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Downloaded from
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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[Bob Odenkirk] Hey! Hi, hello,
Mike, it's Bob Odenkirk.

5
00:00:13,709 --> 00:00:16,451
Uh, I got the request, uh,

6
00:00:16,494 --> 00:00:19,845
to participate in a documentary
that you're making.

7
00:00:19,889 --> 00:00:22,979
Um, I-- Here's what, uh, I--

8
00:00:23,023 --> 00:00:27,288
My feelings. Um,
I will watch the documentary

9
00:00:27,331 --> 00:00:29,942
as a fan of Chicago comedy,

10
00:00:29,986 --> 00:00:32,249
and I look forward to it.

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00:00:32,293 --> 00:00:34,947
Uh, however, I--
I don't really want to be

12
00:00:34,991 --> 00:00:36,253
in another documentary...

13
00:00:37,907 --> 00:00:39,126
now.

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00:00:39,169 --> 00:00:41,084
At some point, I'll do more.

15
00:00:41,128 --> 00:00:43,217
But I've kind of
done a lot of 'em,

16
00:00:43,260 --> 00:00:47,351
and, uh, I feel like,
uh, I'm a bit of a blowhard

17
00:00:47,395 --> 00:00:50,224
when it comes to comedy
and commentary.

18
00:00:50,267 --> 00:00:52,530
So, um, I'm excusing myself

19
00:00:52,574 --> 00:00:54,750
from, uh, documentaries
for a while,

20
00:00:54,793 --> 00:00:56,795
maybe a couple years here.

21
00:00:56,839 --> 00:00:59,059
So thank you for
the request, uh,

22
00:00:59,102 --> 00:01:01,931
and kick-- kick ass,
do a great job,

23
00:01:01,974 --> 00:01:04,455
and I will be watching
your documentary

24
00:01:04,499 --> 00:01:06,588
and, uh, and cheering for it.

25
00:01:06,631 --> 00:01:09,330
So do a great job,
and thanks for asking. Bye.

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00:01:09,373 --> 00:01:15,205
♪

27
00:01:20,689 --> 00:01:21,777
You ready?

28
00:01:22,691 --> 00:01:24,345
Who am I talking to?
You ready, Tony?

29
00:01:24,388 --> 00:01:26,129
I-- I know that.
I don't-- I don't know

30
00:01:26,173 --> 00:01:27,652
who I was talking to
when I said, "You ready?"

31
00:01:27,696 --> 00:01:29,263
Talking to myself
like an asshole.

32
00:01:29,306 --> 00:01:31,091
I fall asleep
watching the Masters,

33
00:01:31,134 --> 00:01:32,483
but I forgot about this.

34
00:01:32,527 --> 00:01:33,832
Should I set this here or what?

35
00:01:33,876 --> 00:01:35,834
[interviewer 1] Yeah, it's cool.

36
00:01:35,878 --> 00:01:37,793
-Yeah, just don't face it off--
-Or should I set it off-camera?

37
00:01:37,836 --> 00:01:39,273
[interviewer 1] No, you can
set it there, but just, uh,

38
00:01:39,316 --> 00:01:40,883
as long as that
we can't read the label.

39
00:01:40,926 --> 00:01:42,493
[interviewer 2] And just
make sure you look at the lens.

40
00:01:42,537 --> 00:01:44,016
You sure you can't read it?

41
00:01:44,060 --> 00:01:45,279
[interviewer 2]
You can't see anything. Yeah.

42
00:01:45,322 --> 00:01:46,584
Duh.

43
00:01:46,628 --> 00:01:48,543
Y'all didn't bring a tripod?

44
00:01:48,586 --> 00:01:50,153
[interviewer 2]
Yeah, you lookin' at it.

45
00:01:50,197 --> 00:01:52,286
Do you want me to say who I am?

46
00:01:52,329 --> 00:01:54,462
-[interviewer] You know who.
-Just in case!

47
00:01:55,637 --> 00:01:57,508
-[interviewer 2] A mark.
-[interviewer 3] Yeah, right.

48
00:01:57,552 --> 00:02:00,032
-[interviewer 2] B mark.
-[interviewer 3] All right, so,

49
00:02:00,076 --> 00:02:01,817
you know, no matter where I am,
you could look at the camera--

50
00:02:01,860 --> 00:02:03,688
-Look at camera?
-[interviewer 3] Yeah.

51
00:02:03,732 --> 00:02:05,516
-No, don't look at the camera.
-[interviewer 3] Yeah.

52
00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:07,388
-We've been shooting--
-Look-- look at you. Right?

53
00:02:07,431 --> 00:02:09,477
You look at the person
interviewing, not the camera.

54
00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:11,000
-[interviewer 2] Typically.
-What, what, what?

55
00:02:11,043 --> 00:02:11,914
[interviewer 3]
But we've been shooting

56
00:02:11,957 --> 00:02:13,350
at the camera the whole time.

57
00:02:13,394 --> 00:02:14,612
[interviewer 2] They've
been talking to the camera?

58
00:02:14,656 --> 00:02:15,352
-[interviewer 3] Yeah.
-[interviewer 2] Oh.

59
00:02:15,396 --> 00:02:16,614
That's insane.

60
00:02:16,658 --> 00:02:17,702
[interviewer 3]
Well, we started with that.

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00:02:17,746 --> 00:02:18,964
Makes me have
great confidence in

62
00:02:19,008 --> 00:02:20,662
-how this project will turn out.
-[laughter]

63
00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:24,796
The documentary's
starting right now.

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00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:26,581
Exactly.

65
00:02:26,624 --> 00:02:29,714
That's right! You better
buckle up, studpuppet!

66
00:02:30,193 --> 00:02:32,630
Oh! Hello, I'm Judy Tenuta.

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00:02:32,674 --> 00:02:34,980
My name is
Milton "Lil Rel" Howery.

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00:02:35,024 --> 00:02:36,417
Deon Cole.

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00:02:36,460 --> 00:02:37,853
I just go, "My name is Godfrey"?

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00:02:37,896 --> 00:02:39,071
-[interviewer] Yeah.
-Oh.

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00:02:39,115 --> 00:02:40,464
My name is Godfrey.

72
00:02:40,508 --> 00:02:42,988
Megan Elizabeth Gailey.

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00:02:43,032 --> 00:02:45,295
I am Marsha Warfield.
Hello. Who are you?

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00:02:45,339 --> 00:02:46,818
Name's Chris Redd.

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00:02:46,862 --> 00:02:49,691
And I started
doing comedy in Chicago.

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00:02:51,606 --> 00:02:53,085
My plan was to move to New York.

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00:02:53,129 --> 00:02:55,697
I-- I wasn't gonna
move to Chicago.

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00:02:56,393 --> 00:02:59,179
But, uh, I didn't think
I could afford

79
00:02:59,222 --> 00:03:01,877
to live in New York.
You know, it scared me.

80
00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:03,618
And I had one aunt
who had some property

81
00:03:03,661 --> 00:03:06,360
really close to New York,
and I was excited.

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00:03:06,403 --> 00:03:08,884
I asked her if I could
stay there and pay rent.

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00:03:08,927 --> 00:03:10,277
I knew she was gonna say yes.

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00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,757
She was like, "No." [chuckles]

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And so I moved to Chicago.

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♪

87
00:03:23,333 --> 00:03:27,337
[John Riggi] To me, going to
Chicago was like going to...

88
00:03:28,251 --> 00:03:29,296
Oz.

89
00:03:29,948 --> 00:03:31,950
It was more than
I could imagine.

90
00:03:31,994 --> 00:03:33,430
I didn't know what to expect.

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00:03:33,474 --> 00:03:36,390
I really thought
it was the big-time.

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00:03:36,433 --> 00:03:38,000
And it was! For me, it was.

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00:03:39,131 --> 00:03:43,310
There's a reason why
there's so many great comedians

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00:03:43,353 --> 00:03:44,659
that come out of Chicago.

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00:03:48,619 --> 00:03:50,404
[John Caponera] We're in
the middle, and I think we have

96
00:03:50,447 --> 00:03:53,668
more of a barometer of
the country being in Chicago.

97
00:03:53,711 --> 00:03:56,410
That Midwestern honesty,

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00:03:56,453 --> 00:03:58,107
you know, plain-spokenness.

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00:03:58,150 --> 00:03:59,804
We got a little bit
of country in us,

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00:03:59,848 --> 00:04:01,589
we got a little bit city life.

101
00:04:01,632 --> 00:04:03,373
[Kara Buller] A lot of us
come from farm stock.

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00:04:03,417 --> 00:04:06,594
You know, from Iowa,
from, you know, the plains.

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00:04:06,637 --> 00:04:09,423
And then we go to the city
to try to get an education,

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you know,
kind of better ourselves.

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00:04:11,076 --> 00:04:12,600
So, yeah, there's definitely--

106
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even myself,
yes, a bit of insecurity.

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-[interviewer] Yeah.
-Yeah. And pride.

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00:04:16,908 --> 00:04:19,346
[laughs] Like, there's also,
like, that incredible--

109
00:04:19,389 --> 00:04:21,739
"We got a work ethic.
We have integrity!"

110
00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,570
We have two seasons,
"swass" and "fritties."

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Sweaty ass and freezing titties.

112
00:04:28,659 --> 00:04:30,922
I wish we had a Weather Channel
that was like,

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"On the swass scale today,
we are at 400% humidity.

114
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So your titties will be
completely stuck to your body

115
00:04:37,668 --> 00:04:38,887
the whole bus ride."

116
00:04:42,847 --> 00:04:44,501
Everybody has
a different voice, man.

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Everybody's very
distinguishable.

118
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We don't have a certain

119
00:04:48,331 --> 00:04:52,422
standard way of telling jokes,
or writin', or whatever,

120
00:04:52,466 --> 00:04:55,599
and I think that's what
makes us unique and different.

121
00:04:55,643 --> 00:04:57,993
We're authentic.
Uh, we're great joke writers,

122
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but at the same time,
we're also great storytellers.

123
00:05:00,387 --> 00:05:02,389
Just lots of
great comics and writers

124
00:05:02,432 --> 00:05:05,348
and performers have,
uh, have come from here.

125
00:05:05,392 --> 00:05:07,176
Richard Pryor was from Peoria.

126
00:05:07,219 --> 00:05:09,352
Sam Kinison was from Peoria.

127
00:05:09,396 --> 00:05:11,354
And Arsenio Hall got his start

128
00:05:11,398 --> 00:05:13,356
at the Comedy Cottage
in Rosemont.

129
00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,185
The amount of guys
that are now showrunners

130
00:05:16,228 --> 00:05:18,013
or television writers,

131
00:05:18,056 --> 00:05:21,712
uh, television hosts,
acting, producing.

132
00:05:21,756 --> 00:05:23,410
It's a lot of Chicago influence

133
00:05:23,453 --> 00:05:25,803
on the national scene.
You know, Second City.

134
00:05:25,847 --> 00:05:28,502
Not stand-up,
but as far as improv goes,

135
00:05:28,545 --> 00:05:30,460
you know,
Colbert and all those people.

136
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When I started comedy, everybody
assumed I was doing Second City.

137
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"Oh, you're a comic?
You must be doing Second City."

138
00:05:35,596 --> 00:05:37,206
No, no, I'm doing--
I'm a stand-up.

139
00:05:37,249 --> 00:05:39,774
When I moved here,
it was very distinct.

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There was improv
and there was stand-up,

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00:05:41,993 --> 00:05:43,430
and we didn't talk
to each other.

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00:05:43,473 --> 00:05:46,041
I told myself
that stand-up was, like,

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00:05:46,084 --> 00:05:48,783
a traveling salesman of jokes,
and improv was where it was at.

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I wanted to be a film star
and a television star,

145
00:05:51,699 --> 00:05:54,832
and I never thought of stand-up
comedy propelling me to that.

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00:05:54,876 --> 00:05:56,834
I thought
"I need Second City for that."

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Second City gets all the credit!

148
00:06:00,185 --> 00:06:02,927
You can go to Europe and people
have heard of Second City.

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[speaking Spanish]

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00:06:06,409 --> 00:06:08,368
[audience laughter]

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00:06:08,411 --> 00:06:11,066
[Ella Galt] Improv exists all
over the world, and I think that

152
00:06:11,109 --> 00:06:14,156
historically what was going on
at Second City as kind of, like,

153
00:06:14,199 --> 00:06:16,898
the Big Bang of improv,
or at least one of them.

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00:06:16,941 --> 00:06:18,639
Chicago!

155
00:06:18,682 --> 00:06:20,336
[Ella Galt] The ripples of
which are kind of, like,

156
00:06:20,380 --> 00:06:22,599
still echoing around the world,
and, you know,

157
00:06:22,643 --> 00:06:24,427
it's in our books,
it's a really strong

158
00:06:24,471 --> 00:06:26,081
and important part
of the history.

159
00:06:26,124 --> 00:06:28,083
And I suppose
what's happening now is,

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like, the aftereffects of that.

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00:06:29,998 --> 00:06:32,435
And Zanies gets a, "Oh, yeah.
Oh, you're at Zanies?"

162
00:06:32,914 --> 00:06:34,437
And it deserves more than that.

163
00:06:34,481 --> 00:06:37,179
I didn't get into
the Second City classes.

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00:06:37,222 --> 00:06:39,442
-I-- I failed the audition!
-Yeah.

165
00:06:39,486 --> 00:06:41,401
-The conservatory. So did I.
-For class.

166
00:06:41,444 --> 00:06:44,012
-So did I. I was not accepted...
-Into the class!

167
00:06:44,055 --> 00:06:45,448
[TJ] ...into the
Second City conservatory.

168
00:06:45,492 --> 00:06:47,319
[Pete] To learn
how to be better.

169
00:06:47,363 --> 00:06:49,147
Years later, I would be hired
to Second City Tour Co.,

170
00:06:49,191 --> 00:06:51,149
so I could work there,
but I could not learn there.

171
00:06:51,193 --> 00:06:53,151
[Pete cackles]

172
00:06:53,195 --> 00:06:55,632
Even though some of
the best improv classes

173
00:06:55,676 --> 00:06:57,112
come out of Chicago,
Second City,

174
00:06:57,155 --> 00:06:58,853
some the best improv people...

175
00:06:58,896 --> 00:07:01,899
Well, I have a little bit
of a weight problem!

176
00:07:01,943 --> 00:07:04,206
...I thought that
improv was corny.

177
00:07:04,249 --> 00:07:07,339
For a while we worked in,
like, the-- the improv sphere.

178
00:07:07,383 --> 00:07:09,167
[Dwayne]
The Mary Wong were brilliant.

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00:07:09,211 --> 00:07:10,604
I loved them.
They were different.

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00:07:10,647 --> 00:07:12,519
They were, you know, they were

181
00:07:12,562 --> 00:07:15,783
a Black sketch comedy team,
not improv.

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00:07:15,826 --> 00:07:17,262
And they would tell you that.

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"We don't do improv,
we do sketches."

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00:07:18,916 --> 00:07:21,919
We would occasionally
go into what seemed like

185
00:07:21,963 --> 00:07:26,271
an improv sort of format. Like,
"Hey! Give us an occupation,

186
00:07:26,315 --> 00:07:29,013
and give us
the first line of a speech!"

187
00:07:29,057 --> 00:07:31,189
And then we would go, "We're
not doing anything with that."

188
00:07:31,233 --> 00:07:34,105
And we wrote stuff. [chuckles]

189
00:07:35,846 --> 00:07:38,327
And the improv people were
on the side being pissed off,

190
00:07:38,370 --> 00:07:40,068
and the audience
would find it hilarious,

191
00:07:40,111 --> 00:07:42,810
'cause we just
deliberately would

192
00:07:42,853 --> 00:07:44,594
tear that kind of stuff apart.

193
00:07:44,638 --> 00:07:47,510
Yes, you guessed it!
This man is an asshole!

194
00:07:47,554 --> 00:07:48,946
-Oh, yeah!
-[audience laughter]

195
00:07:48,990 --> 00:07:55,300
♪

196
00:07:58,086 --> 00:08:00,697
Chicago's a really, really
strong sports city.

197
00:08:00,741 --> 00:08:03,657
We're very loyal,
we're very blue-collar,

198
00:08:03,700 --> 00:08:05,876
and we're very
racially polarizing.

199
00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:11,360
Chicago is the most segregated
city on planet Earth.

200
00:08:12,143 --> 00:08:13,405
Period.

201
00:08:15,451 --> 00:08:17,758
I was sort of
taken aback at the--

202
00:08:17,801 --> 00:08:19,934
at the level of polarization.

203
00:08:21,196 --> 00:08:24,025
It's not just
segregated race-wise.

204
00:08:25,548 --> 00:08:28,682
It's segregated economically.

205
00:08:33,774 --> 00:08:37,168
Gangs, culture.

206
00:08:42,347 --> 00:08:44,524
Everyone has their section.

207
00:08:45,437 --> 00:08:50,965
♪

208
00:08:55,622 --> 00:08:58,233
Which also taught me
to stay in my lane.

209
00:09:03,020 --> 00:09:06,850
Anything in Chicago
is also segregated.

210
00:09:10,158 --> 00:09:11,681
Yeah, a lot of extremes.

211
00:09:13,204 --> 00:09:16,251
Well, we got that very
controversial deep dish pizza.

212
00:09:16,294 --> 00:09:20,342
I think that diversity in pizza
should be celebrated, okay?

213
00:09:20,385 --> 00:09:23,998
We have thick pizza,
skinny bitch pizza.

214
00:09:24,041 --> 00:09:25,782
We have upside-down pizza.

215
00:09:26,304 --> 00:09:28,480
Comedy was no different.

216
00:09:28,524 --> 00:09:31,222
[waves crashing]

217
00:09:31,266 --> 00:09:33,573
I was with, uh, with my girl,

218
00:09:33,616 --> 00:09:36,619
and we were in,
uh, at the beach,

219
00:09:36,663 --> 00:09:38,578
somewhere between
Fullerton and Irving Park.

220
00:09:38,621 --> 00:09:40,492
We were just sitting
in the car, chillin',

221
00:09:40,536 --> 00:09:41,972
and all of a sudden this, uh,

222
00:09:42,016 --> 00:09:43,713
this white cop
pulls up to us, like...

223
00:09:44,671 --> 00:09:46,281
"What's the matter,

224
00:09:46,324 --> 00:09:47,717
they ain't got no beaches
on the South Side?"

225
00:09:47,761 --> 00:09:52,374
♪

226
00:09:52,896 --> 00:09:56,552
I know there's racism,
I know there's, you know, um,

227
00:09:56,596 --> 00:09:58,772
white, uh, privilege
and white supremacy.

228
00:09:58,815 --> 00:10:02,645
So to me, that's just a mirror
of the dynamics of comedy.

229
00:10:02,689 --> 00:10:05,517
All those ethnic, uh,

230
00:10:05,561 --> 00:10:07,868
differences come into
contact with each other.

231
00:10:07,911 --> 00:10:09,870
It has to shape
people's points of view

232
00:10:09,913 --> 00:10:11,393
and their comedic sensibilities.

233
00:10:11,436 --> 00:10:13,047
I lived my whole life
here in Chicago.

234
00:10:13,090 --> 00:10:14,614
I think there's just
as many racists here.

235
00:10:14,657 --> 00:10:16,267
Just don't see 'em marchin'.

236
00:10:16,311 --> 00:10:17,878
They're afraid
their sheets are gonna blow off.

237
00:10:17,921 --> 00:10:19,706
-[audience laughter]
-[blows into microphone]

238
00:10:19,749 --> 00:10:21,272
"Well, look, it's the mayor!"

239
00:10:21,316 --> 00:10:26,016
[audience laughing, cheering]

240
00:10:27,409 --> 00:10:29,324
I went on stage the very
first time here in Chicago

241
00:10:29,367 --> 00:10:31,326
in September 1969.

242
00:10:31,369 --> 00:10:32,893
Tim Reid and I
were America's first

243
00:10:32,936 --> 00:10:34,503
Black and white comedy team.

244
00:10:34,546 --> 00:10:36,636
History shows we were last.

245
00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:38,072
-We brothers.
-We brothers.

246
00:10:38,115 --> 00:10:39,334
-This is the ghetto.
-The ghetto?

247
00:10:39,377 --> 00:10:40,509
-Yeah.
-Where we at?

248
00:10:40,552 --> 00:10:42,076
Uh, South Side of Chicago.

249
00:10:42,119 --> 00:10:44,295
-The South Side?
-Corner of 47 and Drexel.

250
00:10:44,818 --> 00:10:46,210
Come on, bus!

251
00:10:46,254 --> 00:10:47,908
[audience laughter]

252
00:10:47,951 --> 00:10:49,474
Come on with that bus!

253
00:10:49,518 --> 00:10:53,522
[audience applause]

254
00:10:53,565 --> 00:10:55,089
When I set it out,

255
00:10:55,132 --> 00:10:56,612
there were no comedy clubs
in Chicago.

256
00:10:57,047 --> 00:10:59,354
In fact, there was only one
comedy club in the nation.

257
00:10:59,397 --> 00:11:01,138
It was the Improvisation
in New York.

258
00:11:01,182 --> 00:11:02,749
And it had a singer,
and then a comic,

259
00:11:02,792 --> 00:11:04,489
and then a singer,
and then a comic.

260
00:11:04,533 --> 00:11:07,536
We're standing in front of
what was the site

261
00:11:07,579 --> 00:11:10,060
of Budd Friedman's improv.

262
00:11:10,104 --> 00:11:12,454
If Tom Dreesen says
that this is the first

263
00:11:12,497 --> 00:11:15,022
stand-up comedy club in America?

264
00:11:15,065 --> 00:11:16,284
I-- I think
we gotta believe him.

265
00:11:16,327 --> 00:11:18,286
So we had no place to be bad.

266
00:11:18,329 --> 00:11:21,202
We had no place to-- to work on
our material night after night.

267
00:11:21,245 --> 00:11:24,074
So we would have to find jobs.
We would go to charities.

