Jill Kargman On Fashion, Charity & Satire

Jill Kargman co-wrote and stars in the new satirical movie called Influenced. On the surface, she plays Dzanielle, a mom influencer on the Upper East Side. However, the story has deeper messages with more meaning. Our interview highlights how Influenced has a clever script that covers fashion, charity and social media.

I love how Influenced uses comedy as a hook before addressing more serious topics like poverty. I tried to recreate that format in my conversation with Jill Kargman, starting with fashion! Jill’s friends with jewellery designer Stephanie Gottlieb and alice + olivia founder Stacey Bendet, so featuring their brands was a natural fit.

Jill’s backstory behind her joke about Viktor&Rolf was a highlight. In the movie, Dzanielle implies they’re like fast fashion, but they really do belong at a bat mitzvah party themed around haute couture. Viktor&Rolf has been top of mind since I met Hailee Steinfeld. She wore their “no photos please” dress to the Met Gala and I was lucky to get one with her in Toronto anyway.

When I emphasized that a comedy about charity is rare, Jill Kargman had the perfect metaphor as a mom. “When kids are little and you hide the protein in the pasta, that’s what I wanted it to be like.” She seamlessly wove in messages about supporting your community. “It felt like charity culture in New York was ripe with opportunity to hold the funhouse mirror to.”

My favourite quote from Influenced is that “7% of proceeds will go to charity.” The characters at a charity luncheon announce it so confidently, even though it’s absurd. Sometimes stores host shopping events and donate a small percentage of sales to a non-profit. So Jill said retail inspired that line too.

Influenced has a star-studded cast, including Justin Bartha and David Krumholtz. Plus, there are several cameos from Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon and Jill’s ex-sister-in-law Drew Barrymore.

Jill and I discussed the irony of casting her co-star Jenny Mollen who has written extensive satire about moms and social media too. Jenny Mollen seems to be a hot topic on my podcast after my chat with Ali Budd.

Influenced is such a timely comedy. There’s even social commentary about hiring a coveted dog walker for $2K/week.

Personally, I would’ve used fewer hashtags in the fictional social media. I also think the robber should’ve been played by an anonymous actor in a mask. Jason Biggs is a very recognizable Jewish actor and casting him as the villain detracted from the movie’s positive portrayal of Jews in New York. He could’ve easily popped up in a different scene and kept things light!

Influenced is now available on demand.