An interview with SF comic Alexis Gay, who made the viral video about park hangouts – SF Gate
A San Francisco comedian posted a video in social media Tuesday poking fun at the socially distanced park hangouts that have become ubiquitous among certain San Francisco residents (think Souvla-loving, Allbirds-wearing tech workers) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bundled up in a puffy jacket amid a chilly fog, Alexis Gay, 29, prattles off an earnest flurry of one-liners that touch on the superfluous topics that pop up in conversations at Dolores Park, Alamo Square, or on any patch of S.F. grass where mask-wearing friends have gathered outdoors since March.
“I’ve been getting really into low-alcohol apertifs.”
“She went to Austin. He’s in Miami. They’re trying van life.”
“Do you remember when Souvla was closed? That was tragic.”
Gay, who recently left her job in tech to work full-time as a comedian and podcast host, drops a lot of tech references.
“They don’t even have any users.”
“Sorry, I just have to send this one Slack.”
“Oh, he DMed me about that viral Twitter thread on the future of work.”
The video, posted on Twitter and Instagram, quickly went viral and the consensus seems to be that Gay’s interpretation of an S.F. hang is spot-on.
The Salesforce Twitter handle retweeted the video with the message: “*Literally* every park hang in San Francisco omg.”
In her podcast Non-Technical, San Francisco-based comedian Alexis Gay interviews influential leaders from tech, business, media, and beyond about everything except their resumes. “Do you believe in ghosts?” “Who’d play you in a movie?” “What’s the smallest hill you’re willing to die on?”
Courtesy Alexis Gay
Gay, who is known for her online skits mocking Bay Area life and the tech industry from the perspective of a New York City transplant, told SFGATE that she’s making fun of herself in the clip.
“The thing is I’m not making fun of anyone else but myself,” said Gay, who also interviews influential people from tech in her weekly podcast Non-Technical. “I think tech is very funny and I can hear myself talk about it in a way that makes me go, ‘Oh my God, Alexis.'”
For more insight into the video and the mind that created it, we chatted with Gay.
SFGATE: At what point did you decide this video needed to be made?
Alexis Gay: This question is funny. It makes it sound like this video is art that’s going to be in the Smithsonian, which it’s not. I’m not even sure this video needed to be made but a little over a week ago, I was thinking a lot about how conversations amongst folks in tech have changed over the last year and wanted to capture what they feel like to me in this moment.
SFGATE: How are the conversations different?
Gay: I notice more uncertainty in the way people are generally talking about the future, but when it comes to technology, there’s this momentum pushing forward. It’s not like, ‘Oh no, what are we going to do?’ It’s, ‘Here is this new tool to help you make sure projects are back on track at work.’ There’s NFTs, Substack, Kubernetes… all these tools which have seen huge growth in the last few months. Tech hasn’t stopped at all. If anything the momentum has continued to move forward. We’re meeting the uncertainty with innovation.
SFGATE: What’s your favorite park for hanging out with friends in S.F.?
Gay: Alamo Square, which is where the video was filmed. The location is central and I’ll never get over that cityscape view where you have the Painted Ladies in the foreground and the skyline in the background. And I’m a huge coffee drinker and on the weekends Lady Falcon Coffee Club has a coffee truck there.
San Francisco-based comedian Alexis Gay bundled up at a park hangout during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Courtesy Alexis GaySFGATE: You looked really cold in that video. Have you figured out any tricks for staying warm during an outdoor hang?
Gay: No joke, three pairs of pants. Yoga pants plus joggers plus sweat pants. And gloves. I feel like gloves are underrated.
SFGATE: How have your alcohol habits evolved over the course of the pandemic?
Gay: The truth is that I’ve become a complete and total lightweight since the pandemic started. I’m definitely drinking less. Aren’t I strange? But here’s the thing, I live alone and I don’t like to drink alone. A glass of wine on a Zoom happy hour sometimes but I don’t know if I have it in me to do one more Zoom happy hour.
SFGATE: What’s your Souvla order?
Gay: Chicken wrap but add sweet potato. Side of Greek fries if I’m feeling crazy, alternatively I’ll go for the frozen yogurt with honey or baklava.
SFGATE: You also mention San Francisco-based shoe brand Allbirds in the video. How many pairs do you own?
Gay: I only have two pairs of Allbirds—and they’re identical. I really want another pair, like desperately, but I keep getting decision paralysis because they keep coming out with new ones. Have you seen the latest ones? They look like sheep. Maybe I need those.
SFGATE: What silver linings have you found in the pandemic?
Gay: Amidst all the absolute tragedy, something I’ve personally found a lot of joy in is finding a lot of new friends online. I’m looking forward to meeting them. I’ve met people who I consider good friends and we met on Twitter and on Clubhouse. I feel so grateful for that.
SFGATE: What are you looking forward to doing most after this pandemic is done?
Gay: Definitely getting back to stand-up. I also really miss hugging. Hugging is heaven. It’s really nice.
SFGATE: Where can your fans catch more of your comedy?
Gay: My Non-Technical podcast comes out every week on Wednesdays. I also do the Housin’ Around talk show on Clubhouse. You can also find my videos and stories on Instagram.