268
00:11:24,118 --> 00:11:25,728
We'd go to Provident Hospital

269
00:11:25,772 --> 00:11:27,295
and they were having
a charity, we'd say,

270
00:11:27,338 --> 00:11:28,557
"We'll get up
and we'll do a few minutes

271
00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,428
of stand-up comedy for you."

272
00:11:30,472 --> 00:11:32,343
We went to jazz clubs
on the South Side of Chicago,

273
00:11:32,387 --> 00:11:34,258
and when the jazz group
took a break,

274
00:11:34,302 --> 00:11:36,783
we'd ask if we could get up
and go on stage

275
00:11:36,826 --> 00:11:38,915
and do some material
for their audiences.

276
00:11:38,959 --> 00:11:41,918
Places that we played initially
were not comedy clubs.

277
00:11:41,962 --> 00:11:44,529
Like the High Chaparral
was a tavern

278
00:11:44,573 --> 00:11:47,750
with, you know,
alcohol and no comedy,

279
00:11:47,794 --> 00:11:49,360
and we kind of
just went in and said,

280
00:11:49,404 --> 00:11:51,885
"Hey, can we do comedy in here?"
[chuckles]

281
00:11:51,928 --> 00:11:53,887
And they were like "What
the hell are you talkin' about?"

282
00:11:53,930 --> 00:11:56,716
'Cause if it wasn't like, uh,
a wet t-shirt thing or whatever,

283
00:11:56,759 --> 00:11:58,500
they were like,
"I don't understand

284
00:11:58,543 --> 00:12:00,067
what you want, man." [laughs]

285
00:12:00,110 --> 00:12:02,809
I would go into these
blues clubs

286
00:12:02,852 --> 00:12:05,507
where Muddy Waters was
performing, and I'd go,

287
00:12:05,550 --> 00:12:07,204
"Well, you know, it's midnight.

288
00:12:07,248 --> 00:12:09,554
If Muddy's done,
can I go up on stage?"

289
00:12:09,598 --> 00:12:11,905
And I remem--
The emcee was Bob Zmuda.

290
00:12:11,948 --> 00:12:14,255
It was close to midnight,
Bob Zmuda goes,

291
00:12:14,298 --> 00:12:16,561
"Okay, I'm gonna bring you on,"
and I was, like,

292
00:12:16,605 --> 00:12:18,999
really frightened,
but everybody was laughing!

293
00:12:19,042 --> 00:12:21,915
After I got offstage,
I said, "I can't believe it,

294
00:12:21,958 --> 00:12:25,657
I didn't expect this kind of
response in a blues club!"

295
00:12:25,701 --> 00:12:28,617
He goes,
"Judy, they're all on heroin."

296
00:12:28,660 --> 00:12:31,359
♪

297
00:12:31,402 --> 00:12:36,146
Let's see. I started in,
uh, Chicago in 1974.

298
00:12:36,712 --> 00:12:38,801
I was 20 years old,

299
00:12:38,845 --> 00:12:42,196
and I had read about
an open mic night,

300
00:12:42,239 --> 00:12:46,113
which was in a-- an entirely
new concept at the time.

301
00:12:46,156 --> 00:12:50,030
And there was a feature
in the Sunday Sun-Times.

302
00:12:50,073 --> 00:12:52,728
[Judy] Tom Dreesen is hosting

303
00:12:52,772 --> 00:12:56,340
an open mic night
at the Pickle Barrel.

304
00:12:56,384 --> 00:12:58,647
[Marsha] Which was a deli.

305
00:12:59,213 --> 00:13:01,041
I was recently divorced,

306
00:13:01,084 --> 00:13:05,088
I was, uh, working,
I think, at the phone company,

307
00:13:05,132 --> 00:13:09,397
and I wanted to
try my hand at stand-up.

308
00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,704
So I told my friend I was goin',
and I never went.

309
00:13:12,748 --> 00:13:15,490
And one night she came
and picked me up and said,

310
00:13:15,533 --> 00:13:17,318
"Get in the car,
you're going down there."

311
00:13:17,361 --> 00:13:20,451
She went and introduced me
to, uh, Tom Dreesen,

312
00:13:20,495 --> 00:13:22,366
told him to put my name down.

313
00:13:22,410 --> 00:13:24,847
I think we got there
at five in the afternoon.

314
00:13:24,891 --> 00:13:26,849
Each act would do
maybe eight minutes,

315
00:13:26,893 --> 00:13:28,590
and I'd bring on another act,
and another eight minutes,

316
00:13:28,633 --> 00:13:30,853
and then I had one spot
called the "Virgin Spot."

317
00:13:30,897 --> 00:13:32,594
I would tell the audience,
I'd say,

318
00:13:32,637 --> 00:13:34,639
"Do you like Flip Wilson?
Do you like Jack Benny?"

319
00:13:34,683 --> 00:13:36,467
Whoever is your favorite
comedian, they had to

320
00:13:36,511 --> 00:13:38,730
go on stage somewhere
for their very first time.

321
00:13:38,774 --> 00:13:41,342
He said "Okay, you're a virgin,

322
00:13:41,385 --> 00:13:45,607
and I'll put you on, later on,
after the regular guys."

323
00:13:45,650 --> 00:13:48,784
So about two o'clock
in the morning, I went on

324
00:13:48,828 --> 00:13:52,527
to, uh, an audience
of six comedians,

325
00:13:52,570 --> 00:13:56,400
one bum, and three guys
puttin' tables on their chairs.

326
00:13:56,444 --> 00:13:58,185
Some of those nights,
those virgin spots,

327
00:13:58,228 --> 00:14:01,057
the poor kids did so bad
they never came back again.

328
00:14:01,101 --> 00:14:03,103
My opening line was, uh,

329
00:14:03,886 --> 00:14:05,714
"Good evening,
my name is Marsha Warfield,

330
00:14:05,757 --> 00:14:07,194
and I'm a virgin." [chuckles]

331
00:14:07,237 --> 00:14:09,065
That's the way it started.

332
00:14:10,066 --> 00:14:13,156
I think the first place I ever
went on stage was Who's On 1st?

333
00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,117
It was a warm environment,
but not a warm club.

334
00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:19,815
It was a lodge of some sort,

335
00:14:19,859 --> 00:14:23,297
some-- One of those
groups of racist people

336
00:14:23,340 --> 00:14:26,778
that meet up together regularly.

337
00:14:26,822 --> 00:14:29,477
My first time on stage,
it was like I--

338
00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,959
I, like, uh-- like
a little standing ovation,

339
00:14:33,002 --> 00:14:35,352
the very first time
I was on the stage.

340
00:14:37,180 --> 00:14:39,095
Couldn't sleep that night.

341
00:14:39,139 --> 00:14:42,882
I did it, oh, four, five times,
and then I stopped doin' it,

342
00:14:42,925 --> 00:14:44,492
'cause the last time
I had bombed.

343
00:14:44,535 --> 00:14:46,276
And I didn't go for,
like, a year and a half.

344
00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,105
And-- 'Cause I was
just psychologically fragile.

345
00:14:49,149 --> 00:14:50,454
I'm not much better now.

346
00:14:50,498 --> 00:14:52,239
I never drink, and, uh,

347
00:14:52,282 --> 00:14:54,023
it was about ten below zero.

348
00:14:54,067 --> 00:14:56,199
And I got so nervous,
I was drinkin'.

349
00:14:56,243 --> 00:14:57,984
I went outside
and I was runnin' around

350
00:14:58,027 --> 00:15:00,247
in, like,
ten below zero weather.

351
00:15:00,290 --> 00:15:03,511
Like, to-- to be,
you know, focused.

352
00:15:03,554 --> 00:15:05,643
And I was with a buddy of mine,

353
00:15:05,687 --> 00:15:08,951
and I didn't wanna bomb
in front of my friend,

354
00:15:08,995 --> 00:15:10,561
so I didn't go on that night.

355
00:15:10,605 --> 00:15:11,954
I was so nervous,
and I was literally--

356
00:15:11,998 --> 00:15:13,738
Because I'm like,

357
00:15:13,782 --> 00:15:16,437
"I'm about to go on stage
and fucking try comedy!"

358
00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:17,917
Like, you know
how you shit yourself

359
00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:19,222
and it's sort of metaphoric? No.

360
00:15:19,266 --> 00:15:20,789
I was physically
shitting myself.

361
00:15:20,832 --> 00:15:22,660
Like,
"Yo, I can't stop shitting."

362
00:15:22,704 --> 00:15:26,012
I was so-- I was so--
I was so scared.

363
00:15:26,055 --> 00:15:27,665
And I came back the next night,

364
00:15:27,709 --> 00:15:30,451
and then I went on,
you know, by myself,

365
00:15:30,494 --> 00:15:32,061
and I did great.

366
00:15:32,105 --> 00:15:34,324
And it was like a drug.
It was like heroin.

367
00:15:34,368 --> 00:15:36,326
This was, uh,

368
00:15:36,370 --> 00:15:38,807
something better
than sex, money.

369
00:15:38,850 --> 00:15:40,504
Just that wall of laughter

370
00:15:41,114 --> 00:15:43,072
from something I created.

371
00:15:43,116 --> 00:15:44,944
I gotta do this again.

372
00:15:44,987 --> 00:15:47,120
I don't know if I did well,
don't know if I bombed.

373
00:15:47,163 --> 00:15:50,732
It just felt good to just say
whatever I thought was funny

374
00:15:50,775 --> 00:15:52,342
in front of people
I didn't know.

375
00:15:52,386 --> 00:15:54,518
The thing I most remember was

376
00:15:54,562 --> 00:15:57,826
how weird it felt, uh,

377
00:15:58,783 --> 00:16:01,134
to have the lights facing you.

378
00:16:02,135 --> 00:16:04,702
-My dad is, uh, Mr. T.
-[man] Yeah?

379
00:16:04,746 --> 00:16:07,749
Yeah. See, most people think
I'm lying when I say that,

380
00:16:07,792 --> 00:16:09,359
but I'm like,
"Why would I pick him?"

381
00:16:09,403 --> 00:16:11,187
Like, ugh!

382
00:16:11,231 --> 00:16:12,884
All the people
to lie about, like,

383
00:16:12,928 --> 00:16:14,843
I'm mad that my mom
picked him, you know?

384
00:16:14,886 --> 00:16:17,498
And, like, I was born
before The A-Teamcame out,

385
00:16:17,541 --> 00:16:19,152
so she did it for love,
not even money.

386
00:16:19,195 --> 00:16:20,980
-Like...
-[audience laughter]

387
00:16:21,023 --> 00:16:24,244
I had mistakenly texted
my father... [clears throat]

388
00:16:24,287 --> 00:16:26,898
...and I knew how to
make that into a joke,

389
00:16:26,942 --> 00:16:28,857
and that was
the only joke I had,

390
00:16:28,900 --> 00:16:31,033
so I thought I could
draw that joke out

391
00:16:31,077 --> 00:16:33,340
for three minutes,
and I did okay.

392
00:16:33,383 --> 00:16:35,603
They made me go first,
because I came late.

393
00:16:35,646 --> 00:16:38,693
[Paul Gilmartin] I remember
coming home from doing it,

394
00:16:38,736 --> 00:16:42,349
and, um, my parents were
watching The Tonight Show,

395
00:16:42,392 --> 00:16:45,743
and I just remember
just feeling really excited,

396
00:16:45,787 --> 00:16:48,703
really excited, because it--
it hadn't gone terribly,

397
00:16:48,746 --> 00:16:51,358
and that gave me--
that gave me hope.

398
00:16:51,401 --> 00:16:53,838
The only reason I didn't start
comedy as early as I wanted to,

399
00:16:53,882 --> 00:16:56,711
because you wanna please
your family, your parents.

400
00:16:56,754 --> 00:16:59,540
'Cause, you know, if nobody
in your family ever decided

401
00:16:59,583 --> 00:17:02,325
to be a comedian,
that's, like, the dumbest thing.

402
00:17:02,369 --> 00:17:05,589
If you're a Black guy in Chicago
living on the South Side,

403
00:17:05,633 --> 00:17:07,765
you might as well say
you were gonna be an alien.

404
00:17:07,809 --> 00:17:10,072
"Meaning what? Doing what?"
Stand-up!

405
00:17:10,116 --> 00:17:12,596
"No, you goin' to college."
So I went to Harold Washington,

406
00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:14,424
even though
I didn't really wanna go,

407
00:17:14,468 --> 00:17:16,383
I just went just to
please them for a year, and...

408
00:17:17,253 --> 00:17:19,125
and but then comedy
just kept calling me.

409
00:17:19,168 --> 00:17:20,952
I walked by the Lion's Den,

410
00:17:20,996 --> 00:17:23,042
'cause that's where
the Irving Park Brown Line was,

411
00:17:23,085 --> 00:17:26,132
and it said "Monday Comedy,"
and I'd walk by it every day

412
00:17:26,175 --> 00:17:28,482
on my way to Bennigan's
on 150 South Michigan,

413
00:17:28,525 --> 00:17:30,266
-which is now CBS.
-[TJ] Where he worked.

414
00:17:30,310 --> 00:17:33,095
And, uh, and eventually
I got up the gall to go in.

415
00:17:33,139 --> 00:17:35,793
[Lil Rel] This little
hole in the wall bar,

416
00:17:35,837 --> 00:17:38,535
that at the time it looked like
the biggest place in the world,

417
00:17:38,579 --> 00:17:40,320
goin' up, and then,

418
00:17:40,363 --> 00:17:42,148
I remember recently,
maybe a couple of years ago,

419
00:17:42,191 --> 00:17:45,107
goin' back to the spot,
and it was tiny.

420
00:17:45,151 --> 00:17:47,936
Like, I-- I thought this was
like a theater to me one time!

421
00:17:47,979 --> 00:17:49,938
I tried to come there
when I was 19 or 20,

422
00:17:50,678 --> 00:17:52,201
and the guy wouldn't let me in.

423
00:17:53,420 --> 00:17:54,943
And, uh,

424
00:17:54,986 --> 00:17:56,292
one time I had a buddy

425
00:17:57,598 --> 00:18:01,689
that sorta--
sorta looked like me.

426
00:18:01,732 --> 00:18:04,996
We had similar features.
Dark-skinned dudes, little eyes.

427
00:18:05,736 --> 00:18:07,651
And I tried
to use his ID to get in.

428
00:18:07,695 --> 00:18:11,002
It would have worked on
most people at the door.

429
00:18:11,046 --> 00:18:13,309
But this dude,
he just looked at the ID,

430
00:18:13,353 --> 00:18:15,920
and he was like,
"You're not 6'1"."

431
00:18:15,964 --> 00:18:19,054
[laughs] Like,
who fuckin' looks at the height?

432
00:18:21,274 --> 00:18:25,843
♪

433
00:18:28,411 --> 00:18:31,588
The first mic that I did

434
00:18:31,632 --> 00:18:33,808
was Ink Up, Stand Up,

435
00:18:33,851 --> 00:18:37,116
which was a tattoo parlor/bar.

436
00:18:39,553 --> 00:18:41,163
[Megan] I love open mics,

437
00:18:41,207 --> 00:18:42,817
and that probably
makes me mentally ill,

438
00:18:42,860 --> 00:18:45,254
but I really love them,
I love being at them.

439
00:18:45,298 --> 00:18:46,908
I mean, I think it's sort of

440
00:18:46,951 --> 00:18:50,216
a good training ground
to prove yourself.

441
00:18:50,259 --> 00:18:52,043
And you'll hear people be like,
"Well,

442
00:18:52,087 --> 00:18:53,958
I don't wanna go and,
like, sit for five hours,"

443
00:18:54,002 --> 00:18:55,743
and then it's like, "Well,
if you don't wanna do that,

444
00:18:55,786 --> 00:18:57,397
then you don't wanna
do stand-up." Like, this is

445
00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:59,486
what the process is, and if you
don't wanna be a part of it,

446
00:18:59,529 --> 00:19:00,748
then, like,
it's not gonna get easier.

447
00:19:00,791 --> 00:19:02,184
Like, this is a tough thing,

448
00:19:02,228 --> 00:19:04,317
and I like that
it weeds people out.

449
00:19:04,360 --> 00:19:06,797
♪ Do I smoke? Do I drink?
How 'bout kids? Whatcha think? ♪

450
00:19:06,841 --> 00:19:08,669
♪ Are you gay?
Are you straight? ♪

451
00:19:08,712 --> 00:19:11,019
♪ It's like a bad first date

452
00:19:11,062 --> 00:19:14,196
♪ Favorite band, like The Who,
favorite nuts, like cashew ♪

453
00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:18,026
♪ Like to meet Genghis Khan,
and my hero's my mom ♪

454
00:19:18,069 --> 00:19:22,117
♪ So this is my first date
with the world ♪

455
00:19:22,161 --> 00:19:25,033
♪ So this is my first date
with the world ♪

456
00:19:25,076 --> 00:19:27,383
-I don't use dildos...
-[audience laughs]

457
00:19:27,427 --> 00:19:29,516
...'cause I'm an artist, so.

458
00:19:29,559 --> 00:19:31,387
I use found objects.

459
00:19:31,431 --> 00:19:32,867
[audience laughter]

460
00:19:32,910 --> 00:19:34,869
So Lincoln Lodge
had an open mic,

461
00:19:34,912 --> 00:19:38,481
but on that list,
you had Pete Holmes,

462
00:19:38,525 --> 00:19:40,614
TJ Miller, Kumail Nanjiani.

463
00:19:40,657 --> 00:19:41,789
Hannibal Buress!

464
00:19:41,832 --> 00:19:43,356
Rel Howery.

465
00:19:43,399 --> 00:19:45,184
I was up in
the West Side of Chicago.

466
00:19:45,227 --> 00:19:46,750
I grew up, you know, pretty much
in the hood,

467
00:19:46,794 --> 00:19:48,578
to be honest with you,
you know, so,

468
00:19:48,622 --> 00:19:50,928
I feel good now because
I'm meetin' different people,

469
00:19:50,972 --> 00:19:52,974
people who know how to
speak to me right, you know.

470
00:19:53,017 --> 00:19:55,019
That's one thing I love
about real women, right?

471
00:19:55,063 --> 00:19:57,108
Not no ghetto women. Real women.

472
00:19:57,152 --> 00:19:58,545
Like, when you try
to holla at a woman

473
00:19:58,588 --> 00:20:00,199
and she don't wanna talk to you,

474
00:20:00,242 --> 00:20:02,462
she turns you down nicely.
A real woman.

475
00:20:02,505 --> 00:20:04,115
"Baby, baby, how you doin'?"

476
00:20:04,159 --> 00:20:05,813
"I'm sorry,
I'm goin' out with my girls.

477
00:20:05,856 --> 00:20:07,206
We're having martinis,
we're fine, thank you. Bye!"

478
00:20:07,249 --> 00:20:08,729
[audience laughs]

479
00:20:08,772 --> 00:20:11,775
♪

480
00:20:11,819 --> 00:20:14,517
The mic that I started at,
it was called Seven Ten.

481
00:20:14,561 --> 00:20:17,259
It was a bowling alley
and bar at the same time.

482
00:20:17,303 --> 00:20:18,913
I never bowled there.

483
00:20:18,956 --> 00:20:21,132
I just sat in the back
nervously for weeks

484
00:20:21,176 --> 00:20:23,831
'til I actually built up
the courage to tell my jokes.

485
00:20:23,874 --> 00:20:25,528
I remember my first set.

486
00:20:25,572 --> 00:20:28,923
I read, like, it verbatim,
and it was awful.

487
00:20:28,966 --> 00:20:30,577
So you're performing
for these people

488
00:20:30,620 --> 00:20:32,796
that don't necessarily
wanna see you,

489
00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,495
might be drunk, and also
didn't probably even know

490
00:20:35,538 --> 00:20:37,018
there was gonna be
a comedy show.

491
00:20:37,061 --> 00:20:39,368
Theoretically,
the idea's not that bad.

492
00:20:39,412 --> 00:20:41,457
Like, you get drunk
with your friends, go bowling.

493
00:20:41,501 --> 00:20:44,547
That's a great idea! But it
just never seemed to work.

494
00:20:46,462 --> 00:20:48,464
Everybody in Chicago's,
like, pretty drunk.

495
00:20:48,508 --> 00:20:50,292
Even my, like, normal people
friends there who are,

496
00:20:50,336 --> 00:20:52,903
like, doctors
are still huge alcoholics.

497
00:20:52,947 --> 00:20:55,428
[audience laughter]

498
00:20:55,471 --> 00:20:58,518
Scotch. It does a body good.

499
00:20:58,561 --> 00:21:01,129
[audience laughter]

500
00:21:01,956 --> 00:21:07,091
♪

501
00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,315
So when I went back into comedy,
I started really developin'

502
00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:17,319
my act at this place called
the Comedy Cottage in Rosemont.

503
00:21:17,363 --> 00:21:19,669
The Comedy Cottage
was a hot room.

504
00:21:19,713 --> 00:21:23,891
It was a room
that I did very well in.

505
00:21:23,934 --> 00:21:26,067
The crowds were great,
and they were waitin'

506
00:21:26,110 --> 00:21:27,764
all around the-- the building.

507
00:21:28,330 --> 00:21:29,766
It was like being a rock star.

508
00:21:29,810 --> 00:21:31,159
I thought I'd start off
my show tonight

509
00:21:31,202 --> 00:21:32,943
with a singalong!

510
00:21:32,987 --> 00:21:35,816
-What do you say? Yeah, Tim?
-[audience cheering]

511
00:21:35,859 --> 00:21:37,644
Sounds like fun.

512
00:21:37,687 --> 00:21:39,863
Here's a song everybody knows.

513
00:21:39,907 --> 00:21:42,083
Let's all join in, okay?

514
00:21:42,126 --> 00:21:44,564
-[audience member] Okay!
-Okay.

515
00:21:44,607 --> 00:21:47,654
I like this enthusiasm.
Here we go.

