Janeane Garofalo

Janeane Garofalo (born September 28, 1964), born in Newton, New Jersey, is a successful comedienne and Hollywood actress. During high school, her family relocated to Houston, Texas, where the trauma of the move prompted her famously Dariaesque self-loathing persona to begin to blossom. While studying history at Providence College, Garofalo entered a comedy talent search sponsored by the Showtime cable network, winning the title of "Funniest Person in Rhode Island." Dreaming of earning a slot on the writing staff of the Late Night With David Letterman program, she became a professional standup upon graduating college but struggled for a number of years, working briefly as a bike messenger in Boston.

She officially began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 90s during the grunge era. Her appearance was often in line with grunge style: disheveled with thick black glasses and unkempt hair. Her comedy was often self-deprecating; she made fun of popular culture and the pressures put on women to be beautiful and thin. However she was soon part of popular culture thanks in large part to the success of her roles in films such as The Truth About Cats and Dogs and Reality Bites. She also had memorable cameos in Romy & Michele's High School Reunion and The Cable Guy. She continues to act in films and do comedy in 2003.

Garofalo was outspoken about her opposition to what became the 2003 Iraq War, appearing on CNN and Fox to discuss it.

Table of contents

1 Filmography
2 Television Shows
3 Bibliography
4 Quotes

Filmography

Reality Bites (1994)
Bye Bye Love (1995)
The Truth About Cats and Dogs (1996)
Larger Than Life (1996)
Sweethearts (1996)
Romy & Michele's High School Reunion (1997)
The Matchmaker (1997)
Clay Pigeons (1998)
Permanent Midnight (1998)
Mystery Men (1999)
Dog Park (2000)
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Big Trouble (2002)
The Laramie Project (HBO; 2002)

Television Shows

Bibliography

Feel This Book: An Essential Guide to Self-Empowerment, Spiritual Supremacy, and Sexual Satisfaction ISBN 0694521469 (w/ Ben Stiller)

Quotes

"I think that by staying out of shape at the age of 33 I'm doing myself a huge favor for my future. There will never be anyone commenting on how I've 'let myself go.' I've gone. It's gone. It's not going, it's GONE."

"The mainstream media has, in my opinion, been so grossly negligent, so disturbingly devoid of authentic debate, and actual dissemination of information. They are, in theory, the custodians of fact, the watchdogs of government. That's the theory. At a time as important as this, they have absolutely rolled over to the conservative hawkish agenda."

"Many people feel that mass acceptance and smooth socialization are desirable life paths for a young adult... Many people are often wrong... Don't bother being nice. Being popular and well liked is not in your best interest. Let me be more clear; if you behave in a manner pleasing to most, then you are probably doing something wrong. The masses have never been arbiters of the sublime, and they often fail to recognize the truly great individual. Taking into account the public's regrettable lack of taste, it is incumbent upon you not to fit in."

At a Howard Dean fundraising event in New York Garofalo mocked the Medicare prescription-drug bill that President Bush had signed as the "you can go f--- yourself, Grandma" bill.