Caitlin Peluffo credits raunchy memoir with pushing her into stand-up

Brooklyn comedian Caitlin Peluffo says Ophira Eisenberg’s Screw Everyone helped her see sexual history as comedy material and convinced her she could do stand-up. Peluffo makes the case on the latest episode of Books That Changed My Life, which also digs into dating, shame and her own special Prosciutto Rose.

Why it matters: - Peluffo frames the book as a career turning point, saying it showed her that stand-up could be a path she could actually take. - The conversation ties personal honesty to comedy, a core idea for how many performers turn private experience into public material. - Peluffo’s special Prosciutto Rose is now available on her YouTube channel, giving fans a direct next step after the episode.

What happened: - Brooklyn stand-up Caitlin Peluffo appeared on the latest episode of Books That Changed My Life with host Chris "Bulldog" Collins. - The episode focused on Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy by Ophira Eisenberg. - Peluffo says the memoir convinced her she could do stand-up herself. - Peluffo grew up in San Bruno, California, and moved to Brooklyn for a master’s degree at Pratt Institute. - She first encountered Eisenberg’s book in a humor writing class. - Peluffo says the two are now friends.

The details: - Peluffo called the book a stand-up comic’s book and said nearly every line lands as a joke. - Peluffo said reading Eisenberg sent her into a deep dive of Gotham comedy sets and related material. - Eisenberg has hosted NPR’s Ask Me Another and performed on The Moth. - Peluffo said the book helped her reframe her sexual history as something useful for comedy instead of something to hide. - Peluffo said honesty is the best material and argued that the truest version of a story is often the funniest. - The episode also moves into Peluffo’s dating history and her theory that unattractive comics may work harder because they do not assume charm will carry them. - Peluffo said, "Hot men with no trauma just kind of get it," before contrasting that with how women learn to laugh through constant threat. - Peluffo recounts losing her virginity three times, with a school custodian and the San Bruno Police Department entering the story. - She also describes an ex-boyfriend arrested for taking upskirt photos on the train. - Peluffo tells of a hookup who panicked after realizing her vintage cameras may have recorded him. - Peluffo reads from Eisenberg’s Garfield chapter, which describes a sex lair themed around Garfield, the cat. - Peluffo says that chapter is the moment she "fell in love instantly" with Eisenberg’s writing.

Between the lines: - The episode uses comedy as a frame for a broader point about shame, memory and self-editing. - Peluffo’s comments suggest the most personal material can become stronger when it is treated as honest observation instead of polished invention. - The book’s influence appears to be both artistic and practical: it nudged Peluffo toward stand-up and toward a more open comic voice.

What's next: - Viewers can watch the full episode on Books That Changed My Life. - Peluffo’s self-produced special Prosciutto Rose is already available on her YouTube channel. - The show says future episodes will continue pairing books with unfiltered personal stories from guests across entertainment.

The bottom line: - Peluffo says Ophira Eisenberg’s memoir did more than entertain her; it helped convince her to become a comic and to mine her own life more openly for jokes. - Watch the full episode