516
00:21:47,697 --> 00:21:49,917
[humming]

517
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:51,875
Yeah, good voice. [humming]

518
00:21:51,919 --> 00:21:56,097
♪ A million bottles
of beer on the wall ♪

519
00:21:56,140 --> 00:21:59,666
♪ A million bottles of beer

520
00:21:59,709 --> 00:22:01,885
I went up and I did
my little 15 minutes of--

521
00:22:01,929 --> 00:22:03,800
of funny songs
and stuff like that.

522
00:22:03,844 --> 00:22:05,889
And then Arsenio came out,
he said "All right!

523
00:22:05,933 --> 00:22:08,109
Are you ready for
your first comedians?"

524
00:22:08,152 --> 00:22:10,111
It's just like, "Aww.

525
00:22:10,154 --> 00:22:12,331
They-- they still don't
get that I'm a comedian."

526
00:22:12,374 --> 00:22:16,291
♪ Take one down,
pass it around ♪

527
00:22:16,335 --> 00:22:21,862
♪ 999,999 bottles

528
00:22:21,905 --> 00:22:24,125
♪ Of beer on the wall

529
00:22:24,168 --> 00:22:26,083
I think we did
three shows on Saturdays,

530
00:22:26,127 --> 00:22:27,824
and the club was
packed to the point

531
00:22:27,868 --> 00:22:30,218
that people were violating
all kinds of fire rules.

532
00:22:30,261 --> 00:22:32,046
They were sitting in the aisles.

533
00:22:32,089 --> 00:22:33,743
Now, I wanna explain
something to you here.

534
00:22:33,787 --> 00:22:35,832
We have a group
of comedians here

535
00:22:35,876 --> 00:22:37,791
who work for almost nothing.

536
00:22:37,834 --> 00:22:40,968
And the comedians were getting--
The top act was getting $10.

537
00:22:41,011 --> 00:22:44,275
The reason he paid us such
a little, small amount of money,

538
00:22:44,319 --> 00:22:47,496
his exact quote was, "The less
money I pay you, the-- the less

539
00:22:47,540 --> 00:22:49,498
pressure's on you, and then
the better you're gonna do!

540
00:22:49,542 --> 00:22:51,761
So if I don't pay you a lot of
money, you're not gonna have

541
00:22:51,805 --> 00:22:53,415
a lot of pressure, and
you're gonna do a great show!"

542
00:22:53,459 --> 00:22:56,331
Not only was he barely
paying you anything,

543
00:22:56,375 --> 00:22:58,855
he wouldn't even
pay you after the show.

544
00:22:58,899 --> 00:23:02,729
You had to go out the following
Tuesday to get your money.

545
00:23:02,772 --> 00:23:05,166
Not cash. You have to dri--
have to drive to his house,

546
00:23:05,209 --> 00:23:06,776
and he would hand you
the check and go,

547
00:23:06,820 --> 00:23:08,865
"Listen, uh,
don't cash that 'til tomorrow."

548
00:23:08,909 --> 00:23:11,302
You're not even really
paying me enough to have

549
00:23:11,346 --> 00:23:13,392
car fare to get there.

550
00:23:13,435 --> 00:23:15,481
I think that was
his plan, you know?

551
00:23:15,524 --> 00:23:17,308
Just keep you broke enough
that you can't actually

552
00:23:17,352 --> 00:23:19,093
can't even get
out there to get the money.

553
00:23:19,136 --> 00:23:21,704
Fact, Jay probably owes me
about 40 or 50 bucks.

554
00:23:23,053 --> 00:23:26,840
Part of being a comedian
is not making a living.

555
00:23:26,883 --> 00:23:30,583
Part of being a comedian
is bombing on a regular basis.

556
00:23:30,626 --> 00:23:32,889
And if you're not comfortable
with those two things,

557
00:23:32,933 --> 00:23:34,891
don't become a comedian.

558
00:23:34,935 --> 00:23:36,327
The worst thing in the world
would be a comedian

559
00:23:36,371 --> 00:23:38,112
to open up for someone

560
00:23:38,155 --> 00:23:40,070
who just died that the audience
doesn't know it yet.

561
00:23:41,376 --> 00:23:43,160
[chuckles] Well, let's say
I open up for Ricky Nelson,

562
00:23:43,204 --> 00:23:44,945
you know, that night.

563
00:23:44,988 --> 00:23:47,469
Or Elvis. He's still
in the bathroom, stretched.

564
00:23:47,513 --> 00:23:50,124
Many a time,
I was broke at home,

565
00:23:50,167 --> 00:23:51,560
had no money for food,

566
00:23:51,604 --> 00:23:54,737
and had just
sucked it at a club.

567
00:23:54,781 --> 00:23:57,697
So it wasn't even, like, "Well,
at least I had a good set."

568
00:23:57,740 --> 00:24:00,308
Stunk. No money. Yeah.

569
00:24:00,351 --> 00:24:02,528
Can you have tribulations
by themselves?

570
00:24:03,659 --> 00:24:05,748
Or do they always
have to be with trials?

571
00:24:05,792 --> 00:24:07,707
[audience laughter]

572
00:24:07,750 --> 00:24:10,449
Nobody been like, "Man, I just
been having tribulations."

573
00:24:10,492 --> 00:24:13,495
-[audience laughter]
-"What about your trials?

574
00:24:13,539 --> 00:24:15,105
I think you're supposed to
have trials with your trib--"

575
00:24:15,149 --> 00:24:17,281
"Nah, man,
just tribulations, man.

576
00:24:17,325 --> 00:24:19,675
Life is rough,
I've been tribulatin' a lot."

577
00:24:19,719 --> 00:24:21,677
[audience laughter]

578
00:24:21,721 --> 00:24:25,507
♪

579
00:24:25,551 --> 00:24:29,468
My first paid gig, I got $20.

580
00:24:29,511 --> 00:24:32,383
It was really exciting.
[chuckles]

581
00:24:33,341 --> 00:24:35,038
I meant to frame the $20,

582
00:24:35,082 --> 00:24:37,040
but I was really broke,
so I had to buy something.

583
00:24:37,519 --> 00:24:40,261
So I framed one dollar
from that $20. [chuckles]

584
00:24:42,568 --> 00:24:44,004
Yeah, I worked at a gas station,

585
00:24:44,047 --> 00:24:45,658
so I'd just read
all the newspapers,

586
00:24:45,701 --> 00:24:47,616
and, like, in the Daily Herald,
there was

587
00:24:47,660 --> 00:24:50,227
"Open Casting Call for Comedians
for HBO Aspen Comedy Festival."

588
00:24:50,271 --> 00:24:52,012
I was like, "Well,
this is the time to try it."

589
00:24:52,055 --> 00:24:55,363
And I went to, uh, Zanies
for a three-minute spot

590
00:24:55,406 --> 00:24:57,931
at, I think,
ten in the morning on a weekday.

591
00:24:58,409 --> 00:25:00,150
I was arrested for possession.

592
00:25:01,195 --> 00:25:04,067
-Not drugs, but demonic.
-[audience laughter]

593
00:25:04,111 --> 00:25:06,548
Yeah, apparently you can't
run around a park naked

594
00:25:06,592 --> 00:25:08,245
drenched in goat's blood

595
00:25:08,289 --> 00:25:09,638
like you used to be
able to in this town.

596
00:25:09,682 --> 00:25:11,858
[audience laughter]

597
00:25:11,901 --> 00:25:14,251
I'd drove in from the suburbs,
and I didn't think

598
00:25:14,295 --> 00:25:16,863
that they were that attentive
to the parking laws,

599
00:25:16,906 --> 00:25:18,560
so I wound up racking up...

600
00:25:18,604 --> 00:25:20,431
I think I got
five parking tickets that day.

601
00:25:20,475 --> 00:25:22,303
'Cause Chicago,
you just keep puttin' em

602
00:25:22,346 --> 00:25:23,957
on the car if you want to.

603
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,048
Zanies was started by
three partners in 1978,

604
00:25:28,091 --> 00:25:31,007
one of whom was
a cousin of Rick Uchwat,

605
00:25:31,051 --> 00:25:34,837
and Rick owns this building,
or he did prior to his passing.

606
00:25:34,881 --> 00:25:36,578
So they had a great idea,

607
00:25:36,622 --> 00:25:38,145
but they didn't know
how to execute it.

608
00:25:38,188 --> 00:25:39,886
So the club was
going out of business.

609
00:25:39,929 --> 00:25:43,933
So Rick took over in 1980,
and then that was really

610
00:25:43,977 --> 00:25:45,718
the beginning of
the history of Zanies.

611
00:25:45,761 --> 00:25:47,328
[Larry Reeb]
When we first started,

612
00:25:47,371 --> 00:25:49,112
we were makin' maybe
ten bucks a night

613
00:25:49,156 --> 00:25:51,027
doin' a card each in the womb.

614
00:25:51,071 --> 00:25:54,596
And then he made me
house emcee here in '82,

615
00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:56,642
when he started payin' me,
like, maybe,

616
00:25:56,685 --> 00:25:58,469
I don't know, 250 a week.

617
00:25:58,513 --> 00:26:00,210
So that was like, I--
I was like a millionaire.

618
00:26:00,254 --> 00:26:01,690
I hit the jackpot.

619
00:26:01,734 --> 00:26:05,128
Rick was like
a second father to me.

620
00:26:05,172 --> 00:26:06,739
We'd go to dinner
whenever I came to town

621
00:26:06,782 --> 00:26:08,305
throughout his life.

622
00:26:08,349 --> 00:26:10,612
He gave me money
to make my first movie.

623
00:26:10,656 --> 00:26:12,266
[laughing] I'm on stage,

624
00:26:12,309 --> 00:26:15,661
and all of a sudden,
a gun goes off!

625
00:26:15,704 --> 00:26:20,709
Rick Uchwat shot a rat
while I was on stage!

626
00:26:20,753 --> 00:26:24,757
[laughing] I just thought,
"Was that line that offensive?"

627
00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:27,281
Working Zanies was,
like, a huge goal of mine,

628
00:26:27,324 --> 00:26:30,806
so they would do that-- a Monday
showcase where you would go

629
00:26:30,850 --> 00:26:32,112
and then you would hear
this sort of, like,

630
00:26:32,155 --> 00:26:34,897
now world-famous
Bert Haas spiel.

631
00:26:34,941 --> 00:26:37,030
[Lil Rel] We couldn't talk
about sex, we couldn't curse,

632
00:26:37,073 --> 00:26:38,945
we couldn't do this,
we couldn't do that.

633
00:26:38,988 --> 00:26:41,687
And it was tough watching
the white comedians go on stage

634
00:26:41,730 --> 00:26:43,819
and just say whatever--
whatever the fuck they want.

635
00:26:43,863 --> 00:26:45,647
You know, we couldn't do that.

636
00:26:45,691 --> 00:26:48,476
The last of my showcase there,
I heard those rules,

637
00:26:48,519 --> 00:26:51,610
went on stage, but didn't follow
none of those fuckin' rules,

638
00:26:51,653 --> 00:26:54,656
said what I wanted to say,
ripped it, put my coat on,

639
00:26:54,700 --> 00:26:56,005
and got the fuck up
out of there.

640
00:26:56,571 --> 00:26:58,138
And never looked back.

641
00:26:58,181 --> 00:27:01,881
♪

642
00:27:01,924 --> 00:27:08,191
As a Black comedian
going into rooms that, uh,

643
00:27:10,150 --> 00:27:12,979
have a style of
performance and material

644
00:27:13,022 --> 00:27:15,895
that people have
grown accustomed to,

645
00:27:15,938 --> 00:27:17,853
let's call it that.

646
00:27:17,897 --> 00:27:21,509
Uh, you know, maybe you can
learn how to do that, you know?

647
00:27:21,552 --> 00:27:23,337
And-- and maybe
you look at comedians,

648
00:27:23,380 --> 00:27:24,947
and that's just, you know,

649
00:27:24,991 --> 00:27:26,993
television and the guys
that you're emulating,

650
00:27:27,036 --> 00:27:29,343
you know, are-- are great with
that style, and-- and you go,

651
00:27:29,386 --> 00:27:32,172
"Okay, I kind of get it.
This is how it works."

652
00:27:32,215 --> 00:27:34,043
I get to wear
anything I want to,

653
00:27:34,087 --> 00:27:36,611
and men just gotta deal with it.
Well, men can't do that.

654
00:27:36,655 --> 00:27:38,787
We don't have that right,
wear anything we want to,

655
00:27:38,831 --> 00:27:40,702
people just gotta
deal with it, you know?

656
00:27:40,746 --> 00:27:42,573
Like, sir right here.
You, white guy.

657
00:27:42,617 --> 00:27:44,314
You can't come walkin'
in a Black neighborhood

658
00:27:44,358 --> 00:27:45,881
with a Klan outfit on,
people just gonna deal with it.

659
00:27:45,925 --> 00:27:48,667
[audience laughter]

660
00:27:48,710 --> 00:27:51,147
"Bob, look over there,
a Klansman!"

661
00:27:51,191 --> 00:27:53,062
"You don't see those
around here much anymore."

662
00:27:53,106 --> 00:27:54,934
[audience laughter]

663
00:27:54,977 --> 00:27:56,675
"Hey, pal, I think
you're lookin' for Pekin!"

664
00:27:56,718 --> 00:27:59,329
[laughter]

665
00:27:59,373 --> 00:28:01,375
So I can do somethin',
did you ever notice, uh,

666
00:28:01,418 --> 00:28:03,116
the black box
on the plane jokes?

667
00:28:03,159 --> 00:28:05,205
And then maybe you could
pepper in some of your own

668
00:28:05,248 --> 00:28:07,773
personal experience jokes,
dependin' on the room.

669
00:28:07,816 --> 00:28:09,470
And you know, maybe Bert Haas

670
00:28:09,513 --> 00:28:11,298
is sittin' at the back
of the room, goin',

671
00:28:11,341 --> 00:28:12,952
"Yeah, that stuff about
beatin' your kid in the aisle

672
00:28:12,995 --> 00:28:14,910
at the grocery store
'cause they're too loud,

673
00:28:14,954 --> 00:28:17,696
that's not really kinda like
the thing that we do here."

674
00:28:18,479 --> 00:28:19,959
And it's like,
"Okay, it's nothin',

675
00:28:20,002 --> 00:28:21,787
where the fuck
are you gonna do it?"

676
00:28:21,830 --> 00:28:25,051
You know? So as a--
as a Black comedian, you know,

677
00:28:25,094 --> 00:28:27,749
there were just
fewer opportunities

678
00:28:27,793 --> 00:28:32,014
to find an audience that
embraced a style of comedy

679
00:28:32,058 --> 00:28:35,017
that was certainly viable, uh,

680
00:28:35,061 --> 00:28:36,453
like, where you do it.

681
00:28:36,497 --> 00:28:38,325
Uh, you know, enter Bernie Mac.

682
00:28:38,368 --> 00:28:40,370
They say, "Hey,
you need to go see Bernie Mac!"

683
00:28:40,414 --> 00:28:42,242
Bernie Mac?
Who is this Bernie Mac?

684
00:28:42,285 --> 00:28:45,158
So I go,
and I see this dude with--

685
00:28:45,201 --> 00:28:48,422
very dark-skinned dude
with round glasses and a towel,

686
00:28:48,465 --> 00:28:50,511
going "I'm tired of
this motherfuckin' shit!

687
00:28:50,554 --> 00:28:52,208
Y'all never gonna move, huh?

688
00:28:52,252 --> 00:28:54,471
I'm sick of this shit!
I'm tired! I'm weary!

689
00:28:54,515 --> 00:28:56,343
Motherfuckin' shit,
it was his, hmm!

690
00:28:56,386 --> 00:28:58,432
Your mother, summa my bitch!"

691
00:28:58,475 --> 00:29:00,564
I'm like, yo!

692
00:29:01,043 --> 00:29:03,611
Fuckin' yo!
This dude-- Bernie was,

693
00:29:03,654 --> 00:29:05,482
and I'm not even fuckin' lyin',

694
00:29:05,526 --> 00:29:08,311
he was crushing.

695
00:29:08,355 --> 00:29:09,922
You understand? Murder.

696
00:29:09,965 --> 00:29:11,793
You know when
you do Black rooms,

697
00:29:11,837 --> 00:29:13,360
and you make Black people laugh,
you get this...

698
00:29:13,403 --> 00:29:16,102
[imitates screaming laughter]

699
00:29:16,145 --> 00:29:17,973
That shit?
It was like church shit.

700
00:29:18,017 --> 00:29:21,324
♪

701
00:29:21,368 --> 00:29:22,761
Wow!

702
00:29:22,804 --> 00:29:24,806
Bernie Mac, to me, was the guy

703
00:29:24,850 --> 00:29:28,418
that really pushed the idea of,

704
00:29:28,462 --> 00:29:30,856
you know, the whole
South Side room concept.

705
00:29:30,899 --> 00:29:34,381
Because when I met Bernie,
he was trying to get time

706
00:29:34,424 --> 00:29:37,384
at the Comedy Cottage
out in Rosemont, Illinois,

707
00:29:37,427 --> 00:29:38,733
out by the airport.

708
00:29:38,777 --> 00:29:41,214
And Bernie's style was not...

709
00:29:41,257 --> 00:29:43,259
You know, he wasn't brick wall,
suit and tie guy.

710
00:29:43,303 --> 00:29:45,044
That's not what he did.

711
00:29:45,087 --> 00:29:47,133
At the time, a lot of,
you know, "mainstream..."

712
00:29:47,176 --> 00:29:48,961
Which is really
code for "white."

713
00:29:49,004 --> 00:29:51,093
...comedians,
they called him a hack.

714
00:29:51,137 --> 00:29:53,835
Because Bernie was a performer.

715
00:29:54,575 --> 00:29:56,533
Uh, but he did
not have a problem

716
00:29:56,577 --> 00:29:58,100
with doin' a joke book joke.

717
00:29:58,144 --> 00:29:59,275
[Shay Shay]
See, it's a lot of comics,

718
00:29:59,319 --> 00:30:01,103
they're the great writers.

719
00:30:01,147 --> 00:30:02,975
There's a lot of comics,
they're the great deliverers.

720
00:30:03,018 --> 00:30:06,848
But Bernie was
just funny bein' him.

721
00:30:06,892 --> 00:30:09,546
I could watch Bernie
just eatin' an egg sandwich

722
00:30:09,590 --> 00:30:10,939
and I probably would laugh.

723
00:30:10,983 --> 00:30:12,985
I-- I don't know
what the distinction is

724
00:30:13,028 --> 00:30:14,943
between a comic as a guy
who says things funnier

725
00:30:14,987 --> 00:30:16,510
than a comedian
who says funny things.

726
00:30:16,553 --> 00:30:18,425
I still don't.

727
00:30:18,468 --> 00:30:20,557
All I know is that he was
a guy that said things funny

728
00:30:20,601 --> 00:30:22,298
and said funny things.

729
00:30:22,342 --> 00:30:24,126
[Shay Shay] Then that's
when you really got goin',

730
00:30:24,170 --> 00:30:25,867
when it's just, it ain't even
about your material,

731
00:30:25,911 --> 00:30:27,651
it's just you.

732
00:30:27,695 --> 00:30:30,959
And that's what Bernie was.
He was just a funny guy.

733
00:30:31,003 --> 00:30:33,005
But that did not get
a lot of respect

734
00:30:33,048 --> 00:30:36,399
from brick wall, we're-trying-
to-get-on-Johnny-Carson club.

735
00:30:36,443 --> 00:30:39,925
It's ridiculous that--
that he wasn't a part of that.

736
00:30:39,968 --> 00:30:42,405
That it was so segregated,
but it was Chicago.

737
00:30:45,191 --> 00:30:47,584
As far as the divide
between North and South Side--

738
00:30:47,628 --> 00:30:51,153
Don't be fluffy and say
North Side versus South Side.

739
00:30:51,197 --> 00:30:55,288
Say Black or white audiences.
[laughs]

740
00:30:55,331 --> 00:30:57,551
I don't wanna get into,
like, racial stereotypes,

741
00:30:57,594 --> 00:30:59,335
you know what I mean? But...

742
00:30:59,379 --> 00:31:02,295
like, you could pull out
your ukulele on the North Side,

743
00:31:02,338 --> 00:31:04,906
or do avant-garde poetry,
you know?

744
00:31:04,950 --> 00:31:07,735
But I don't think you'd-- you'd
wanna do that on the South Side.

745
00:31:07,778 --> 00:31:09,519
There's no workin' out shit

746
00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:12,958
with a-- with a Black crowd.

747
00:31:13,001 --> 00:31:17,571
You gotta-- Your new
material has to be killer.

748
00:31:17,614 --> 00:31:19,878
You gotta bring a certain
confidence to the stage.

749
00:31:19,921 --> 00:31:23,577
If you're scared, people,
like, they kinda feed on that.

750
00:31:23,620 --> 00:31:26,319
When white people
don't like you, it's scary.

751
00:31:26,362 --> 00:31:28,321
They ain't tryin' to hear
no Woody Allen-type shit.

752
00:31:28,364 --> 00:31:30,366
You know, if you, like, a meek
motherfucker about to talk about

753
00:31:30,410 --> 00:31:32,238
how horrible your life is
because you're short,

754
00:31:32,281 --> 00:31:33,935
Black people are pretty much,
"Fuck you,

755
00:31:33,979 --> 00:31:35,241
all of our lives suck,
motherfucker.

756
00:31:35,284 --> 00:31:36,938
Make me laugh at something."

757
00:31:36,982 --> 00:31:38,635
If they're not entertained
on the South Side,

758
00:31:38,679 --> 00:31:40,376
they will let you know.

759
00:31:40,420 --> 00:31:42,509
By answering their phone
in the middle of your set,

760
00:31:42,552 --> 00:31:44,467
or just tellin' you,
"We don't like that!"

761
00:31:44,511 --> 00:31:47,122
You know, and then you gotta
be able to handle that shit.

