Thanks to the powers of the Internet, you can become a global phenomenon in a matter of moments. For Philadelphia’s own, Quinta Brunson (better known as Quinta B.), social media is just the ground floor for her comedic takeover.
Vine, Instagram, and YouTube are powerful tools to help independent artists crack through the static of mainstream monotony. The scope and breadth of reach these social media platforms command instantly connects millions with emerging talent. BlackEnterprise.com was lucky enough to link up with Quinta Brunson, the pint-sized dynamo behind those hilarious “Girl Who’s Never Been On A Nice Date” videos.
The improv comedienne found her calling in school and has since then become an Insta-star since her clips have gone viral. To date, she has almost 215k followers on Instagram and plenty of love from her fellow contemporaries such as King Bach, AlphaCat and DeStorm. This student of Temple University may have cultivated a lane for herself as the “He got moneyyyyyyy” girl, but her talent isn’t just limited to one sketch.
As you can read in our exclusive chat with the progressive performer, Quinta B. is defining the next generation of talent within the entertainment world, and proving that being yourself is priceless. We go over the Proud Owl’s relationship with comedy, her impact on digital pop culture, her most powerful influences and, of course, her most interesting date she’s ever been on. Enjoy!
BlackEnterprise.com: Growing up was comedy something that you always wanted to pursue? If so, who were (or are) some of your influences that you looked up to. Also, can you talk about how your career choice affected your relationships with family/friends?
Quinta B: I developed an interest in comedy at a very young age, thanks to my brothers and sisters. They had me quoting Martin Lawrence’s and Jamie Foxx’s characters at the age of 3 in my car seat. I knew I wanted to be an actress because I loved watching sitcoms. When I turned 17, I would say I learned what it meant to actually be a comedian. It was more responsibility and I wanted that. I looked up to Martin Lawrence because I loved the range of characters he played on his self-written and produced show… another was Jim Carrey. Later on, I appreciated Bill Cosby’s stand-up routines, as well as Dave Chappelle’s. I was also opened up to the beautiful world of the many amazing improvisors and appreciated the beauty of that form of comedy.
Before your comedy became a viral smash, you took an intensive course at Second City in Chicago. Without giving away your own trade secrets – what were some lessons you learned that you quickly implemented into your comedic routine?
I learned how to react to others, and how to support others. That’s what improv taught me. “Yes, And†is the motto of improv and that will keep things moving in a scene. It’ll also keep things moving in life. Lastly, “Today is the Day,†is another motto that I learned. You always ask what your character is going to do that day that will make a change. I ask the same questions in my life as well. Improvisation also let me know that it was okay to do what you feel.
Can you explain or detail what goes into preparing the skits that you post to Instagram? Also, talk about how you came up with “The Girl Who’s Never Been on a Nice Date†character.
I try to create concepts about experiences that I think others can relate to. I apply that to my videos online. I have wonderful friends and comedians around me who are always open to adding their talents to the projects, so they actually happen, which is cool.
I had done “The Girl Who’s Never Been on a Nice Date” on stage as an improvised character featured in a sketch show at the beginning of a stand-up show (Laffmob on Sunset Boulevard) at The Comedy Store. The character was a hit! I would play her jovially with my friends because we all knew girls like that back home. That was my first time bringing her on stage. After that, a good friend of mine Abdul Muhammad recommended that I put it on social media, and thank goodness he did.
Read on the next page, Quinta’s thoughts on the new comedy rock stars…