Damien Kronfeld Smokes Cigarettes for His Spiritual Health

Despite living in these frankly precedented times, we are fully existing in the future. And a futuristic lifestyle calls for a modern approach to our traditional “Follow Friday� column. We at Vulture have pivoted from our Luddite ways, opting for a more interactive digital angle on what was once mere text on a web page. We want you to get to know our favorite up-and-coming comics, writers, and generally funny social-media presences face-to-face (or at least screen-to-screen). So we hope you enjoy our new and improved Instagram Live–based version of “Follow Friday.�

This week, I sat down with an infirm Damien Kronfeld (Reductress, Substack, taking advantage of those closest to him while they care for his sick ass) for a chat about writing satire, making small talk, and Pedro Almodóvar. He opened up about about his potential mustache-based Halloween costumes, explained how he takes care of his spiritual health by refusing to stop smoking cigarettes, and described a very steamy magazine cover featuring Antonio Banderas’s pubes. He also graciously went on a tangent with me about the true meaning of the word meme: “It is always very funny to me when people use the word meme to describe just, like, an image. Because by definition, this is not a meme. But it is something you’re coming into contact with on your phone, so I guess it is in that regard.�

You can find Damien on Twitter  at @damienkronfeld and Instagram at @regulationdamien.