762
00:31:47,731 --> 00:31:50,560
When I come to the comedy show,
it be like that.

763
00:31:50,604 --> 00:31:52,867
You might be at funerals...
[laughing]

764
00:31:52,911 --> 00:31:57,219
[audience laugher]

765
00:31:57,263 --> 00:31:59,047
I would hear stories, man,
and it'd be enough for me.

766
00:31:59,091 --> 00:32:02,094
Like, "Oh, no,
I don't think I can-- No, no."

767
00:32:02,137 --> 00:32:04,226
You know, "Yeah, man,
this cat was on stage,

768
00:32:04,270 --> 00:32:06,446
and brother just jumped up
and then clocked him.

769
00:32:06,489 --> 00:32:08,622
"Oh, no, no.
I don't-- I don't know."

770
00:32:08,665 --> 00:32:10,102
I'm not a fighter.

771
00:32:10,145 --> 00:32:11,364
I'm not a lover either,
but you know,

772
00:32:11,407 --> 00:32:13,105
I'm definitely not a fighter.

773
00:32:13,148 --> 00:32:15,281
And when they do like you,
it can be overwhelming,

774
00:32:15,324 --> 00:32:17,761
'cause they can start
repeating what you're saying

775
00:32:17,805 --> 00:32:19,676
and they like you a lot,

776
00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:21,809
and you're like,
"Oh, no, what do I do?"

777
00:32:21,852 --> 00:32:23,550
The North Side's
a lot more forgiving.

778
00:32:23,593 --> 00:32:26,988
White audiences give you
at least a courtesy laugh.

779
00:32:27,032 --> 00:32:28,990
Like, "Oh, she's trying."

780
00:32:29,034 --> 00:32:32,863
It's much easier to
really go in on white people.

781
00:32:32,907 --> 00:32:34,430
You can just say, like,
"Y'all are the worst!

782
00:32:34,474 --> 00:32:35,997
You're the white devils!"

783
00:32:36,041 --> 00:32:37,651
And they're like,
"Oh, my God, we so are.

784
00:32:37,694 --> 00:32:39,218
We should get
a selfie with her later."

785
00:32:39,261 --> 00:32:40,871
Although I've been
in some rooms where,

786
00:32:40,915 --> 00:32:42,308
hey, they'll start
talkin' too, you know.

787
00:32:42,351 --> 00:32:43,570
Can't stop drunk
white people from doin'

788
00:32:43,613 --> 00:32:44,788
what they wanna do either, so.

789
00:32:44,832 --> 00:32:46,399
You guys, whoever's talking,

790
00:32:46,442 --> 00:32:48,009
go ahead and do it louder,
if you could.

791
00:32:48,053 --> 00:32:49,228
-[audience laughter]
-I-- if you could be

792
00:32:49,271 --> 00:32:50,969
as distracting as possible,

793
00:32:51,012 --> 00:32:52,318
that's the best way to handle
a live performance.

794
00:32:52,361 --> 00:32:53,884
"What do you wanna do?"

795
00:32:53,928 --> 00:32:55,364
"Let's go see a live comedy
and talk loudly!"

796
00:32:55,408 --> 00:32:56,365
"Well,
that's what I'd like to do!"

797
00:32:56,409 --> 00:32:57,584
[audience laughter]

798
00:32:57,627 --> 00:32:59,107
"Won't that be distracting?"

799
00:32:59,151 --> 00:33:00,152
"Yes, it will,
but fuck those guys!"

800
00:33:00,195 --> 00:33:01,980
[audience laughter]

801
00:33:02,023 --> 00:33:03,633
"We're assholes, let's prove it
in public! Come on!"

802
00:33:03,677 --> 00:33:05,548
You have Black comedians
who are really nervous

803
00:33:05,592 --> 00:33:07,420
to do well in a white room,

804
00:33:07,463 --> 00:33:09,030
and then you have white people

805
00:33:09,074 --> 00:33:11,554
who are terrified
to go to Black rooms.

806
00:33:11,598 --> 00:33:13,382
And then you have,
uh, brown people

807
00:33:13,426 --> 00:33:15,689
who are living
in liminal spaces.

808
00:33:16,342 --> 00:33:19,432
I always thought that
a Black comic who was funny

809
00:33:19,475 --> 00:33:22,652
could probably easily
work an all-white room.

810
00:33:22,696 --> 00:33:25,046
They could figure out
how to tailor their jokes.

811
00:33:25,090 --> 00:33:28,136
Um, it's not necessarily
the truth vice-versa.

812
00:33:28,180 --> 00:33:30,095
And that's just how racism is.

813
00:33:30,138 --> 00:33:31,879
A white comic couldn't
necessarily go to

814
00:33:31,922 --> 00:33:33,707
an all-Black room
and-- and destroy the room.

815
00:33:33,750 --> 00:33:36,579
Just in terms of-- of race,

816
00:33:36,623 --> 00:33:38,059
it wasn't so much about...

817
00:33:39,452 --> 00:33:41,845
can you--
Are you welcome in this room,

818
00:33:41,889 --> 00:33:43,934
or are you welcome in that room?

819
00:33:43,978 --> 00:33:46,285
The-- the problem
a lot of times was basically,

820
00:33:46,328 --> 00:33:47,982
does-- does your style fit?

821
00:33:48,026 --> 00:33:49,505
So I-- I used to do a bit about

822
00:33:49,549 --> 00:33:51,333
Leave it to Beaver
selling crack.

823
00:33:51,377 --> 00:33:53,770
Now, here, I'ma give you
an example of what I'm sayin'.

824
00:33:53,814 --> 00:33:56,295
Now, the bit was funny 'cause
I'd do all the impressions

825
00:33:56,338 --> 00:33:58,862
of the Beaver
and Wally and all that.

826
00:33:58,906 --> 00:34:00,734
I'm dead on with that.

827
00:34:00,777 --> 00:34:03,171
But Black people don't watch
Leave it to Beaver.

828
00:34:03,215 --> 00:34:06,783
So they get the crack part,
but they-- they don't understand

829
00:34:06,827 --> 00:34:09,786
the characters,
so the magic is lost.

830
00:34:09,830 --> 00:34:11,658
Eventually, you're gonna
learn how to work it,

831
00:34:11,701 --> 00:34:14,095
which it dawned on me
that if I'm funny,

832
00:34:14,139 --> 00:34:16,532
then eventually if I do these,
you know,

833
00:34:16,576 --> 00:34:18,317
predominantly Black rooms,
I'm event--

834
00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:20,014
you know, it's goin'--
I'm gonna figure out--

835
00:34:20,058 --> 00:34:21,842
figure it out, you know?

836
00:34:21,885 --> 00:34:24,236
I just-- I just
didn't wanna figure it out

837
00:34:24,279 --> 00:34:26,107
at my teeth's expense.

838
00:34:26,716 --> 00:34:31,156
♪

839
00:34:32,853 --> 00:34:36,030
I thought,
"Memorial Day, I'm gonna go

840
00:34:36,074 --> 00:34:38,119
and do the open mic
at the Lions' Den."

841
00:34:38,163 --> 00:34:39,599
[Pete] Yup.

842
00:34:39,642 --> 00:34:41,340
[TJ] And so
I was working on the--

843
00:34:41,383 --> 00:34:42,819
I had written so much material.
Some of it's like,

844
00:34:42,863 --> 00:34:44,865
"What if advertisements
could cuss?"

845
00:34:44,908 --> 00:34:47,476
Right?
What if they could curse, huh?

846
00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:49,739
"Snickers.
Now that's fuckin' satisfying!"

847
00:34:49,783 --> 00:34:53,134
Ohh!
The three-point line, brick.

848
00:34:53,613 --> 00:34:56,094
So I had gotten
all this material together.

849
00:34:56,137 --> 00:34:58,792
Memorial Day came,
and so I called and said,

850
00:34:58,835 --> 00:35:01,142
"Hey, you know,
I-- I would love to know,

851
00:35:01,186 --> 00:35:02,883
like, when is the sign-up?"

852
00:35:02,926 --> 00:35:04,580
And the guy there said,

853
00:35:04,624 --> 00:35:06,060
"Oh, we're not having
the open mic tonight."

854
00:35:06,104 --> 00:35:07,757
-[Pete] No?
-[TJ] So I thought,

855
00:35:07,801 --> 00:35:09,107
"What the fuck
am I supposed to do?"

856
00:35:09,629 --> 00:35:12,327
You know, I-- I told myself
this was the day

857
00:35:12,371 --> 00:35:13,894
I was gonna do my first set.

858
00:35:14,460 --> 00:35:16,679
So I quickly looked up
all the other open mics

859
00:35:16,723 --> 00:35:19,117
in the Chicago Reader,
and I found one.

860
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:20,596
It was called the Cotton Club.

861
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:21,989
All you do is
get on the Red Line

862
00:35:22,032 --> 00:35:23,643
and go all the way south.

863
00:35:26,298 --> 00:35:28,909
So I get off the Red Line,
and I start walking.

864
00:35:31,433 --> 00:35:33,479
And I'm like, "Wow, this is--

865
00:35:33,522 --> 00:35:35,785
a lot of dilapidated
buildings here."

866
00:35:35,829 --> 00:35:39,006
And then I find myself
coming upon the Cotton Club,

867
00:35:39,049 --> 00:35:41,443
which had a red carpet
that went out front.

868
00:35:41,487 --> 00:35:43,228
It looked amazing. I walk in,
and there's no one there.

869
00:35:43,271 --> 00:35:44,925
It's Memorial Day.

870
00:35:44,968 --> 00:35:46,666
So I was like,
this will be a funny story.

871
00:35:46,709 --> 00:35:49,234
My first open mic,
I bomb in front of the bartender

872
00:35:49,277 --> 00:35:51,497
and three other people,
you know?

873
00:35:51,540 --> 00:35:53,412
'Cause I was the only
white person in the room.

874
00:35:53,455 --> 00:35:55,153
All right,
going to the bathroom,

875
00:35:55,196 --> 00:35:56,806
where I start running
my set over and over,

876
00:35:56,850 --> 00:35:59,026
as we are want to do
in the beginning.

877
00:35:59,069 --> 00:36:00,854
Finally go, "Okay, I'm ready."

878
00:36:00,897 --> 00:36:03,900
And I walk outside, and
the place was fucking packed.

879
00:36:03,944 --> 00:36:07,861
It was full to the-- There must
have been 400 people there.

880
00:36:07,904 --> 00:36:09,950
-Shut up.
-I am still the only

881
00:36:09,993 --> 00:36:11,821
-white person in the room.
-Oh, shit.

882
00:36:11,865 --> 00:36:15,042
Now, the Cotton Club was
a room full of gangsters

883
00:36:15,085 --> 00:36:17,131
and dope dealers,
I'ma be honest with you.

884
00:36:17,175 --> 00:36:20,743
You had pimps,
you had drug dealers.

885
00:36:20,787 --> 00:36:22,745
It was like New Jack City.

886
00:36:22,789 --> 00:36:25,879
It comes my time
to get up on stage.

887
00:36:25,922 --> 00:36:28,316
And, uh, Big Sugar,

888
00:36:28,882 --> 00:36:30,579
-was who was the--
-Suge?

889
00:36:30,623 --> 00:36:32,581
-Not Big Suge.
-Suge Knight's niece.

890
00:36:32,625 --> 00:36:34,975
Yes, Suge Knight's niece,
Big Sugare.

891
00:36:35,584 --> 00:36:37,325
-It's Big Suga.
-Uh-huh.

892
00:36:37,369 --> 00:36:39,719
And, uh, so he was so nice,
'cause I went up to him,

893
00:36:39,762 --> 00:36:41,634
and I said, "Look,
I've never done stand-up before,

894
00:36:41,677 --> 00:36:43,549
and do you think
I should not go up?"

895
00:36:43,592 --> 00:36:46,639
Basically implying, like,
"Hey, I'm a young white guy

896
00:36:46,682 --> 00:36:49,207
who's never done stand-up.
Please. Is this a good idea?"

897
00:36:49,250 --> 00:36:51,600
And he's like, "Yeah. Trust me,
I'll-- I'll make sure you,

898
00:36:51,644 --> 00:36:53,211
you know, you feel welcome."

899
00:36:53,254 --> 00:36:55,691
He gets on stage, and he goes,

900
00:36:55,735 --> 00:36:57,824
"I wanna hear a big,
big round of applause.

901
00:36:57,867 --> 00:36:59,347
Come on, give him some love.

902
00:36:59,391 --> 00:37:00,827
This is his first time
on stage ever.

903
00:37:00,870 --> 00:37:03,264
Please,
ladies and gentlemen, TJ Miller.

904
00:37:03,308 --> 00:37:06,006
Come on! Come on! Come on!"
Really got 'em going.

905
00:37:06,485 --> 00:37:08,138
It was amazing,
and I got on stage,

906
00:37:08,182 --> 00:37:09,966
and it felt like
this crazy thing,

907
00:37:10,010 --> 00:37:11,707
the lights, everything.

908
00:37:11,751 --> 00:37:13,579
And I grabbed the mic...

909
00:37:13,622 --> 00:37:16,625
You had to really, really
be able to make them laugh

910
00:37:16,669 --> 00:37:19,628
to get any kind of
traction at that room.

911
00:37:20,194 --> 00:37:23,328
"Hey, uh, thank you guys all for
comin' out to see me tonight.

912
00:37:23,371 --> 00:37:26,200
I, uh--"
Huge, explosive laughter.

913
00:37:26,809 --> 00:37:29,725
Because no one had
come to see me tonight.

914
00:37:29,769 --> 00:37:31,031
But you didn't mean it
as a joke.

915
00:37:31,074 --> 00:37:32,641
-Not at all.
-Ah.

916
00:37:32,685 --> 00:37:34,295
But a huge laugh.
In my mind, I'm like,

917
00:37:34,339 --> 00:37:36,297
"I'm a natural stand-up.
I mean, this is it.

918
00:37:36,341 --> 00:37:38,821
It's that easy! Let's do it!"

919
00:37:38,865 --> 00:37:42,477
And so, my entire upbringings,

920
00:37:42,521 --> 00:37:44,174
like, the beginnings
of my stand-up career,

921
00:37:44,218 --> 00:37:45,306
were all on the South Side.

922
00:37:45,350 --> 00:37:48,875
♪

923
00:37:48,918 --> 00:37:50,703
[Erica Nicole Clark]
I grew up in Lake Forest.

924
00:37:50,746 --> 00:37:52,444
I grew up making white people
laugh with the shit

925
00:37:52,487 --> 00:37:56,099
that my nigger parents
were saying to me.

926
00:37:56,143 --> 00:37:58,754
And I'm not saying Black.
I'm saying they straight niggas

927
00:37:58,798 --> 00:38:00,713
from fuckin' 63rd
and County Met.

928
00:38:00,756 --> 00:38:03,106
Like, in my head,
I always thought that, like,

929
00:38:03,150 --> 00:38:06,022
you can make white people laugh

930
00:38:06,066 --> 00:38:08,677
by just being yourself,
for being Black.

931
00:38:08,721 --> 00:38:12,464
I think Black people...
I-- I can't explain it.

932
00:38:12,507 --> 00:38:15,423
It's just, like,
my friends thought I was funny

933
00:38:15,467 --> 00:38:17,773
'cause I would repeat the stuff
that my mom said to them.

934
00:38:17,817 --> 00:38:19,645
You know? And, um...

935
00:38:19,688 --> 00:38:22,256
but it's like, can I repeat
the stuff my mom said

936
00:38:22,300 --> 00:38:24,127
to my Black friends and
still get that same reaction

937
00:38:24,171 --> 00:38:25,346
and still think they funny?

938
00:38:25,390 --> 00:38:27,696
Um, not all the time, not 100%.

939
00:38:27,740 --> 00:38:29,394
I think there's
different struggles in,

940
00:38:29,437 --> 00:38:31,657
uh, on both sides,
but funny is funny, and I--

941
00:38:31,700 --> 00:38:33,136
I've seen people who were funny

942
00:38:33,180 --> 00:38:35,443
go to both sides
and do their job.

943
00:38:35,487 --> 00:38:37,837
There are people who like
to say, "Funny is funny."

944
00:38:39,012 --> 00:38:40,753
That's bullshit. [chuckles]

945
00:38:40,796 --> 00:38:42,363
Funny is not funny.

946
00:38:42,407 --> 00:38:44,234
Funny is funny
depending who's listening.

947
00:38:44,278 --> 00:38:47,368
Right? You can't say
"Music is music." Right?

948
00:38:47,412 --> 00:38:49,457
If I'm a fuckin' classical
music lover and I walk into

949
00:38:49,501 --> 00:38:51,503
a rock and roll club, I'd go,
"What is this bullshit?"

950
00:38:51,546 --> 00:38:54,332
It's not what I was expecting
to hear. It's not what I like.

951
00:38:54,375 --> 00:38:57,247
And I don't see why comedians

952
00:38:57,291 --> 00:39:00,773
get pressured into
this space of, uh,

953
00:39:00,816 --> 00:39:04,167
we are supposed to be able
to appeal to everyone.

954
00:39:04,211 --> 00:39:05,908
We do not.

955
00:39:05,952 --> 00:39:08,258
That's just not
the fuckin' truth.

956
00:39:09,521 --> 00:39:12,524
One night-- and this is
before anybody was anybody,

957
00:39:12,567 --> 00:39:15,788
so, you know, I mean, this is
all in retrospect now, but--

958
00:39:15,831 --> 00:39:19,705
Bernie Mac came out
to the Comedy Cottage.

959
00:39:19,748 --> 00:39:21,402
And to his credit,

960
00:39:21,446 --> 00:39:23,926
'cause he's tryin' to do
and play other places.

961
00:39:23,970 --> 00:39:25,058
And...

962
00:39:25,841 --> 00:39:27,408
he didn't do well.

963
00:39:27,452 --> 00:39:28,975
I mean, they didn't
really laugh, you know?

964
00:39:29,018 --> 00:39:30,890
But again,
it's just people's diff--

965
00:39:30,933 --> 00:39:32,587
Just different sensibilities,

966
00:39:32,631 --> 00:39:34,589
and that's not an indictment
on your talent.

967
00:39:34,633 --> 00:39:36,591
It's just
different sensibilities.

968
00:39:36,635 --> 00:39:39,202
You know, there were a few local
guys who could play both rooms

969
00:39:39,246 --> 00:39:41,770
and not feel like
you were being disingenuous

970
00:39:41,814 --> 00:39:43,990
when you were in
one or the other.

971
00:39:44,033 --> 00:39:45,731
You have no idea
why they call you Spike.

972
00:39:45,774 --> 00:39:47,428
[audience member] No idea.

973
00:39:47,472 --> 00:39:48,995
It has never entered
your mind to ask them

974
00:39:49,038 --> 00:39:50,649
-why they call you that?
-[audience laughs]

975
00:39:52,259 --> 00:39:53,782
Like, if someone
called me Spike, I go,

976
00:39:53,826 --> 00:39:55,001
"Why'd you call me that?"

977
00:39:56,655 --> 00:39:58,352
I just wouldn't let it go. So
if I called you a motherfucker,

978
00:39:58,396 --> 00:40:00,920
-you'd say, "Well, yes."
-[audience laughs]

979
00:40:01,660 --> 00:40:03,966
The first person
I saw was Orlando Reyes.

980
00:40:04,445 --> 00:40:05,968
I was 16 years old,

981
00:40:06,012 --> 00:40:08,144
and his act was pretty,
you know, risqué.

982
00:40:08,188 --> 00:40:10,625
Came from the all-girls
Catholic boarding school

983
00:40:10,669 --> 00:40:13,585
and met Orlando, and it was
a whole new experience for me.

984
00:40:13,628 --> 00:40:16,414
I hadn't heard a lot
of the words before,

985
00:40:16,457 --> 00:40:18,807
and he was always very helpful

986
00:40:18,851 --> 00:40:21,114
in describing
what he had meant to say.

987
00:40:21,157 --> 00:40:23,769
"You ever look at, uh, your girl
while she's suckin' your dick?

988
00:40:24,639 --> 00:40:26,119
Her eyes be lookin' at you

989
00:40:26,162 --> 00:40:27,425
like a crocodile
lookin' over a swamp."

990
00:40:28,164 --> 00:40:31,211
"Why don't Polish people
use paper plates?

991
00:40:31,254 --> 00:40:32,821
'Cause it fucks up
the dishwasher."

992
00:40:33,256 --> 00:40:36,956
He used to love to
introduce me as "Jeff Jizz."

993
00:40:37,435 --> 00:40:39,785
"Jeff Jizz, everybody!
Jeff Jizz."

994
00:40:39,828 --> 00:40:42,701
He had this, uh,
interesting way of dressing.

995
00:40:42,744 --> 00:40:44,442
Orlando looked like a pimp.

996
00:40:44,485 --> 00:40:46,705
Velvet jackets and have
the cigarette on stage,

997
00:40:46,748 --> 00:40:48,489
and he'd be like,
"Has anybody got a cigarette?

998
00:40:48,533 --> 00:40:50,012
I left mine in the machine."

999
00:40:50,622 --> 00:40:53,146
In terms of the history
of Chicago comedy,

1000
00:40:53,189 --> 00:40:55,453
the era that
we're talking about,

1001
00:40:55,496 --> 00:41:00,806
you're not legit unless you did
the Stay Out with Orlando.

1002
00:41:03,504 --> 00:41:06,812
That made-- that makes you,
like, the real deal,

1003
00:41:06,855 --> 00:41:09,902
to do the Stay Out All Night
Disco with Orlando.

1004
00:41:09,945 --> 00:41:11,773
Oh, God, yes!

1005
00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:16,343
He was dirty at Zanies.

1006
00:41:16,996 --> 00:41:19,215
You put him at four o'clock
in the morning

1007
00:41:19,259 --> 00:41:21,609
at a disco near the airport?

