Video interview: A Tight Five with Mitch Fatel

by Punchline Magazine

In a brand new episode of A Tight Five, our weekly interview web series co-produced by RooftopComedy and shot at Comix in New York (site of Punchline... 

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Margaret Cho: Reality strikes

by Emma Kat Richardson

Margaret Cho is, quite simply, a living icon of the stand-up comedy world. More than a comedian and entertainer, the San Francisco native is a strong-voiced... 

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Jeffrey Ross: Rules the roast

by Chase Roper

After years of touring the country, roasting celebrities, and bringing comedy to war torn parts of the world, Jeffrey Ross has finally come back home... 

After years of touring the country, roasting celebrities, and bringing comedy to war torn parts of the world, Jeffrey Ross has finally come back home for the much anticipated one-hour Comedy Central special, No Offense: Live from New Jersey, premiering Friday, Aug. 22– not to mention the much buzzed-about Roast of Bob Saget on Aug. 17.

Setting down the golden microphone - and verbal assault weapons - the man who the New York Times has called, “the meanest man in comedy,” had a quick chat with Punchline Magazine.

A one-hour Comedy Central special. It’s about time.
I know, its pretty crazy. People think it’s like my fifth one - but its my first.

I love the title, ‘No Offense.’ It’s just like a blanket disclaimer for everybody watching.
But not an apology. It all comes out of love and anxiety. There’s nothing mean spirited. You’ll be able to tell by the audience’s reactions that its all good.

With the current political atmosphere, it seems like a lot of comics have a clear agenda. Is there any kind of recurring theme or message in your special?
That’s interesting. I would have to say that the message is, ‘I only roast the ones I love.’ And if people are gonna come - I have family and friends and relatives - I basically make fun of all of them during the special. Even my barber gets a couple shots.

The taping of the special also meant it was your first time back to our hometown in quite some time. Did that make it more nerve wracking or did it kind of take some of the edge off?
Well you know it was one of those things where - and I actually say this in the special - I’ve performed everywhere in the world but I would never headline my home state because I never felt ready. And uh, I’m ready now mother fuckers. I come out full swinging. It’s a full assault. Its pretty out there. Plus, I have a gold microphone.

Seriously? I read that in the press release and I thought it was like a metaphor.
Comedy specials always look kind of boring to me so I thought I’d just try to pimp it out a little.

It does sometimes feel like they’re one hour comedy special format is becoming a bit cookie cutter.
Well, I don’t want to say that they look ‘cookie cutter’ but the trick for me was how to make it cut through the clutter. To me, one of the beauties of it was making it look like some of my favorite specials. Like Richard Prior and Eddy Murphy; they would always be dark and smoky. Everything you see on TV now is very bright; and some of these comedy specials look like game shows. I want it to look bad ass.

Probably has something to do with so many programs being made with HD in mind.
Well, we shot it in HD because we want people to be high and deaf when they watch it.

Now that you’re largely known for roasting - I mean, you’re Roastmaster General after all –how did you decide on a strategy for incorporating roast-style jokes in the special?
I don’t think it’s a decision. I think it’s a development. I’ve been doing stan-up longer then I’ve been doing roasting like you pointed out, so when does one become the other? I’ve kind of always just played around with the audience, so when you see the special, you’ll see that somewhere between the first five and 10 minutes is me doing my version of saying ‘hello.’

Which, for me, is making fun of everyone in the front row. Embarrassing the fat guy. Embarrassing the guy with flip-flops. So I sort of bring that roast energy in the beginning of the show. I don’t think roast fans will be disappointed. I think they’ll get a big kick out of seeing me make fun of regular people.

If there’s anyone who deserves to get made fun of, It’s your average working guy.
It’s the average working guy who usually has the big bucks. People want to get roasted by me. My fans consider it a compliment.

Were there any highlights or any particular thing that happened that stood out to you in the special?
There’s one thing that happens - and you’ll know this from my Lounge Lizards show - at the end of my show I do love poems and I do a whole bunch of them for the special. I have a piano and I bring up volunteers at the end of the show. Really it’s just an excuse for me to roast people from the audience. It worked out great. Especially the second one; he’s a toll taker from New Jersey. It’s pretty out there.

I also just read some of the recaps from the Saget roast and I have to say that I was so happy that the Willie Nelson roast didn’t work out.
Interesting, you’re the first person to say that. Why?

I just thought it would be awesome to see Full House alumus getting blasted.
Well, I wasn’t a Full House guy. I’m more of a Bob Saget Aristocrats fan. It was one of the few times I’ve gotten to roast a really good friend. I’m obviously a fan of Willie Nelson and it would’ve been fun. But I heard he canceled because accidentally smoked the Hollywood bowl. That was the one joke I had for him.

