It's difficult to look at Nikki Glaser and not think about sex. The comic-actress is not like Mia Khalifa, the porn actress turned social media star who is constantly making headlines. The cerebral Glaser was the host of Comedy Central's provocative and unpredictable "Not Safe With Nikki Glaser."
Glaser, 33, who will perform Thursday through Saturday at Punch Line Philly, talked about porn, pegging and her parents' sex lives during the critically acclaimed show's run.
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Glaser has moved on since the program was canceled last year, but sex is obviously still one of the more amusing topics bandied about.
Even though Glaser hosted "Not Safe," she didn't lose her virginity until she was 21. She blames her mother for having arrived so late to the party.
"I would have done it earlier if I wasn't so afraid of sex," Glaser said while calling from Los Angeles.
"My mom made me think sex was awful. She made it sound like guys just wanted to rape women. My mom instilled a lot of fear in me, and it prevented me from having sex."
Glaser thanks her mom for making her a bit left of center, which she says adds to her comedic charm. She started rising in the comedy ranks when she performed at the Oddball Comedy Festival three years ago at the BB&T Pavilion – then the Susquehanna Bank Center – in Camden.
“I had so much fun at that show,” Glaser recalled.
“Part of it was watching Dave Attell and all of those other comedians. Those comics are like me. Stand-up is where their passion lies. I love going out on the road and making people laugh. I love the immediacy of being onstage.”
Glaser said she would love to score a late-night talk show gig.
“That would be fun, but I think the networks are so scared to take a risk by putting a woman in that position,” she said.
“I understand why they believe it’s frightening and risky. It’s the ‘this has always worked, so let’s keep it this way’ approach.”
Like many young women do, Glaser confessed she had an eating disorder between the ages of 18 and 23.
“I wasn’t a good looking child. I got screwed out of the genetic deal," she said.
"My sister looks like a model. I think that’s why I’m a comic. I’m deeply insecure since I was always feeling ugly. I wasn’t a healthy child. I had poor self esteem. That’s why I need people’s approval.
“Beautiful people don’t have to be told that they’re great...They’re adored from an early age. They don’t have to be the center of attention. The rest of us have to do something.”
Nikki Glaser appears Thursday through Sunday at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St. Tickets are $25 and $35. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Friday, and 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 215-606-6555, or click here.