1008
00:41:21,653 --> 00:41:24,264
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

1009
00:41:24,307 --> 00:41:26,309
"By applause,
who likes to butt fuck?"

1010
00:41:26,353 --> 00:41:28,486
[laughing]

1011
00:41:29,443 --> 00:41:30,749
Yes.

1012
00:41:30,792 --> 00:41:32,794
[laughing]

1013
00:41:33,621 --> 00:41:35,405
[exhales]

1014
00:41:35,449 --> 00:41:37,233
He actually said that!

1015
00:41:37,277 --> 00:41:38,844
You were out at Sunday night
drinking at 4:00 a.m.,

1016
00:41:38,887 --> 00:41:40,802
you're an alcoholic.

1017
00:41:40,846 --> 00:41:42,804
So it's bunch of alcoholics
at a place that looks like--

1018
00:41:42,848 --> 00:41:45,241
looks like you walked off
the set of Saturday Night Fever.

1019
00:41:46,634 --> 00:41:48,418
It was kind of
a strip joint, uh,

1020
00:41:48,462 --> 00:41:50,943
and really, really
a bucket of blood.

1021
00:41:50,986 --> 00:41:53,206
I mean, the-- the men's rooms,

1022
00:41:53,249 --> 00:41:56,514
um, were plastered--
Every available surface

1023
00:41:56,557 --> 00:41:59,038
was a lacquered
female body part.

1024
00:41:59,081 --> 00:42:00,779
Um, you know,
pictures, cut-outs.

1025
00:42:00,822 --> 00:42:02,563
Some guy had cut out
Playboy magazines

1026
00:42:02,607 --> 00:42:04,173
and cut out Penthouse

1027
00:42:04,217 --> 00:42:07,046
and just put vaginas
and breasts everywhere,

1028
00:42:07,089 --> 00:42:10,484
and, uh, and you peed
into a urinal that was,

1029
00:42:10,528 --> 00:42:13,531
you know, also lacquered
with female body parts.

1030
00:42:13,574 --> 00:42:15,271
I-- I-- I don't know
what was going on.

1031
00:42:15,315 --> 00:42:16,882
But you could get
killed there pretty easily.

1032
00:42:16,925 --> 00:42:19,362
That was a gig
that I did for the money.

1033
00:42:19,406 --> 00:42:20,668
Fifty bucks.

1034
00:42:21,190 --> 00:42:24,193
That was a big--
That's big money back then.

1035
00:42:26,631 --> 00:42:30,243
Orlando, I believe,
was shot on stage.

1036
00:42:30,286 --> 00:42:32,419
Now, I'm not sure
they were shooting at him.

1037
00:42:32,462 --> 00:42:34,639
People in the audience
had some sort of a disagreement.

1038
00:42:34,682 --> 00:42:36,728
I guess it would be
an armed disagreement,

1039
00:42:36,771 --> 00:42:39,513
and, um,
he took a bullet somehow.

1040
00:42:39,557 --> 00:42:41,036
He was not killed, he was-- I--

1041
00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:42,951
I don't think
he was injured badly.

1042
00:42:42,995 --> 00:42:47,216
But Orlando was an amazing guy,
and he would do jokes.

1043
00:42:47,260 --> 00:42:48,348
He would do...

1044
00:42:48,957 --> 00:42:51,481
terribly racist jokes
that I can't say.

1045
00:42:51,525 --> 00:42:55,007
He was as funny off stage
as he was on stage.

1046
00:42:55,050 --> 00:42:57,096
One time
he came over to my house

1047
00:42:57,139 --> 00:42:59,228
and played Santa Claus
on Christmas Eve.

1048
00:42:59,272 --> 00:43:01,317
You know, they never
saw a Black Santa Claus,

1049
00:43:01,361 --> 00:43:03,102
Orlando was Black.

1050
00:43:03,145 --> 00:43:04,799
And, uh, you know,
they-- they were just amazed.

1051
00:43:04,843 --> 00:43:06,409
They were amazed.

1052
00:43:06,453 --> 00:43:08,498
Orlando booked me
at a women's prison,

1053
00:43:08,542 --> 00:43:10,370
and Orlando goes up,
and he does this--

1054
00:43:10,413 --> 00:43:12,981
Orlando, and they love him
'cause he's filthy,

1055
00:43:13,025 --> 00:43:15,027
and he's great,
and he's got this presence,

1056
00:43:15,070 --> 00:43:17,986
and he introduces me,
this 16-year-old little kid

1057
00:43:18,030 --> 00:43:20,423
who goes up in front
of these really hard women,

1058
00:43:20,467 --> 00:43:22,948
and I-- The first few jokes,
they were not going for me.

1059
00:43:22,991 --> 00:43:24,950
And then about
the third joke or so,

1060
00:43:24,993 --> 00:43:27,039
they finally gave it up, and
they-- And I had a good show,

1061
00:43:27,082 --> 00:43:29,302
and I remember
standing there with my dad

1062
00:43:29,345 --> 00:43:31,304
as they were filing out
to go back to their cells,

1063
00:43:31,347 --> 00:43:32,914
and my dad was laughing
'cause they were all like,

1064
00:43:32,958 --> 00:43:34,437
"Why don't you come back
to my cell with me,

1065
00:43:34,481 --> 00:43:35,613
I'll show you a good time!"

1066
00:43:37,484 --> 00:43:39,660
Lust knows no color, okay?

1067
00:43:39,704 --> 00:43:41,619
-[audience laughter]
-She can be purple.

1068
00:43:41,662 --> 00:43:43,882
When a man sees a woman,
we thinkin' one thought.

1069
00:43:43,925 --> 00:43:46,145
-We're like, "Damn!"
-[audience laughs]

1070
00:43:46,188 --> 00:43:49,365
-I'll hit that.
-[audience laughs]

1071
00:43:50,323 --> 00:43:51,977
"Never had purple before."

1072
00:43:53,718 --> 00:43:56,590
Black, white, blue,
I don't care who.

1073
00:43:56,634 --> 00:43:58,331
Had a comedy club,
there was nothing better

1074
00:43:58,374 --> 00:44:00,159
than All Jokes Aside
when it was at its height.

1075
00:44:00,202 --> 00:44:02,857
[Mary] It was gonna be
different from the white clubs,

1076
00:44:02,901 --> 00:44:05,425
only because, one,
they're Black comics

1077
00:44:05,468 --> 00:44:07,775
and the content
would be different,

1078
00:44:07,819 --> 00:44:11,605
and we're selling to
a predominantly Black audience.

1079
00:44:11,649 --> 00:44:13,520
All Jokes Aside was a big deal.

1080
00:44:13,563 --> 00:44:18,394
Was the premier Black comedy
club in the United States.

1081
00:44:18,438 --> 00:44:21,136
All the big Black
comedians came there.

1082
00:44:21,180 --> 00:44:24,270
Like Jamie Foxx,
Mark Curry, DL Hughley.

1083
00:44:24,313 --> 00:44:26,054
Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock.

1084
00:44:26,098 --> 00:44:27,839
Cedric the Entertainer,
and, you know, and Steve Harvey,

1085
00:44:27,882 --> 00:44:29,667
and of course
Bernie was a mainstay there.

1086
00:44:29,710 --> 00:44:33,018
I just thought that
that was our Black comedy club.

1087
00:44:33,061 --> 00:44:35,847
I didn't know we weren't
the only Black comedy club.

1088
00:44:35,890 --> 00:44:38,763
It was run so professionally,
and-- and it was, uh--

1089
00:44:38,806 --> 00:44:41,766
it was during the boom,
uh, for Black comedy.

1090
00:44:41,809 --> 00:44:44,029
Uh, Raymond Lambert
and Mary Lindsey

1091
00:44:44,072 --> 00:44:46,161
came from the business world,
and they ran that club

1092
00:44:46,205 --> 00:44:48,033
more so like a business
than a club.

1093
00:44:48,076 --> 00:44:49,991
The whole staff wore uniforms,

1094
00:44:50,035 --> 00:44:53,778
and they had to treat us
with a certain level of respect.

1095
00:44:53,821 --> 00:44:55,649
That's why all of us,
we had to treat the club

1096
00:44:55,693 --> 00:44:58,608
with a lot more respect.
We had to dress a certain way.

1097
00:44:58,652 --> 00:45:00,785
And I-- I did the same thing
with the audience.

1098
00:45:00,828 --> 00:45:04,049
You can't match
a hoodie with a jacket.

1099
00:45:04,092 --> 00:45:06,442
This is an old-school thing
my parents used to do.

1100
00:45:06,486 --> 00:45:09,097
You-- you usually don't get in
fights when you're dressed up.

1101
00:45:09,141 --> 00:45:11,665
Like, you-- you--
There's a certain behavior

1102
00:45:11,709 --> 00:45:13,493
that you have
when you look nice.

1103
00:45:13,536 --> 00:45:16,714
You're like, "I really
don't wanna get into an argument

1104
00:45:16,757 --> 00:45:18,193
when I'm dressed up like that."

1105
00:45:18,237 --> 00:45:21,457
There's a tight ship
that was ran.

1106
00:45:21,501 --> 00:45:23,938
We were there for eight years
and never had one incident,

1107
00:45:23,982 --> 00:45:27,681
which is unheard of
for a club or a bar

1108
00:45:27,725 --> 00:45:30,075
with a liquor license,
never to have any incidents,

1109
00:45:30,118 --> 00:45:31,772
but we were
very diligent about that.

1110
00:45:31,816 --> 00:45:34,122
I didn't realize at the time,
I probably was--

1111
00:45:34,166 --> 00:45:38,605
I was doin' myself a disservice
by not playin' more Black rooms,

1112
00:45:38,648 --> 00:45:41,434
because that was a whole
segment of-- of audience

1113
00:45:41,477 --> 00:45:42,827
that I was missing.

1114
00:45:42,870 --> 00:45:44,698
I want everybody
to laugh at this,

1115
00:45:44,742 --> 00:45:46,787
because I always thought
that more people that laughed,

1116
00:45:46,831 --> 00:45:50,660
the more people than I can
perform in front of, and...

1117
00:45:51,661 --> 00:45:53,446
if they get my audience bigger,

1118
00:45:53,489 --> 00:45:55,448
the more money
I could probably make.

1119
00:45:55,491 --> 00:45:58,320
As some people say,
the South Side makes you funny,

1120
00:45:58,364 --> 00:46:00,192
the North Side makes you money.

1121
00:46:00,235 --> 00:46:01,976
And-- and don't get me wrong,
I wasn't even thinkin'

1122
00:46:02,020 --> 00:46:04,544
about money in the end.
I'm just thinkin' about audience

1123
00:46:04,587 --> 00:46:08,069
at the time. I just wanted
my audience to be diverse.

1124
00:46:08,113 --> 00:46:10,811
[Godfrey] I started doin'
comedy at the Fallout, and then

1125
00:46:10,855 --> 00:46:14,510
from there, I said, okay,
I wanna go to the South Side

1126
00:46:14,554 --> 00:46:17,078
and perform. I wanna do
Black rooms too, you know.

1127
00:46:17,122 --> 00:46:18,558
I wanted to go both ways.

1128
00:46:18,601 --> 00:46:20,603
My ideal crowd
was a mixed crowd.

1129
00:46:20,647 --> 00:46:22,388
Black folks and white folks,

1130
00:46:22,431 --> 00:46:24,042
and older folks
and younger folks.

1131
00:46:24,085 --> 00:46:26,000
You know, I liked that,
because then people's--

1132
00:46:26,044 --> 00:46:29,177
people's, uh, sensibilities sort
of interact with each other.

1133
00:46:29,221 --> 00:46:31,136
So if somebody's
not gettin' a joke,

1134
00:46:31,179 --> 00:46:32,877
then somebody else
might get the joke,

1135
00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:34,704
and-- and it, and-- and
it just creates laughter,

1136
00:46:34,748 --> 00:46:35,967
almost everybody.

1137
00:46:38,621 --> 00:46:41,059
The only way you gon'
learn as a comedian

1138
00:46:41,102 --> 00:46:44,366
to make everybody
in the country laugh,

1139
00:46:44,410 --> 00:46:45,890
you have to travel the road.

1140
00:46:45,933 --> 00:46:52,157
♪

1141
00:46:52,810 --> 00:46:55,638
Because what's funny in Chicago

1142
00:46:55,682 --> 00:46:57,684
might not be funny in New York,

1143
00:46:57,727 --> 00:47:00,078
might not be funny in Miami,

1144
00:47:00,121 --> 00:47:01,906
might not be
funny in California.

1145
00:47:03,385 --> 00:47:05,866
I had never really done well

1146
00:47:05,910 --> 00:47:07,781
at the-- the Melrose improv.

1147
00:47:07,825 --> 00:47:10,044
And, finally,
you know, it was like

1148
00:47:10,088 --> 00:47:13,004
my fourth or fifth set.
I had a really good set,

1149
00:47:13,047 --> 00:47:14,788
and Budd Friedman
was in the audience.

1150
00:47:14,832 --> 00:47:16,529
And I remember
somebody else was emceeing,

1151
00:47:16,572 --> 00:47:19,532
but Budd came up
to take me off stage,

1152
00:47:19,575 --> 00:47:22,187
and he said to the audience,
"Very funny man,

1153
00:47:22,230 --> 00:47:24,537
Mr. Paul Gilmartin.
Look for him.

1154
00:47:24,580 --> 00:47:27,192
He will be on
Evening at the Improv."

1155
00:47:27,235 --> 00:47:30,325
And I was like, "Yeah,
I'm-- I'm fuckin' in now,

1156
00:47:30,369 --> 00:47:32,197
I'm in with the Improv!

1157
00:47:32,240 --> 00:47:35,156
And, uh, I'm gonna start
hangin' around here now!

1158
00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:37,071
'Cause I won't feel
like an outsider."

1159
00:47:37,115 --> 00:47:39,291
And so the next night,
I come in to the Improv,

1160
00:47:39,334 --> 00:47:41,119
and I'm standing
in the hallways.

1161
00:47:41,162 --> 00:47:43,904
People are kind of
filing in and filing out.

1162
00:47:43,948 --> 00:47:45,819
And he comes up to me
and he goes,

1163
00:47:45,863 --> 00:47:47,647
"Sir? Do you have a ticket?"

1164
00:47:49,910 --> 00:47:51,390
That is show business.

1165
00:47:52,173 --> 00:47:54,523
That is show business.

1166
00:47:56,264 --> 00:47:59,006
All these comedy clubs
started tryin' to save money.

1167
00:47:59,050 --> 00:48:02,053
They were spending so much money
on hotel rooms for comedians,

1168
00:48:02,096 --> 00:48:04,272
what they start doing
is buying condos.

1169
00:48:04,316 --> 00:48:09,974
So you would go check in there
and find leftover stuff from

1170
00:48:11,105 --> 00:48:14,413
the whole month of comedians
leaving condoms

1171
00:48:14,456 --> 00:48:17,459
and coke all on the countertop.

1172
00:48:17,503 --> 00:48:20,854
I think my worst comedy condo
experience is Painesville, Ohio.

1173
00:48:20,898 --> 00:48:23,683
And I'm guessing I'm not the
first person to tell you that.

1174
00:48:23,726 --> 00:48:28,644
Uh, you stayed at somebody's
house behind the comedy club,

1175
00:48:28,688 --> 00:48:31,952
and the shower-- You were not
allowed to use the shower!

1176
00:48:31,996 --> 00:48:34,346
Do not use the shower!
You can use the bathtub.

1177
00:48:34,955 --> 00:48:36,565
And the bathtub was, like,

1178
00:48:36,609 --> 00:48:38,524
in the middle of the kitchen
or something,

1179
00:48:38,567 --> 00:48:40,439
so you had to go-- you had to
walk downstairs awkwardly,

1180
00:48:40,482 --> 00:48:43,268
and then get
in this old-fashioned tub

1181
00:48:43,311 --> 00:48:45,052
with feet on it

1182
00:48:45,096 --> 00:48:47,141
and splash around
to get clean to go do comedy,

1183
00:48:47,185 --> 00:48:50,101
and, uh, you know, I don't--
you know, I'm not four.

1184
00:48:50,144 --> 00:48:51,232
Why am I takin' a bath?

1185
00:48:51,885 --> 00:48:53,452
The door was off the hinge.

1186
00:48:53,495 --> 00:48:56,150
Blood was on the sofa.

1187
00:48:56,194 --> 00:48:57,978
That's when I said,

1188
00:48:58,022 --> 00:49:01,503
"I can't stay here.
I can't stay here."

1189
00:49:01,547 --> 00:49:03,592
Tony, you wrote
the funniest thing on that wall!

1190
00:49:04,289 --> 00:49:06,813
"Great club, great staff,
and a place to sleep."

1191
00:49:08,119 --> 00:49:10,860
The one that was horrible,

1192
00:49:10,904 --> 00:49:12,993
but I didn't consider it
horrible at the time,

1193
00:49:13,037 --> 00:49:15,996
was Comedy Café, Milwaukee,

1194
00:49:16,040 --> 00:49:18,781
because I was living
with my parents at the time

1195
00:49:18,825 --> 00:49:21,001
when I first started
working there, so it was just--

1196
00:49:21,045 --> 00:49:24,004
in my mind, I'm like,
"This is mine. I got my place.

1197
00:49:24,048 --> 00:49:27,965
I'm doin' comedy,
I'm makin' $200 this weekend,

1198
00:49:28,008 --> 00:49:29,531
and I got this place.

1199
00:49:29,575 --> 00:49:31,185
One that I can fuck in."

1200
00:49:31,229 --> 00:49:32,708
And I--
and I never fucked there.

1201
00:49:32,752 --> 00:49:35,537
But it could have happened!

1202
00:49:36,799 --> 00:49:39,411
Jeff Garlin and I
were doing a one-nighter

1203
00:49:39,454 --> 00:49:41,543
in Lafayette, Indiana,

1204
00:49:41,587 --> 00:49:44,024
and it was in a restaurant,

1205
00:49:44,068 --> 00:49:46,026
and it was just one of those
gigs when you walked in,

1206
00:49:46,070 --> 00:49:47,985
you're-- you could
just feel your stomach sink.

1207
00:49:48,028 --> 00:49:50,335
You just--
Everything was set up wrong.

1208
00:49:50,378 --> 00:49:52,076
It-- The lighting was terrible,

1209
00:49:52,119 --> 00:49:54,208
the sound system was bad,
people were eating.

1210
00:49:54,252 --> 00:49:56,210
All the-- all the distractions,
that, you know,

1211
00:49:56,254 --> 00:49:59,126
that-- that can really hurt
a comedy-- comedy show.

1212
00:49:59,170 --> 00:50:02,434
And, um, and so,
they gave you dinner

1213
00:50:02,477 --> 00:50:05,480
before the show, and--
and we're sitting there eating,

1214
00:50:05,524 --> 00:50:07,221
and we can see
there's only, like, 12 people,

1215
00:50:07,265 --> 00:50:09,658
and they're drunk,
and they don't look very bright.

1216
00:50:10,398 --> 00:50:12,052
And so, um,

1217
00:50:12,096 --> 00:50:14,576
I can't remember who said it,

1218
00:50:14,620 --> 00:50:16,491
but I think I dared Jeff.

1219
00:50:16,535 --> 00:50:19,146
He was-- he was, uh,
eating a piece of cake,

1220
00:50:19,190 --> 00:50:22,976
and I dared him to go up,
uh, with cake on his face.

1221
00:50:23,020 --> 00:50:24,630
And we both kind of
laughed about it.

1222
00:50:24,673 --> 00:50:26,632
And so I went up
and I struggled, you know,

1223
00:50:26,675 --> 00:50:29,243
ate it for-- I was probably
supposed to do a half hour,

1224
00:50:29,287 --> 00:50:31,115
probably did about 15 minutes,

1225
00:50:31,158 --> 00:50:34,509
and came off stage,
and I think--

1226
00:50:34,553 --> 00:50:36,772
I think Jeff thought, "Oh,

1227
00:50:36,816 --> 00:50:38,774
you know, Paul just doesn't know
how to handle them, you know."

1228
00:50:38,818 --> 00:50:42,517
So he goes up there, and he's--
he's trying everything.

1229
00:50:42,561 --> 00:50:44,693
And you can see, it's--
He's getting frustrated,

1230
00:50:44,737 --> 00:50:46,260
and it's just not working.

1231
00:50:46,304 --> 00:50:47,914
I had been eating it. I died.

1232
00:50:47,957 --> 00:50:49,655
And at a certain point,

1233
00:50:49,698 --> 00:50:51,700
he just-- he knew
it wasn't gonna get any better.

1234
00:50:51,744 --> 00:50:54,442
And I remember the look in
his face, and he just stopped.

1235
00:50:54,486 --> 00:50:57,228
I took the cake,
and I wiped it all over my face,

1236
00:50:57,271 --> 00:50:59,099
and my face
has cake all over it,

1237
00:50:59,143 --> 00:51:01,710
and I said to the audience,
like, oh, "Hi, I'm Cakey!"

1238
00:51:01,754 --> 00:51:03,495
He finished his act.

1239
00:51:03,538 --> 00:51:05,932
And so when you would
go and bomb on the road

1240
00:51:05,975 --> 00:51:07,760
and come back and be like,
"It was so hard,"

1241
00:51:07,803 --> 00:51:09,675
people would be like,
"Don't worry about that, I mean,

1242
00:51:09,718 --> 00:51:11,198
-show at the Lion's Den."
-At least you knew you could

1243
00:51:11,242 --> 00:51:12,895
come to the Lion's Den
and tell them

1244
00:51:12,939 --> 00:51:14,462
that you ate your dick
in South Bend, Indiana.

1245
00:51:16,682 --> 00:51:20,164
I'm well aware that
it's like a white boys' club,

1246
00:51:20,207 --> 00:51:22,079
and I'm probably a member of it

1247
00:51:22,122 --> 00:51:24,124
because I have
this famous father.

