, 2009, on YouTube by Rogan and comedian Brian Redban, who was its sole co-host and produce ...

'' that he and Kilkenny had been in an open relationship.

References

External links

*
Huffington Post archives

Citizen Radio's free podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kilstein, Jamie 1982 births Living people American male comedians American male non-fiction writers American atheists American political commentators American political writers Comedians from New Jersey Comedians from Washington, D.C. Jewish American comedians Jewish American non-fiction writers Jewish male comedians Writers from Washington, D.C. 21st-century American comedians Stand Up! Records artists 21st-century American Jews Timcast people