Trapped in your personal brand
Aparna Nancherla has struggled with anxiety and depression since college, but she started talking about it in her stand-up routine just a few years ago.
As her career progressed — with appearances on Comedy Central’s “Corporate” and Netflix’s “BoJack Horseman” and a stint writing on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” — her mental health became a key part of her identity as a comedian, of her job.
“The more I’ve talked about it, I think I now I’m kind of in this weird place where I’m like, ‘Have I inadvertently made it worse by making it, like, a part of my brand in a way?'”
You don’t have to be on TV to feel that way. This week, we’re talking all about personal brands and what it’s like to rely on the difficult or painful parts of yourself to create one.
Along with Nancherla, we talk with New York Times critic-at-large Amanda Hess. She’ll walk us through the weird history and economics of people as businesses and why it can feel so frustrating to see your work as a commodity.
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