1248
00:51:24,168 --> 00:51:27,736
For some reason,
it carries weight with certain--

1249
00:51:27,780 --> 00:51:30,174
I don't know, they think
he's gonna come to the show?

1250
00:51:30,217 --> 00:51:32,567
Or I'ma pass out gold chains

1251
00:51:32,611 --> 00:51:34,569
while I'm on the stage
or some shit?

1252
00:51:34,613 --> 00:51:36,136
I don't know
what the fuck they think,

1253
00:51:36,180 --> 00:51:39,531
but they always give me,
like, more leeway,

1254
00:51:39,574 --> 00:51:44,188
I think, because of that
than, um, other women.

1255
00:51:45,014 --> 00:51:46,929
That has to be it.

1256
00:51:46,973 --> 00:51:48,670
'Cause I don't think I'm any
better than anybody else, but...

1257
00:51:50,150 --> 00:51:53,371
Diane Alaimo brought me along
to Wiley's in Dayton, Ohio.

1258
00:51:53,414 --> 00:51:55,068
We road-tripped,
and I learned a lot from her.

1259
00:51:55,112 --> 00:51:56,809
She's one of my favorites,
and I miss her a lot.

1260
00:51:56,852 --> 00:51:58,724
We lost her in, uh, 2001.

1261
00:51:58,767 --> 00:52:01,161
Diane went out of her way
to make sure

1262
00:52:01,205 --> 00:52:03,859
I got work at clubs that might
not otherwise hire women.

1263
00:52:03,903 --> 00:52:05,600
She brought me along
as a feature act,

1264
00:52:05,644 --> 00:52:07,950
and at the time--
and even now, a lot of clubs

1265
00:52:07,994 --> 00:52:09,996
won't book two women
on the same show,

1266
00:52:10,039 --> 00:52:13,173
and that wasn't a rule that she
thought needed to be enforced.

1267
00:52:13,217 --> 00:52:17,090
I came up with mostly men,
so sometimes people,

1268
00:52:17,134 --> 00:52:18,744
if they're
giving me a compliment,

1269
00:52:18,787 --> 00:52:20,702
they'll say,
"You do stand-up like a man."

1270
00:52:20,746 --> 00:52:22,443
And to me,
sometimes I take offense to that

1271
00:52:22,487 --> 00:52:25,054
'cause it's like, I do stand-up
like me and I'm a woman,

1272
00:52:25,098 --> 00:52:26,926
so I'm not doing it like a man.

1273
00:52:26,969 --> 00:52:28,145
You're just saying it
because you think it's funny,

1274
00:52:28,188 --> 00:52:29,624
then it is like a man.

1275
00:52:29,668 --> 00:52:31,104
There's a lot of funny women.

1276
00:52:31,148 --> 00:52:32,627
I could,
just off the top of my head,

1277
00:52:32,671 --> 00:52:34,803
Sally Edwards,
you got Emily Galati.

1278
00:52:34,847 --> 00:52:37,806
You got Carla Filisha,
you've got Sonya White.

1279
00:52:37,850 --> 00:52:40,374
I mean, I could just
go on and on and on.

1280
00:52:40,418 --> 00:52:41,506
There's a million funny women.

1281
00:52:42,246 --> 00:52:47,860
♪

1282
00:52:47,903 --> 00:52:49,775
When I die,
I wanna become a cadaver,

1283
00:52:50,428 --> 00:52:52,473
so college boys
will touch me again.

1284
00:52:52,517 --> 00:52:56,173
-[audience laughs, cheers]
-Consensually this time.

1285
00:52:57,565 --> 00:53:00,873
Once the woman gets on stage,
they're as successful as men.

1286
00:53:00,916 --> 00:53:02,875
I think what makes it
so difficult for women

1287
00:53:02,918 --> 00:53:04,964
is what goes on off-stage.

1288
00:53:05,007 --> 00:53:07,227
Things that men
take for granted.

1289
00:53:07,271 --> 00:53:09,534
Driving to a strange nightclub,

1290
00:53:09,577 --> 00:53:11,492
parking in a dark parking lot.

1291
00:53:11,536 --> 00:53:13,755
These can be
life-threatening situations.

1292
00:53:14,365 --> 00:53:16,584
Well, that's a lot of
collateral damage

1293
00:53:16,628 --> 00:53:19,239
you have to overcome
in order to pursue the career.

1294
00:53:19,283 --> 00:53:23,243
I've had complete, like,
inappropriate shit said to me,

1295
00:53:23,287 --> 00:53:26,986
and, like-- Or, you know, texted
to me or things like that.

1296
00:53:27,029 --> 00:53:31,469
These guys are all pathetic
and thirsty,

1297
00:53:31,512 --> 00:53:36,343
and will really try to sneak in

1298
00:53:36,387 --> 00:53:39,607
in ways like, "Hey, why don't
I give you a ride home?"

1299
00:53:39,651 --> 00:53:43,829
Or, "Hey, um,
these other guys are creepy,

1300
00:53:43,872 --> 00:53:46,048
but I'm one of the good ones."
Huge red flag.

1301
00:53:46,092 --> 00:53:47,702
The guys were
very hard on girls.

1302
00:53:47,746 --> 00:53:50,531
Women are nice,
and we make eye contact,

1303
00:53:50,575 --> 00:53:53,360
and guys get confused by this.
They're like, "Oh, my God,

1304
00:53:53,404 --> 00:53:55,580
she's actually looking
at me while I speak?

1305
00:53:55,623 --> 00:53:57,451
And she laughed
at one of my jokes!

1306
00:53:57,495 --> 00:53:58,583
She wants to fuck me."

1307
00:53:59,323 --> 00:54:02,239
No. No. 100% no.

1308
00:54:02,282 --> 00:54:05,416
Okay, 99.9999999%
of the time, no.

1309
00:54:05,459 --> 00:54:07,592
I slept around.
You don't wanna do that.

1310
00:54:07,635 --> 00:54:09,246
I think I got a reputation.

1311
00:54:09,289 --> 00:54:11,030
I mean, honestly,
one of the best things

1312
00:54:11,073 --> 00:54:14,381
that you can do is just,
like, don't fuck each other.

1313
00:54:15,034 --> 00:54:17,950
You know?
Do not fuck where you work.

1314
00:54:17,993 --> 00:54:19,908
Or poop.

1315
00:54:19,952 --> 00:54:21,954
I think it's probably changed,
and, like, who-- who cares

1316
00:54:21,997 --> 00:54:24,609
that somebody's a slut now or
having a meltdown or whatever.

1317
00:54:24,652 --> 00:54:26,393
But, you know, it was like--

1318
00:54:26,437 --> 00:54:28,308
I had a reputation, you know?

1319
00:54:28,352 --> 00:54:29,831
And it's like, it's not fair.

1320
00:54:29,875 --> 00:54:31,572
There's a double standard,
you know?

1321
00:54:31,616 --> 00:54:33,661
A guy's having a meltdown,
they care about him.

1322
00:54:33,705 --> 00:54:35,663
A guy's a slut,
they care about him.

1323
00:54:35,707 --> 00:54:38,666
A woman's having a meltdown,
she's a slut, she's banished.

1324
00:54:38,710 --> 00:54:42,540
I went around the house
singing to my husband.

1325
00:54:42,583 --> 00:54:44,890
♪ All of me

1326
00:54:44,933 --> 00:54:48,110
♪ Why not take all of me?

1327
00:54:48,154 --> 00:54:49,938
He asked if he could
make two trips.

1328
00:54:49,982 --> 00:54:52,680
[audience laughs]

1329
00:54:52,724 --> 00:54:54,465
I did the Treehouse
with Steve Seagren,

1330
00:54:54,508 --> 00:54:57,555
and I kept on telling him
to picture Dee Staley

1331
00:54:57,598 --> 00:54:59,513
running around naked
around the car.

1332
00:54:59,557 --> 00:55:02,168
And he kept on laughing,
and she would-- kept on saying,

1333
00:55:02,211 --> 00:55:04,301
"What's so funny?" And I--
You know. But remember,

1334
00:55:04,344 --> 00:55:06,955
I'm in my twenties, so,
I would do rude, stupid shit.

1335
00:55:06,999 --> 00:55:09,088
There was an element
of high school to it, I think.

1336
00:55:09,131 --> 00:55:12,309
We were young. We were, like,
20, you know, 24, whatever.

1337
00:55:15,964 --> 00:55:19,272
[Erica Nicole Clark] All right.
So this is the un-PC thing.

1338
00:55:19,316 --> 00:55:22,057
There are some very
perverted-ass fuckin' men

1339
00:55:22,101 --> 00:55:24,364
in the business,
and there's not a lot of women,

1340
00:55:24,408 --> 00:55:26,758
so there's perverted men and
they're taking advantage of it.

1341
00:55:26,801 --> 00:55:32,590
And I hate that women always
have to go for the victim card.

1342
00:55:32,633 --> 00:55:36,333
Like, if Louis CK pulled
his dick out in front of me...

1343
00:55:36,376 --> 00:55:40,380
I would be on tour with
Louis CK right now. [laughs]

1344
00:55:40,424 --> 00:55:43,383
I don't know. Like,
I feel like a lot of women

1345
00:55:43,427 --> 00:55:47,692
don't see the advantage
to a powerful man

1346
00:55:47,735 --> 00:55:49,824
doing something fucked up
in front of you.

1347
00:55:49,868 --> 00:55:52,174
And I'm not saying that--
that crosses the border,

1348
00:55:52,218 --> 00:55:54,263
that every time, oh,
a woman gets raped, she should--

1349
00:55:54,307 --> 00:55:57,005
You know, whatever.
I-- I'm not that crazy.

1350
00:55:57,049 --> 00:55:59,834
I'm just saying
in that particular instance,

1351
00:55:59,878 --> 00:56:03,882
I'm gonna be opening
at Carnegie Hall for Louis CK.

1352
00:56:05,362 --> 00:56:07,364
It wasn't easy.
It wasn't easy at all.

1353
00:56:07,407 --> 00:56:09,278
There were some guys
that were so loving to me.

1354
00:56:09,322 --> 00:56:11,368
They were like,
"Kara, get a therapist,

1355
00:56:11,411 --> 00:56:14,066
make sure it's a--
it's an unattractive woman.

1356
00:56:14,109 --> 00:56:16,982
You don't try to sleep with her.
Get a good therapist."

1357
00:56:17,025 --> 00:56:19,680
You know, and other guys just,
like, told me I was crazy.

1358
00:56:21,508 --> 00:56:23,380
[Sonal] I mean, I don't know
who's gonna see this.

1359
00:56:23,423 --> 00:56:25,556
All the comedy clubs are great,
everyone's super nice,

1360
00:56:25,599 --> 00:56:28,559
I love everyone
running all of the clubs.

1361
00:56:29,168 --> 00:56:32,432
Great dudes, all of you.
All the men, super nice.

1362
00:56:32,476 --> 00:56:35,566
You look right into my eyes when
you talk to me, I love that.

1363
00:56:35,609 --> 00:56:37,742
Probably if I had
any discrimination,

1364
00:56:37,785 --> 00:56:41,180
it was probably because I was
Black before I was a woman.

1365
00:56:41,223 --> 00:56:43,791
Um, which is, like,
two strikes against you.

1366
00:56:43,835 --> 00:56:46,446
[Chris] I think it's harder to--
for women and minorities

1367
00:56:46,490 --> 00:56:49,406
in life, so, it's--
it's gonna harder than any,

1368
00:56:49,449 --> 00:56:51,712
anything you ever get into.

1369
00:56:51,756 --> 00:56:54,498
So I think, uh, using that
and-- and powering through

1370
00:56:54,541 --> 00:56:56,804
those obstacles is-- is what
makes you a better comic.

1371
00:56:56,848 --> 00:57:01,766
♪

1372
00:57:04,116 --> 00:57:07,032
I have three TV shows, a movie.

1373
00:57:07,075 --> 00:57:09,338
I have specials.

1374
00:57:09,991 --> 00:57:11,993
And to this day,

1375
00:57:12,037 --> 00:57:14,474
Zanies would not book me.

1376
00:57:15,083 --> 00:57:17,172
To this day.

1377
00:57:17,216 --> 00:57:19,697
There's a certain type
of Black person

1378
00:57:19,740 --> 00:57:21,829
I think Zanies is looking for.

1379
00:57:21,873 --> 00:57:26,181
It's not me. [laughs] 'Cause
I've never performed at Zanies.

1380
00:57:26,225 --> 00:57:27,835
A lot of places
want a Black face

1381
00:57:27,879 --> 00:57:29,620
but they don't want
a Black voice.

1382
00:57:29,663 --> 00:57:31,186
Early on,
I was kind of upset by it.

1383
00:57:31,230 --> 00:57:32,797
I used to think
it was a problem.

1384
00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:34,625
Um, then I-- I kind of
cracked the thing,

1385
00:57:34,668 --> 00:57:36,453
because what happened?

1386
00:57:36,496 --> 00:57:38,716
I cracked the circuit,
'cause I just kept comin'.

1387
00:57:38,759 --> 00:57:40,413
And then they would hear,
economically, you know,

1388
00:57:40,457 --> 00:57:42,720
you can draw people out,
that's really the key.

1389
00:57:42,763 --> 00:57:44,678
And a lot of times when
I thought I was ready

1390
00:57:44,722 --> 00:57:46,245
to do Zanies, I wouldn't
have booked me either,

1391
00:57:46,288 --> 00:57:48,029
looking back at myself,
that guy.

1392
00:57:48,073 --> 00:57:49,857
[Bert Haas] Every club
has its own identity.

1393
00:57:49,901 --> 00:57:52,730
All Jokes Aside's identity
was urban comedy.

1394
00:57:52,773 --> 00:57:54,296
Which is really
code for "Black."

1395
00:57:54,340 --> 00:57:57,343
What happens is,
a good club books talent.

1396
00:57:57,386 --> 00:57:59,040
It's almost like a-- a riddle.

1397
00:57:59,084 --> 00:58:00,825
Well, do you book the talent

1398
00:58:00,868 --> 00:58:02,783
because that's the type
of audience you get,

1399
00:58:02,827 --> 00:58:04,481
or do you get
that type of audience

1400
00:58:04,524 --> 00:58:06,265
because that's
the type of comic you book?

1401
00:58:06,308 --> 00:58:08,136
I don't know
what the answer to that is,

1402
00:58:08,180 --> 00:58:11,400
but part of what makes the club
special is its identity,

1403
00:58:11,444 --> 00:58:14,186
and the identity is established
by who gets booked.

1404
00:58:14,229 --> 00:58:15,970
Because otherwise,
you're just a venue.

1405
00:58:16,623 --> 00:58:19,539
And you can be anything!
Anybody can become a venue,

1406
00:58:19,583 --> 00:58:21,759
but to have a name
as a comedy club

1407
00:58:21,802 --> 00:58:23,412
is what makes you special.

1408
00:58:23,456 --> 00:58:25,545
And so at the same time
that All Jokes Aside

1409
00:58:25,589 --> 00:58:27,678
was booking
certain types of comedians--

1410
00:58:27,721 --> 00:58:30,550
uh, Bernie Mac and, uh,
Cedric the Entertainer,

1411
00:58:30,594 --> 00:58:34,032
et cetera-- uh, Zanies had
a different group of comedians.

1412
00:58:34,075 --> 00:58:36,556
I was on a blind date.
Friend of mine set me up,

1413
00:58:36,600 --> 00:58:38,558
told me this girl
had a Coke bottle figure.

1414
00:58:38,602 --> 00:58:39,994
She had a Coke bottle figure,

1415
00:58:40,038 --> 00:58:41,256
it was one of those
two liter bottles.

1416
00:58:41,300 --> 00:58:42,562
[audience laughs]

1417
00:58:42,606 --> 00:58:44,999
Big black bottom,
twist-off head.

1418
00:58:45,043 --> 00:58:47,306
We was gonna fuckin'
beat Larry Reid at Zanies

1419
00:58:47,349 --> 00:58:49,656
because he had sensibility
and a style of comedy

1420
00:58:49,700 --> 00:58:51,484
and a particular reach,

1421
00:58:51,528 --> 00:58:54,139
but you just gotta fuck
with that guy in that room.

1422
00:58:54,182 --> 00:58:58,099
Zanies was one of the first
clubs that let me headline.

1423
00:58:58,143 --> 00:59:00,537
This is the first place I really
started working as an emcee.

1424
00:59:00,580 --> 00:59:02,930
Did two weeks, back-to-back.

1425
00:59:03,757 --> 00:59:05,716
It was poorly negotiated,
looking back.

1426
00:59:05,759 --> 00:59:09,371
[laughs]

1427
00:59:10,111 --> 00:59:12,113
Definitely got lowballed
on that one.

1428
00:59:15,769 --> 00:59:18,511
We used to do comedy
right here at this joint

1429
00:59:18,555 --> 00:59:20,165
right off of Sheffield.

1430
00:59:20,208 --> 00:59:22,733
Uh, back then it was
called Heckler's Heaven.

1431
00:59:22,776 --> 00:59:24,561
And basically it was
an open mic show for comics

1432
00:59:24,604 --> 00:59:26,127
to kind of build their chop,

1433
00:59:26,171 --> 00:59:27,694
but you could also
make a little money.

1434
00:59:27,738 --> 00:59:29,043
Like the one I think got,
like, like, uh,

1435
00:59:29,087 --> 00:59:30,784
$50 if you won the show.

1436
00:59:30,828 --> 00:59:33,178
So one night, I went on stage,

1437
00:59:33,221 --> 00:59:36,007
and after the show,
this guy approaches me.

1438
00:59:36,050 --> 00:59:38,139
"I'm with
the David Letterman Show,

1439
00:59:38,183 --> 00:59:40,011
and I'd love to get you on David
Letterman  as soon as possible."

1440
00:59:40,054 --> 00:59:42,013
So he's like,
"Well, can you meet me out back

1441
00:59:42,056 --> 00:59:43,623
and can talk about it, I mean,
exchange numbers or something?"

1442
00:59:43,667 --> 00:59:45,494
I'm like, "Okay, cool."

1443
00:59:45,538 --> 00:59:47,279
So he went out back, and then
I went and got my buddy.

1444
00:59:47,322 --> 00:59:49,760
His name was James Hannah,
he was a-- a producer

1445
00:59:49,803 --> 00:59:51,500
for the Steve Harvey Show.

1446
00:59:51,544 --> 00:59:52,719
Stand-up comedian.
Look him up, James Hannah.

1447
00:59:52,763 --> 00:59:54,199
He was my man. He passed away.

1448
00:59:54,242 --> 00:59:56,027
But anyway,
I said "Hey, James, man,

1449
00:59:56,070 --> 00:59:58,159
you-- you ain't gonna
believe this.

1450
00:59:58,203 --> 00:59:59,770
There's this guy who said he's
from the David Letterman Show,

1451
00:59:59,813 --> 01:00:01,685
but really,
I think he's hittin' on me."

1452
01:00:01,728 --> 01:00:03,469
James was like, "Well, he might
be with David Letterman."

1453
01:00:03,512 --> 01:00:05,427
I was like, "Nah, I don't know."
I didn't think so.

1454
01:00:05,471 --> 01:00:07,647
It could be, but I-- I just
thought he had ulterior motive,

1455
01:00:07,691 --> 01:00:09,475
and I'll just leave it at that.

1456
01:00:09,518 --> 01:00:11,520
So James came with me,
we went out the back door,

1457
01:00:11,564 --> 01:00:13,479
and when we got out there,

1458
01:00:13,522 --> 01:00:16,656
it was like this dude just
disappeared in a puff of smoke.

1459
01:00:16,700 --> 01:00:18,876
So anyway,
I'm watchin' the news,

1460
01:00:18,919 --> 01:00:22,053
and I see this guy
in a jumpsuit,

1461
01:00:22,096 --> 01:00:23,620
an orange prison jumpsuit.

1462
01:00:23,663 --> 01:00:26,840
Lo and behold,
it was Jeffrey Dahmer!

1463
01:00:28,450 --> 01:00:30,931
Fortunately for me,
I didn't believe that he was

1464
01:00:30,975 --> 01:00:34,543
with David Letterman,
and I wasn't attracted to him.

1465
01:00:34,587 --> 01:00:37,503
Otherwise I'd-- Would have
ended up being a pot of soup.

1466
01:00:39,418 --> 01:00:41,725
[Lance Crouther] So I had got
booked at the Comedy Cottage,

1467
01:00:41,768 --> 01:00:44,684
which is, like, 20 miles away
from where I lived.

1468
01:00:44,728 --> 01:00:47,165
And so I didn't have
a car that day,

1469
01:00:47,208 --> 01:00:48,688
so I took this train.

1470
01:00:50,559 --> 01:00:52,649
Got off about two stops
before O'Hare,

1471
01:00:52,692 --> 01:00:55,173
and then from there
I had to walk

1472
01:00:55,216 --> 01:00:57,828
through this very
white neighborhood. [laughs]

1473
01:00:58,916 --> 01:01:01,092
And I'm drivin' down River Road,

1474
01:01:01,135 --> 01:01:03,398
because the Comedy Cottage
was on River Road.

1475
01:01:03,442 --> 01:01:06,358
I'm driving under this viaduct,
and I see this cat walkin'.

1476
01:01:06,401 --> 01:01:09,491
And as I was walkin'
under the underpass,

1477
01:01:09,535 --> 01:01:12,669
uh, I heard somebody
yell out the N-word.

1478
01:01:13,757 --> 01:01:16,107
And I turned, and I saw, like,

1479
01:01:16,150 --> 01:01:20,459
there was a pickup truck, and
rage flushed through my body.

1480
01:01:20,502 --> 01:01:23,244
The idiot got stopped
at a red light,

1481
01:01:23,288 --> 01:01:24,898
and I looked on the ground,
and there was like,

1482
01:01:24,942 --> 01:01:27,553
I guess a chunk of stone,

1483
01:01:27,596 --> 01:01:30,425
you know, like, magically there.

