Pat Brown

Comparing being single after the age of 35 to rooting through an old bag of Halloween candy or speculating about how often Barack and Michelle “do it,” stand-up comic Pat Brown’s light, chatty tone makes her act feel like catching up with the funny friend everyone wishes they had. No wonder BET sitcom Somebodies tapped Brown (who’s also appeared on ComicView, Jamie Foxx’s Laffapalooza and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) for the recurring role of Aunt Agnes — she’s the kind of relative who makes holiday dinners actually enjoyable. In her “Lessons” series on YouTube, Brown serves up hot takes on everything from The Walking Dead to Trump’s Muslim ban and only the most easily offended would click away angry. Though she titled her 2016 album Sex Tape, the cover photo, which features Brown consulting her notes in loungewear, is a better indicator of the material. On stage, her easygoing, familiar wit and charm gives her bits about racism, sexual politics and other potential argument starters that much more bite because she never really bares her teeth until she strikes.