Of all the guests of honor at the Comedy Central roasts, I think Saget would be the person I’d be most worried about taking podium and exacting his revenge.
Yeah, I think this one people are really going to love. As much as the last roast with Flavor Flav was really fun. This one goes back to a more traditional roast where its just a bunch of comics making fun of another comic. There’s a lot of inside jokes that people will really get a kick out of.

For more info, check out Jeffrey’s MySpace page, and the official Bob Saget Roast page.

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Video interview: A Tight Five with Christian Finnegan

by Punchline Magazine

In a brand new episode of A Tight Five brought to you by Punchline Magazine and RooftopComedy (it’s number seven, if you’re counting), we sit... 

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Doug Benson: the multi-tasking, pot-headed comedian strikes

by Tim Hammill

There’s this comic that claims he smokes a lot of pot. But then those commercials warning us that marijuana leads to nothing but self-inflicted couch... 

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Video interview: A Tight Five with Todd Barry

by Punchline Magazine

It’s episode six of A Tight Five. And we’re just a tad excited to bring you the legendary Todd Barry! This week, Punchline Magazine editor in chief... 

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Jimmy Dore: Waging war on stupidity

by Daniel Perlman

In this time of national turmoil, political fear and uncertainty – laughing yet? –emerges a voice of reason, of strength and of hope. Not Obama, you... 

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Video interview: A Tight Five with Lord Carrett

by Punchline Magazine

In our fifth installment of A Tight Five, our weekly comedian interview series shot at Comix in New York City and powered by our friends at RooftopComedy,... 

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Gary Gulman: Sporting the funny

by Rob Turbovsky

Comedian Gary Gulman just may be his own biggest critic. But that won’t stop him from tearing into pro sports players as he hosts the first season... 

Where does that guilt come from? Do you feel like you’re unworthy of success or does the guilt pre-date even the fame you have now?
I just have such respect for the art. And there are so many people who do it so well. Some nights I come off and even jokes that get a laugh, I’m like, ‘Oh, that needs work, that’s not exactly inspired or anything.’ I could let myself feel good, but I don’t. I mean, you take somebody like Greg Giraldo. Have you seen him lately? I really feel like he’s the top social thinker in comedy right now. He’s just really talking about some important things. We were just working in Seattle at this festival, a special show for a radio station, and I was blown away. He’s original, creative, and funny, and I don’t think I’m as socially and politically relevant as somebody like him. Or, someone like… Jesus, there’s really no one doing it as well as him. He’s in a class by himself.

Do you ever consider the degree to which the kind of material you can do is dictated by your physical appearance?
That’s an interesting question. I often feel like certain comedians have a little bit of an edge because they look the part, or they can be angry, and the people won’t believe that they’re angry [offstage]. Like, Larry David is really great at being angry-funny. I’ve occasionally been told by my fiancé and other people that ‘They really think that you’re really angry when you’re yelling.’ So, that sort of thing is difficult. I think I come off pretty normal and nice, so it’s harder sometimes.

The other thing is that I’m a pretty moody guy, but no one really wants to see a normal-looking guy complain about things or talk about being unhappy. That’s hard. Most people are like, ‘Well, you have all your hair and you’re tall, so why are you unhappy?’ That can be limiting. I think Woody Allen had the perfect look for his comedy. And, sometimes I think that I’m in a little bit of a corner.

In ideal circumstances – if appearance somehow didn’t impact the way an audience received your material, and if they also had no idea of your previous work, what kind of material would you be doing?
I’ve always wanted to do more significant stuff. I think of myself as well-informed, but the hardest thing to do is talk about politics and current events and be funny and not just preachy. I was in Washington D.C over the weekend and I was talking about veal, and I said I hate to think I’m eating baby calves, and people were in an uproar. They really loved veal and the consumption of veal. It was in the confines of a joke, but the point is that it’s really risky. Unless you’re preaching to the converted or your fan base is sort of lined up with your ideology, it’s difficult to do it well within the show.

It’s a real valley when I talk about veal. And calf roping. People were sensitive about calf roping. Which I think is quite funny. So, I guess that’s not so much my appearance but the expectation that people have when they come to my show that there’s really not going to be much controversy. I guess that requires a little more judgment to get into that stuff, or maybe it’s something I have to couch a little better, I don’t know.

For more info, check out Gary Gulman’s official site and the NESN Comedy All-Stars page. If you don’t live in New England, you can catch Comedy All-Stars on the Dish Network channel 434 and 434 HD, and Direct TV channel 623.

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Danny Lobell Show Friday

by Punchline Magazine

Make sure, kids, you tune into comicalradio.com today at 1 pm EST to listen to The Danny Lobell Show. Today’s guests are Pablo Francisco and Arj... 

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