1484
01:01:30,469 --> 01:01:32,427
And I grabbed it,

1485
01:01:32,471 --> 01:01:36,127
and I started walkin' toward
the driver's side of the car.

1486
01:01:36,170 --> 01:01:37,606
And I look,

1487
01:01:37,650 --> 01:01:39,086
and I say "Hey, that's that--

1488
01:01:39,130 --> 01:01:40,827
that's that brother
from Mary Wong."

1489
01:01:40,871 --> 01:01:43,177
As I approached,
and my arm was...

1490
01:01:43,221 --> 01:01:45,614
[stammering]

1491
01:01:45,658 --> 01:01:48,182
...throw this big chunk of stone

1492
01:01:48,226 --> 01:01:50,489
through the windshield,
through the window.

1493
01:01:51,359 --> 01:01:52,970
I heard, "Lenny!"

1494
01:01:54,232 --> 01:01:55,973
Said, "Who? What?"

1495
01:01:56,016 --> 01:01:57,888
I turned around,
and it was Dwayne,

1496
01:01:57,931 --> 01:02:00,368
and he was grinning
from ear to ear.

1497
01:02:01,021 --> 01:02:04,764
And about at that point,
the pickup truck drove off.

1498
01:02:04,808 --> 01:02:07,811
And I'm standing there with
a big chunk of stone in my hand.

1499
01:02:07,854 --> 01:02:09,900
He's like,
"Man, what are you doin'?"

1500
01:02:09,943 --> 01:02:11,728
I said, "Aw, man,
I was just about to

1501
01:02:11,771 --> 01:02:13,555
hit a white boy in the head
with a brick, man."

1502
01:02:17,995 --> 01:02:19,910
[Kara Buller] My dad's
a very proud Midwesterner,

1503
01:02:19,953 --> 01:02:22,216
and he called me the other day.
He was very upset. He said,

1504
01:02:22,260 --> 01:02:24,523
you know, "In the paper,
they were calling somebody a--

1505
01:02:24,566 --> 01:02:26,786
They said he was wearing
a very Midwestern suit!"

1506
01:02:26,830 --> 01:02:28,309
And he's like, "Kara,
what-- what does this mean,

1507
01:02:28,353 --> 01:02:29,963
a Midwestern suit?"

1508
01:02:30,007 --> 01:02:32,444
I said, "Uh, well, Dad,
a-- a Midwestern suit,

1509
01:02:32,487 --> 01:02:34,576
I believe, is a suit
with a secret pocket

1510
01:02:34,620 --> 01:02:36,317
stitched into it
in which you place

1511
01:02:36,361 --> 01:02:38,145
your unspoken racial prejudices.

1512
01:02:38,189 --> 01:02:40,278
That's-- that's--
that's what it is, yeah.

1513
01:02:40,887 --> 01:02:43,847
Uh, I've got my own."
You know? [laughs]

1514
01:02:43,890 --> 01:02:47,502
A lot of my comedy
focused on race

1515
01:02:47,546 --> 01:02:50,331
and racism, and, you know,
and-- and those,

1516
01:02:50,375 --> 01:02:54,379
and-- and encounters with,
uh, various ethnic groups.

1517
01:02:54,422 --> 01:02:55,989
Primarily white folks.

1518
01:02:56,033 --> 01:02:57,686
I used to let
white folks have it, man,

1519
01:02:57,730 --> 01:02:59,471
just right out the gate.

1520
01:02:59,514 --> 01:03:01,299
Just, you know,
"Let me tell you something.

1521
01:03:01,342 --> 01:03:04,606
Your pathological greed
and compulsive need for control

1522
01:03:04,650 --> 01:03:07,348
has been the single
most source of pain and misery

1523
01:03:07,392 --> 01:03:10,525
for people of color throughout
this world for generations!"

1524
01:03:10,569 --> 01:03:13,398
But I try not to say
things like that anymore.

1525
01:03:13,441 --> 01:03:16,531
[audience laughs]

1526
01:03:16,575 --> 01:03:18,795
'Cause I have found
once you have said

1527
01:03:18,838 --> 01:03:20,797
something like that
to a white person,

1528
01:03:20,840 --> 01:03:22,973
you almost never
get a second date.

1529
01:03:23,016 --> 01:03:25,192
-You know what I mean?
-[audience laughs]

1530
01:03:25,236 --> 01:03:27,107
'Cause I was really
influenced by Richard Pryor

1531
01:03:27,151 --> 01:03:29,893
and all those things, so I--
I really like stuff about race,

1532
01:03:29,936 --> 01:03:32,591
and just, you know, um...

1533
01:03:32,634 --> 01:03:34,593
I don't know what the truth is,
but, you know,

1534
01:03:34,636 --> 01:03:36,160
things that were just more--

1535
01:03:37,204 --> 01:03:39,076
I don't know, confrontational.

1536
01:03:39,119 --> 01:03:41,513
[Lance Crouther] Somebody
I heard earlier mention Chica--

1537
01:03:41,556 --> 01:03:43,167
you know,
who's your favorite comedian,

1538
01:03:43,210 --> 01:03:45,299
and you mention somebody
nobody's ever heard of.

1539
01:03:45,865 --> 01:03:48,259
And that was me with Dwayne,
'cause I would say, you know,

1540
01:03:48,302 --> 01:03:49,869
someone-- "Who was the funniest
person you know outside?"

1541
01:03:49,913 --> 01:03:52,002
"Oh, Dwayne Kennedy." [laughs]

1542
01:03:52,045 --> 01:03:53,525
And people go,
"Who the hell is that?"

1543
01:03:53,568 --> 01:03:54,743
I don't know
who Dwayne Kennedy is.

1544
01:03:54,787 --> 01:03:56,093
Yeah, no.

1545
01:03:56,136 --> 01:03:57,268
Dwayne Kennedy?

1546
01:03:58,356 --> 01:03:59,879
No. Not off the top of my head.

1547
01:04:00,662 --> 01:04:02,447
Who is he?

1548
01:04:02,490 --> 01:04:04,405
Dwayne Kennedy's, like,
the Picasso of stand-up comedy.

1549
01:04:04,449 --> 01:04:07,017
But the Modigliani
of personal finances.

1550
01:04:08,235 --> 01:04:12,022
I remember Dwayne
having notebooks,

1551
01:04:12,065 --> 01:04:13,675
hundreds of notebooks.

1552
01:04:13,719 --> 01:04:15,199
I would look at these notebooks,
and I would just

1553
01:04:15,242 --> 01:04:17,941
start laughing
hysterically out loud.

1554
01:04:17,984 --> 01:04:19,899
Like,
tears rolling down my eyes.

1555
01:04:19,943 --> 01:04:22,423
In fact, I took one of these
notebooks to a Bulls game.

1556
01:04:22,467 --> 01:04:24,077
An early one with Jordan.

1557
01:04:24,817 --> 01:04:26,514
And I remember Jordan dunking,

1558
01:04:26,558 --> 01:04:28,865
and I wasn't even
paying attention to the game

1559
01:04:28,908 --> 01:04:31,606
'cause I was screaming laughing.
So I go to Dwayne,

1560
01:04:31,650 --> 01:04:33,434
I said "Dwayne, man,
you gotta do this!"

1561
01:04:33,478 --> 01:04:35,262
"Ah, man, I didn't--
I didn't-- That's not funny."

1562
01:04:36,350 --> 01:04:38,439
I go, "You--
you gotta be kiddin, man!"

1563
01:04:38,483 --> 01:04:41,181
He's like, "I-- It--
it's just not workin' for me."

1564
01:04:41,225 --> 01:04:44,097
So his-- What he considered
his worst material

1565
01:04:44,141 --> 01:04:45,794
would have been--

1566
01:04:45,838 --> 01:04:48,406
made four
other people's careers.

1567
01:04:50,060 --> 01:04:51,713
But Dwayne's a nut.

1568
01:04:51,757 --> 01:04:53,890
I'm thinkin' I gotta get
back into stand-up, man.

1569
01:04:54,499 --> 01:04:57,502
You know. I don't know
when the Rona's gonna die out,

1570
01:04:57,545 --> 01:05:00,809
but I'm gonna get-- I'm gonna
get boosted, re-boosted Monday.

1571
01:05:01,680 --> 01:05:04,770
Maybe I'll crawl back up
on the stage Tuesday.

1572
01:05:06,467 --> 01:05:08,687
[chuckles] And then Wednesday,

1573
01:05:08,730 --> 01:05:11,298
Wednesday morning,
regret that decision.

1574
01:05:11,342 --> 01:05:13,039
So Dwayne made a video tape--

1575
01:05:13,083 --> 01:05:15,041
You know, you shoot--
you work a club

1576
01:05:15,085 --> 01:05:17,087
and you get, like,
a little video tape of your--

1577
01:05:17,130 --> 01:05:19,393
your act,
about five minutes long.

1578
01:05:19,437 --> 01:05:22,092
Dwayne took that video,
he sent it to this guy in LA,

1579
01:05:22,135 --> 01:05:25,269
who showed the video to NBC.

1580
01:05:25,312 --> 01:05:27,097
They signed Dwayne.

1581
01:05:27,140 --> 01:05:31,014
So that year,
he was on Seinfeldvideo 227,

1582
01:05:31,057 --> 01:05:34,147
and he did the other one where
he was Halle Berry's boyfriend.

1583
01:05:34,191 --> 01:05:35,496
Nobody knew who Halle Berry was.

1584
01:05:35,540 --> 01:05:37,281
He was bigger than Halle Berry.

1585
01:05:37,803 --> 01:05:39,761
Oh, boy. Depressing.

1586
01:05:39,805 --> 01:05:41,807
Do you know how people
are really good at something,

1587
01:05:41,850 --> 01:05:45,637
so if you're just
a little not good at something,

1588
01:05:45,680 --> 01:05:49,293
you work harder, and it actually
probably helps you with success?

1589
01:05:49,336 --> 01:05:51,208
Like, if you're
perfect at something

1590
01:05:51,251 --> 01:05:54,951
where it just almost is--
it's like eating breakfast?

1591
01:05:55,734 --> 01:05:57,997
So you don't really think of it
as a gift or a skill.

1592
01:05:58,041 --> 01:05:59,477
You just think of,
I'm eating breakfast.

1593
01:05:59,520 --> 01:06:01,174
So Dwayne is that good,
where he just--

1594
01:06:01,218 --> 01:06:03,176
he's eating breakfast.

1595
01:06:03,220 --> 01:06:05,700
[Dwayne] I was eating it pretty
regularly up until last week.

1596
01:06:06,440 --> 01:06:07,615
I'm gettin' back on it.

1597
01:06:09,574 --> 01:06:10,967
I'll get some running shoes.

1598
01:06:12,751 --> 01:06:16,059
You know, plaid. [laughs]

1599
01:06:16,102 --> 01:06:17,625
It's not like
the end of Trainspotting.

1600
01:06:17,669 --> 01:06:19,627
[laughs]

1601
01:06:20,585 --> 01:06:23,457
Get running shoes, join a gym.

1602
01:06:23,501 --> 01:06:26,286
Hit a treadmill.
Lift some weights.

1603
01:06:26,330 --> 01:06:29,289
If he was
a little less good-- [laughs]

1604
01:06:29,333 --> 01:06:31,291
he probably would have
been successful,

1605
01:06:31,335 --> 01:06:33,902
'cause he would have had more
motivation to achieve something.

1606
01:06:36,079 --> 01:06:39,256
Lance and Ali wrote
on The Chris Rock Show.

1607
01:06:40,083 --> 01:06:42,302
Lance goes on
to become Pootie Tang.

1608
01:06:42,346 --> 01:06:43,956
And so I end up in a movie.

1609
01:06:44,000 --> 01:06:45,871
[laughs]

1610
01:06:45,914 --> 01:06:47,699
And it was crazy,
it was this weird movie

1611
01:06:47,742 --> 01:06:48,961
that everybody thought
was gonna be

1612
01:06:49,005 --> 01:06:51,007
like a Black Austin Powers,

1613
01:06:51,050 --> 01:06:53,357
and I was workin' on
On The Record with Bob Costas.

1614
01:06:53,966 --> 01:06:57,187
So I said,
"Bob, what if you introduce me

1615
01:06:57,230 --> 01:07:00,625
and say 'This is Pootie Tang,
blah, blah, blah'?"

1616
01:07:00,668 --> 01:07:02,670
And he goes,
"I'd love to do it!"

1617
01:07:02,714 --> 01:07:04,629
The movie comes out.

1618
01:07:04,672 --> 01:07:06,283
The New York Timesgives it
a really good review.

1619
01:07:06,326 --> 01:07:08,241
Everybody else,
"It's the worst movie ever."

1620
01:07:08,285 --> 01:07:10,983
Who do they single out?
Bob Costas.

1621
01:07:11,027 --> 01:07:13,464
Bob Costas is in every review.

1622
01:07:13,507 --> 01:07:15,553
"How dare you be in this trash!"

1623
01:07:15,596 --> 01:07:17,990
I get a call from Bob Costas.

1624
01:07:18,034 --> 01:07:20,993
"I try to do
favors for friends."

1625
01:07:21,037 --> 01:07:24,649
I go "Friends? I never heard
Bob say that I'm Bob's friend!

1626
01:07:24,692 --> 01:07:27,130
Never heard that one before.
Okay!"

1627
01:07:27,173 --> 01:07:31,047
But sometimes you get
burnt in the ass, okay?

1628
01:07:31,090 --> 01:07:32,744
I'm not Bob's friend anymore!

1629
01:07:32,787 --> 01:07:35,268
In the same sentence,
it happened. [chuckles]

1630
01:07:36,008 --> 01:07:38,054
"Gee,
I wish I had never done that!"

1631
01:07:38,097 --> 01:07:39,490
He actually said that to me.

1632
01:07:39,533 --> 01:07:42,101
I go, "Wow,
I couldn't feel worse."

1633
01:07:42,145 --> 01:07:43,929
[laughs]

1634
01:07:43,972 --> 01:07:47,498
But over time,
I would get a call from Bob

1635
01:07:47,541 --> 01:07:49,978
or run into him,
and he would go...

1636
01:07:51,110 --> 01:07:52,981
"That movie, I hate it."

1637
01:07:53,025 --> 01:07:54,635
And then next time I'd see him,
"That movie is all right."

1638
01:07:54,679 --> 01:07:56,594
Next time I'd see him,

1639
01:07:56,637 --> 01:07:58,248
"Me and my son went to see
that movie again. Wasn't bad."

1640
01:07:58,291 --> 01:07:59,466
And next I'd see him,
"I love the movie!"

1641
01:07:59,510 --> 01:08:01,207
And so based on Bob, I would go,

1642
01:08:01,251 --> 01:08:03,992
"Oh, that's where
the movie is, and the culture."

1643
01:08:04,036 --> 01:08:06,691
Because it's become
this cult thing,

1644
01:08:06,734 --> 01:08:10,129
that it went from
horrible, horrible, horrible

1645
01:08:10,173 --> 01:08:13,132
to "Oh, that's really
a kooky, crazy thing,"

1646
01:08:13,176 --> 01:08:17,310
and that performance
is Mary Wong in its essence.

1647
01:08:17,354 --> 01:08:20,705
Whatever you expect, let's try
to flip the expectation. What

1648
01:08:20,748 --> 01:08:22,533
can we do to help him?

1649
01:08:22,576 --> 01:08:25,188
We could send them
to a drug rehabilitation center.

1650
01:08:25,231 --> 01:08:28,887
This would all cost
the taxpayers 23.50 a day.

1651
01:08:28,930 --> 01:08:31,498
Eventually, he'd be through it
and he'd leave the center,

1652
01:08:31,542 --> 01:08:34,632
but knowing him, he'd probably
start drinking again,

1653
01:08:34,675 --> 01:08:37,896
-[indistinct]
-And before you know it,

1654
01:08:37,939 --> 01:08:39,898
he'd end up
right back here again,

1655
01:08:39,941 --> 01:08:43,641
a drunken asshole, once again
costing us 23.50 a day.

1656
01:08:43,684 --> 01:08:47,471
-So...
-[audience laughs]

1657
01:08:52,606 --> 01:08:54,869
There was a club
in Oak Lawn, Illinois,

1658
01:08:54,913 --> 01:08:57,002
which is right next to Chicago.

1659
01:08:57,045 --> 01:08:59,265
So basically, just Chicago club

1660
01:08:59,309 --> 01:09:01,267
called, the, uh,
the Barrel of Laughs.

1661
01:09:01,311 --> 01:09:03,400
And this was a club that, uh,

1662
01:09:03,443 --> 01:09:05,271
a cat named Bill Brady
used to run.

1663
01:09:05,315 --> 01:09:07,578
We had an entranceway
that looked like a barrel,

1664
01:09:07,621 --> 01:09:09,145
so we came through the barrel.

1665
01:09:09,188 --> 01:09:10,885
Our tables
were made out of barrels.

1666
01:09:10,929 --> 01:09:13,279
So it was natural
to call it the Barrel of Laughs.

1667
01:09:13,323 --> 01:09:16,456
[Dwayne]
And now that was a place

1668
01:09:16,500 --> 01:09:20,373
where you might
encounter some things.

1669
01:09:20,417 --> 01:09:23,071
I was a customer at a place
called Senese's Winery,

1670
01:09:23,115 --> 01:09:24,638
and it was a, uh, restaurant.

1671
01:09:24,682 --> 01:09:27,598
When I got into comedy
back in 1976,

1672
01:09:27,641 --> 01:09:30,688
I proposed the idea
to Tom and Terry Senese

1673
01:09:30,731 --> 01:09:32,342
about taking over
a Tuesday night,

1674
01:09:32,385 --> 01:09:34,257
which they had nothing
there on Tuesday nights,

1675
01:09:34,300 --> 01:09:36,041
to do a comedy show.

1676
01:09:36,084 --> 01:09:38,435
We used to go to Senese's
as a family for dinner!

1677
01:09:38,478 --> 01:09:39,958
Mother's Day, Father's Day.

1678
01:09:40,001 --> 01:09:42,221
And I would see
the signs as a kid,

1679
01:09:42,265 --> 01:09:44,484
so when I started doing
open mics, believe it or not,

1680
01:09:44,528 --> 01:09:47,922
it was one of my dreams
to work at the Barrel of Laughs.

1681
01:09:47,966 --> 01:09:52,536
Um, did I know that it was
a closed-minded, racist club?

1682
01:09:52,579 --> 01:09:54,015
Probably not.

1683
01:09:54,059 --> 01:09:56,017
I remember one time
I was on stage,

1684
01:09:56,061 --> 01:09:58,716
and I was, you know,
whatever I was doing...

1685
01:09:59,673 --> 01:10:01,675
and a woman...

1686
01:10:02,676 --> 01:10:05,679
kept just yellin' out,
"Are you Black?"

1687
01:10:06,680 --> 01:10:08,508
And, um...

1688
01:10:08,552 --> 01:10:11,250
uh, you know, I don't know
why, uh, she needed ver--

1689
01:10:11,294 --> 01:10:13,252
to have it verified to her.

1690
01:10:13,296 --> 01:10:15,254
I don't know what was goin' on,
I don't know if she was, like--

1691
01:10:15,298 --> 01:10:17,256
the-- that she was
the scout for the group.

1692
01:10:17,300 --> 01:10:19,824
Somebody in the audience said

1693
01:10:19,867 --> 01:10:22,043
something like
"rat-faced Jew..."

1694
01:10:22,087 --> 01:10:25,395
[laughs] ...to me
from the audience,

1695
01:10:25,438 --> 01:10:28,528
and I-- I was, uh,
pretty taken aback.

1696
01:10:29,312 --> 01:10:31,662
I don't remember
what I said, but I was--

1697
01:10:31,705 --> 01:10:33,838
The funny thing was,
I was having a good set.

1698
01:10:33,881 --> 01:10:35,796
I grew up in that neighborhood!
And it was just the way

1699
01:10:35,840 --> 01:10:37,668
that everybody thought,
except for my family, 'cause,

1700
01:10:37,711 --> 01:10:39,409
you know, we're smarter,
sharper.

1701
01:10:39,452 --> 01:10:41,454
I used to call that place
the "Barrel of Bigots."

1702
01:10:41,498 --> 01:10:43,587
And then Bill found out
I was callin' it that,

1703
01:10:43,630 --> 01:10:45,763
and he didn't think it was
as funny as I thought it was.

1704
01:10:45,806 --> 01:10:49,810
Now, comedy is-- is,
uh, um, very subjective,

1705
01:10:49,854 --> 01:10:51,986
because what one person
thinks is funny,

1706
01:10:52,030 --> 01:10:53,988
another person
doesn't think is funny.

1707
01:10:54,032 --> 01:10:57,427
I like Bill, and to his credit,
he gave me stage time.

1708
01:10:57,470 --> 01:11:01,169
But he would-- he would never
really put anybody in check.

1709
01:11:01,213 --> 01:11:03,171
You know,
he would never say, you know,

1710
01:11:03,215 --> 01:11:08,176
"Hey, listen, you, uh, gotta,
you know, tone down on the--

1711
01:11:08,220 --> 01:11:11,136
on the interrogation 'til
the brother's show is over.

1712
01:11:11,179 --> 01:11:12,964
You know, once the show is over,

1713
01:11:13,007 --> 01:11:15,183
you could ask him is he Black
all you want, you know?

1714
01:11:15,227 --> 01:11:17,011
I was wonderin' that myself."

1715
01:11:17,055 --> 01:11:19,405
Sometimes I'm questioned
about whether or not

1716
01:11:19,449 --> 01:11:23,061
it is our responsibility
as a booker or a club owner,

1717
01:11:23,104 --> 01:11:26,369
uh, as a host--
I hold all three hats--

1718
01:11:26,412 --> 01:11:28,936
uh, to educate
our audience to diversity.

1719
01:11:28,980 --> 01:11:32,200
Uh, I think, uh,
it is not really our job.

1720
01:11:32,244 --> 01:11:33,811
That should be done at home,

1721
01:11:33,854 --> 01:11:36,379
or in their church,
uh, or their schooling.

1722
01:11:36,422 --> 01:11:40,470
My job is to put on a--
a good, clean, funny show.

1723
01:11:40,513 --> 01:11:42,428
[Jimmy Pardo] He also had some
weird rule that you couldn't

1724
01:11:42,472 --> 01:11:44,604
say the F-word. You couldn't--
you couldn't say "fuck."

1725
01:11:44,648 --> 01:11:46,650
I don't know why I'm being clean
now. You couldn't say "fuck."

1726
01:11:46,693 --> 01:11:49,783
I kinda had the rule that if it
wasn't good enough for my mom

1727
01:11:49,827 --> 01:11:52,699
to hear, it wasn't good enough
for anybody's mom to hear.

1728
01:11:52,743 --> 01:11:55,006
But yet he could
put panties on his head.

1729
01:11:55,049 --> 01:11:57,835
He could dance around.
He said "leprecoon" once.

1730
01:11:57,878 --> 01:11:59,619
That's acceptable.

1731
01:11:59,663 --> 01:12:02,100
To be diplomatic,
I guess, he grew as a person.

1732
01:12:02,143 --> 01:12:04,407
I don't think he's done
that "leprecoon" bit in weeks.

1733
01:12:04,450 --> 01:12:06,234
-[interviewer laughs]
-And I like Bill!

1734
01:12:06,278 --> 01:12:08,106
I love Bill,
I think he's a good man.

1735
01:12:08,149 --> 01:12:09,934
He would turn a stool
upside-down and say,

1736
01:12:09,977 --> 01:12:11,936
"Seating for four on
the North Side, because--

1737
01:12:11,979 --> 01:12:14,504
You know, 'cause they're queers
up there, Jim! They're queers!

1738
01:12:14,547 --> 01:12:17,507
But don't say fuck! For the
love of God, don't say fuck!"

1739
01:12:18,203 --> 01:12:22,338
When he wasn't there?
Aw, man, the fucks would fly.

1740
01:12:22,381 --> 01:12:23,904
I hear they're
trying to quit swearing.

1741
01:12:23,948 --> 01:12:25,906
[audience laughs]

1742
01:12:25,950 --> 01:12:28,474
I think it's-- I think
it's easier to quit heroin.

1743
01:12:28,518 --> 01:12:30,650
I feel like eight hours
without swearin',

1744
01:12:30,694 --> 01:12:33,523
they all come out at once,
and obviously at the worst time.

1745
01:12:33,566 --> 01:12:35,699
I'd be talking to my mom
on the phone, and it's like,

1746
01:12:35,742 --> 01:12:37,483
"Steve, what'd you do
for your birthday?"

1747
01:12:37,527 --> 01:12:39,964
-"Well, I got fucked up!"
-[audience laughs]

1748
01:12:40,007 --> 01:12:42,401
"Oh, fuck! Oh! Shit!

1749
01:12:42,445 --> 01:12:45,404
Um, goddamn,
well, fuck me a bitch!

1750
01:12:45,448 --> 01:12:48,102
-[audience laughter]
-Happy Motherfucker's Day!"

1751
01:12:48,146 --> 01:12:52,063
[audience laughs]

1752
01:12:52,106 --> 01:12:54,935
So what I would do
to replace the word "fuck"

1753
01:12:54,979 --> 01:12:56,850
was I would say "goddamn,"

1754
01:12:56,894 --> 01:13:00,376
and I didn't realize that
was worse, uh, in his mind,

1755
01:13:00,419 --> 01:13:04,684
and I got a phone call after my
first-- uh, first night there,

1756
01:13:04,728 --> 01:13:06,556
saying, "We got-- we got
a lot of phone calls today.

1757
01:13:06,599 --> 01:13:08,427
A lot of calls today.

1758
01:13:08,471 --> 01:13:10,124
Uh, they're not happy
with you saying 'goddamn.'"

1759
01:13:10,168 --> 01:13:13,040
It's like, really?
What'd you get, no phone calls?

1760
01:13:13,084 --> 01:13:15,260
How many-- Zero. I'm gonna
guess zero phone calls.

1761
01:13:15,303 --> 01:13:18,437
Uh, but, you know, Bill
didn't wanna take the, uh,

1762
01:13:18,481 --> 01:13:20,439
didn't wanna take it
upon himself, so, you know,

1763
01:13:20,483 --> 01:13:22,920
a lot of people were calling in
complaining about this guy--

1764
01:13:22,963 --> 01:13:24,530
They should have been
complaining that I wasn't funny.

1765
01:13:24,574 --> 01:13:26,227
That would have been
a better complaint!

1766
01:13:26,271 --> 01:13:28,229
He basically--
They even started having, like,

1767
01:13:28,273 --> 01:13:31,189
a smattering of Black people
or non-whites in the audience,

1768
01:13:31,232 --> 01:13:32,973
so things changed.

1769
01:13:33,017 --> 01:13:35,019
And then it closed.
Maybe that's why it closed.

1770
01:13:35,062 --> 01:13:37,848
That--
It's one too many non-whites.

1771
01:13:37,891 --> 01:13:41,504
♪

1772
01:13:41,547 --> 01:13:46,683
At one time, Chicago had 17
full-time stand-up comedy clubs.

1773
01:13:46,726 --> 01:13:50,426
The jumping the shark
moment of comedy clubs was,

1774
01:13:50,469 --> 01:13:55,169
I worked at the Funny Firm one
week, and there was 13 shows.

1775
01:13:55,213 --> 01:13:56,910
There was too much supply
for the demand.

1776
01:13:56,954 --> 01:14:00,392
So Len Austrevich
did something which I think

1777
01:14:00,436 --> 01:14:04,222
was impressive
and insane. [laughs]

1778
01:14:04,265 --> 01:14:07,051
Uh, there was a process
called "papering the room."

1779
01:14:07,094 --> 01:14:09,967
I kind of took the idea of, um,

1780
01:14:10,010 --> 01:14:13,100
"drop your business card and
you could win a dinner for two,"

1781
01:14:13,144 --> 01:14:15,146
and kind of took it
to the next level.

1782
01:14:15,189 --> 01:14:16,930
You give away free tickets,

1783
01:14:16,974 --> 01:14:18,628
and then you make
all this money on the drinks.

1784
01:14:18,671 --> 01:14:20,151
Now we're able to
at least pay our payroll,

1785
01:14:20,194 --> 01:14:21,674
and we're-- can pay the rent.

1786
01:14:21,718 --> 01:14:23,502
And it worked great for a while.

1787
01:14:23,546 --> 01:14:25,330
Well, now the Improv
has nobody in their audience

1788
01:14:25,373 --> 01:14:26,853
because everybody's going to
the Funny Firm 'cause it's free.

1789
01:14:26,897 --> 01:14:28,507
Well, then what's the Improv do?

1790
01:14:28,551 --> 01:14:30,117
They start giving away
a bunch of free tickets too!

1791
01:14:30,161 --> 01:14:31,379
I remember all this
radio shows I would do,

1792
01:14:31,423 --> 01:14:33,251
and I'd be giving away tickets.

1793
01:14:33,294 --> 01:14:34,948
Like, it's probably easier
to get 'em for free than to pay.

1794
01:14:34,992 --> 01:14:36,254
[laughs]

1795
01:14:36,297 --> 01:14:39,170
In this reporter's opinion...

1796
01:14:40,606 --> 01:14:43,304
I think that the Funny Firm
starting to paper

1797
01:14:43,348 --> 01:14:45,829
was the demise of
the Chicago comedy scene.

1798
01:14:45,872 --> 01:14:50,224
♪

1799
01:14:50,268 --> 01:14:52,096
[Mike Siegel] I started comedy,
my first open mic in

1800
01:14:52,139 --> 01:14:56,230
May of 1990. And at that time,
it was the tail end

1801
01:14:56,274 --> 01:14:59,277
of the comedy boom, and
there was-- I think I counted,

1802
01:14:59,320 --> 01:15:01,148
between the Chicago
and the suburbs,

1803
01:15:01,192 --> 01:15:03,499
about 14 full-time comedy clubs.

1804
01:15:03,542 --> 01:15:07,720
Within six months to a year,
half of those places closed.

1805
01:15:07,764 --> 01:15:11,594
And within about two more years,
half of those places closed.

1806
01:15:12,769 --> 01:15:14,335
[Jimmy Pardo]
Do I wanna point directly

1807
01:15:14,379 --> 01:15:15,511
at the Funny Firm for that?

1808
01:15:15,554 --> 01:15:17,513
Yes.

1809
01:15:17,556 --> 01:15:19,166
Is it because that I didn't--
I didn't work there very often?

1810
01:15:19,210 --> 01:15:19,993
Probably.

1811
01:15:21,647 --> 01:15:25,085
♪

1812
01:15:25,129 --> 01:15:27,914
[Dwayne] This is
the old Barrel of Laughs,

1813
01:15:27,958 --> 01:15:31,265
and now it has become
a Family Dollar.

1814
01:15:32,571 --> 01:15:33,659
Oh, boy.

1815
01:15:33,703 --> 01:15:39,273
♪

1816
01:15:39,317 --> 01:15:42,189
And then like in the '90s,
when it hit the skids,

1817
01:15:42,233 --> 01:15:44,061
then the money
was cut back and they go,

1818
01:15:44,104 --> 01:15:46,977
"We don't pay air no more,"
and, you know,

1819
01:15:47,020 --> 01:15:50,197
I had four kids and
I was already both feet in...

1820
01:15:51,155 --> 01:15:53,200
and I didn't wanna go back
to drivin' a truck.

1821
01:15:58,075 --> 01:16:00,991
For me, it was really
funny because as I, uh,

1822
01:16:01,034 --> 01:16:04,124
as I progressed and-- and--
and became more successful

1823
01:16:04,168 --> 01:16:06,518
in the business, um,

1824
01:16:06,562 --> 01:16:09,390
the-- the-- the money
was goin' down.

1825
01:16:09,434 --> 01:16:13,264
So I didn't really notice
that I was going up

1826
01:16:13,307 --> 01:16:14,918
or that the money
was goin' down,

1827
01:16:14,961 --> 01:16:17,921
'cause for me,
it just stayed exactly the same

1828
01:16:17,964 --> 01:16:19,400
for 20 years.

1829
01:16:23,317 --> 01:16:27,017
Bob Odenkirk and I
sat outside Zanies,

1830
01:16:27,060 --> 01:16:28,975
sat outside Second City
many times,

1831
01:16:29,019 --> 01:16:32,631
talking about how
the comedy scene

1832
01:16:32,675 --> 01:16:34,546
in this city was ignoring us.

1833
01:16:35,068 --> 01:16:37,027
At least on the larger level,
I mean.

1834
01:16:37,070 --> 01:16:38,985
What we were gonna do.
Just failing.

1835
01:16:39,029 --> 01:16:40,900
You know,
feel like we were failures.

1836
01:16:40,944 --> 01:16:42,772
I think there are a lot of
successful comedians in Chicago.

1837
01:16:42,815 --> 01:16:44,382
It's more working class.

1838
01:16:44,425 --> 01:16:46,514
There's, uh,
hundreds of comedians

1839
01:16:46,558 --> 01:16:47,820
that actually make a living.

1840
01:16:51,215 --> 01:16:52,651
[Rocky LaPorte]
You tough it out, you know?

1841
01:16:52,695 --> 01:16:54,697
And you just--
you gotta work more.

1842
01:16:54,740 --> 01:16:56,960
As time went on, I became more
confident in what I was doing.

1843
01:16:57,003 --> 01:17:00,485
I did start to do-- Like,
Bernie Mac used to have a room

1844
01:17:00,528 --> 01:17:02,574
that we do when he was in town.

1845
01:17:02,618 --> 01:17:04,924
Uh, this place Milt Trenier's
that he would do

1846
01:17:04,968 --> 01:17:07,057
on every Tuesday
if he was in town.

1847
01:17:07,100 --> 01:17:09,799
And I did his room,
and it was fantastic.

1848
01:17:09,842 --> 01:17:11,409
But-- See,
but here's the thing...

1849
01:17:12,410 --> 01:17:16,632
Bernie trained
his audiences, you know?

1850
01:17:16,675 --> 01:17:18,503
He-- When you came in,
he would tell you,

1851
01:17:18,546 --> 01:17:21,724
"Look, you know,
you-- you take your hats off,

1852
01:17:21,767 --> 01:17:24,988
you-- there's no cell phones,
there's-- you know,

1853
01:17:25,031 --> 01:17:26,424
there's no heckling."

1854
01:17:26,467 --> 01:17:28,252
You know,
you respect the artist.

1855
01:17:28,295 --> 01:17:30,297
So that was cool.
So he groomed the audience,

1856
01:17:30,341 --> 01:17:33,692
and so anybody who was-- who was
inclined to do those things,

1857
01:17:33,736 --> 01:17:35,694
they didn't--
they didn't show up at his room.

1858
01:17:35,738 --> 01:17:38,131
Bernie was different from, um...

1859
01:17:39,306 --> 01:17:42,266
other Black, uh, comics.

1860
01:17:42,309 --> 01:17:45,182
Like, his shows
started at eight,

1861
01:17:45,225 --> 01:17:46,792
and I opened up.

1862
01:17:46,836 --> 01:17:49,099
I was on the stage at 8:01.

1863
01:17:49,142 --> 01:17:53,973
The audience wasn't there
until 8:15, 8:20,

1864
01:17:54,017 --> 01:17:58,151
so they're slowly straggling in.

1865
01:17:58,195 --> 01:18:01,241
Uh, they're, "Who was this--
who was this brother?"

1866
01:18:01,285 --> 01:18:04,505
And, uh, and they hated me
in the beginning.

1867
01:18:04,549 --> 01:18:06,333
They hated me with a passion.

1868
01:18:06,377 --> 01:18:08,205
And I knew
I was gonna get booed,

1869
01:18:08,248 --> 01:18:09,946
'cause I was
a clean Christian comic.

1870
01:18:09,989 --> 01:18:13,558
It was funny to me
that they hated me so much.

1871
01:18:13,601 --> 01:18:16,561
And they would,
uh, they would cuss me out,

1872
01:18:16,604 --> 01:18:19,695
and their veins
would be showing.

1873
01:18:19,738 --> 01:18:23,220
And but because I have been
doing comedy for so long,

1874
01:18:23,263 --> 01:18:25,875
they didn't scare me.
I'd just pause, and I--

1875
01:18:25,918 --> 01:18:30,314
I would say, "Hey,
if you're quiet, I could finish,

1876
01:18:30,357 --> 01:18:32,446
and then Bernie could come out."

1877
01:18:32,490 --> 01:18:35,145
-And silence.
-[crickets chirping]

1878
01:18:36,276 --> 01:18:38,931
And he told me,
he said, "Tony...

1879
01:18:39,715 --> 01:18:41,891
understand, if you were dirty,

1880
01:18:41,934 --> 01:18:44,154
I would have to be dirtier.

1881
01:18:44,763 --> 01:18:47,331
So it's cool that you're clean.

1882
01:18:47,940 --> 01:18:49,681
His first line was

1883
01:18:49,725 --> 01:18:52,031
"Church is over,
motherfuckers!"

1884
01:18:52,945 --> 01:18:55,165
That-- that would be
his first line.

1885
01:18:55,208 --> 01:18:57,776
'Cause I've been clean
for 30 minutes,

1886
01:18:57,820 --> 01:18:59,778
and then he would come out,

1887
01:18:59,822 --> 01:19:03,956
and people'd be rolling, "Yeah!
Church is over, motherfuckers!"

1888
01:19:04,000 --> 01:19:07,177
[audience applauding]

1889
01:19:07,220 --> 01:19:09,788
It's still really, really...

1890
01:19:09,832 --> 01:19:12,312
I've had the fortunate
experience of touring with him

1891
01:19:12,356 --> 01:19:15,576
for the Kings of Comedy Tour,
so we did 30 dates together,

1892
01:19:15,620 --> 01:19:17,274
and a lot of times
I would ride with him,

1893
01:19:17,317 --> 01:19:19,276
you know, same place,
same hotel, same limo,

1894
01:19:19,319 --> 01:19:20,930
so you got a lot of exposure.

1895
01:19:20,973 --> 01:19:23,628
But he told me earlier
in my career, he said--

1896
01:19:23,671 --> 01:19:26,109
Two things. He said, "That first
hour of material's gonna come,

1897
01:19:26,152 --> 01:19:28,285
that second hour's
gonna be difficult.

1898
01:19:28,328 --> 01:19:30,766
And pay your taxes, pimp!"

1899
01:19:30,809 --> 01:19:32,376
And he was right about both.

1900
01:19:32,419 --> 01:19:34,030
The first hour came,
and I fought to get

1901
01:19:34,073 --> 01:19:35,988
to the second hour,
and I still owe taxes.

1902
01:19:36,772 --> 01:19:38,817
He was very influential.

1903
01:19:38,861 --> 01:19:41,646
He just kind of was,
you know, like, hand-in-hand

1904
01:19:41,689 --> 01:19:43,039
with what eventually
would become

1905
01:19:43,082 --> 01:19:44,344
the Def Comedy Jam movement.

1906
01:19:44,388 --> 01:19:45,563
That whole thing.

1907
01:19:45,606 --> 01:19:47,217
He spoke to a certain audience,

1908
01:19:47,260 --> 01:19:49,654
but the thing
I appreciated most about it,

1909
01:19:49,697 --> 01:19:50,786
and it was brilliant.

1910
01:19:51,482 --> 01:19:52,570
He never changed.

1911
01:19:52,613 --> 01:19:54,702
He just never gave up.

1912
01:19:54,746 --> 01:19:57,575
I never seen someb--
someone work as hard

1913
01:19:57,618 --> 01:19:59,533
and stay focused,
and then he used to all be--

1914
01:19:59,577 --> 01:20:01,405
always would,
Bernie would talk about

1915
01:20:01,448 --> 01:20:03,929
was being disciplined,
stayin' focused.

1916
01:20:03,973 --> 01:20:05,365
Uh, there's room at the Cross.

1917
01:20:05,409 --> 01:20:06,627
He was,
"There's room at the Cross?

1918
01:20:06,671 --> 01:20:08,412
You gotta sell what you want.

1919
01:20:08,455 --> 01:20:10,022
If you stay focused,
ain't nothing wrong with it.

1920
01:20:10,066 --> 01:20:11,850
You know you're gonna
make it sometime."

1921
01:20:11,894 --> 01:20:13,896
He was who he was gonna be,
and that was his act,

1922
01:20:13,939 --> 01:20:17,029
and you either liked it
or you didn't,

1923
01:20:17,073 --> 01:20:18,944
which I think is why
it took him probably as long

1924
01:20:18,988 --> 01:20:22,600
as it took him,
quote unquote, to "hit it huge."

1925
01:20:22,643 --> 01:20:24,994
When he died, it was, um...

1926
01:20:42,185 --> 01:20:43,882
he was a friend. [crying]

1927
01:20:44,709 --> 01:20:45,841
That's all.

1928
01:20:47,190 --> 01:20:50,976
There were 7,000 people.

1929
01:20:51,020 --> 01:20:52,108
[sniffs]

1930
01:21:00,116 --> 01:21:01,204
Yeah.

1931
01:21:08,037 --> 01:21:10,082
Such is-- such is life.

1932
01:21:11,083 --> 01:21:13,172
Yeah. He was a good friend.

1933
01:21:19,613 --> 01:21:21,354
I led with the comics
that influenced me.

1934
01:21:22,355 --> 01:21:25,968
You know what I'm saying? Like,
Deon Cole influenced me to know

1935
01:21:26,011 --> 01:21:28,013
that I guess we all can.

1936
01:21:28,057 --> 01:21:30,624
'Cause if-- You know when you
meet somebody that close to you,

1937
01:21:30,668 --> 01:21:32,670
like, you've seen
their rise a little bit,

1938
01:21:32,713 --> 01:21:34,933
you know what I mean? You like,
"Oh, this shit can happen!"

1939
01:21:34,977 --> 01:21:37,022
You can break into
the mainstream and be yourself,

1940
01:21:37,066 --> 01:21:40,025
and be funny, and get these
jobs, and write on stuff.

1941
01:21:40,069 --> 01:21:41,809
So it's like,
I hope I'm the same thing

1942
01:21:41,853 --> 01:21:43,724
for a bunch of other people.

1943
01:21:43,768 --> 01:21:46,423
You know what I'm sayin'?
And Hannibal is that, TJ's that.

1944
01:21:46,466 --> 01:21:49,513
I was doing acting classes
on the weekends during the day,

1945
01:21:49,556 --> 01:21:52,559
working an 8:00
to 6:00 p.m. job,

1946
01:21:52,603 --> 01:21:54,257
performing every single night,

1947
01:21:54,300 --> 01:21:57,477
and doing sketch also,
and improv, and video,

1948
01:21:57,521 --> 01:21:59,653
and stand-up,
and those acting classes,

1949
01:21:59,697 --> 01:22:02,221
ideally would lead
to some sort of commercial work.

1950
01:22:02,265 --> 01:22:04,397
Which they eventually did,
but I found out very quickly

1951
01:22:04,441 --> 01:22:07,139
if you work harder
than anybody else,

1952
01:22:07,183 --> 01:22:09,228
no matter what your talent is,
look at me.

1953
01:22:09,272 --> 01:22:11,622
You know, a modicum of talent,
mediocre talent.

1954
01:22:11,665 --> 01:22:13,711
-Please.
-Work ethic that far exceeds

1955
01:22:13,754 --> 01:22:15,408
-any of my peers--
-Well.

1956
01:22:15,452 --> 01:22:17,410
And Yogi Bear 3D.

1957
01:22:17,454 --> 01:22:20,022
A few years ago, I remember
I walked down to the Sony lot,

1958
01:22:20,065 --> 01:22:22,372
and there's a giant billboard
of The Goldbergs,

1959
01:22:22,415 --> 01:22:25,462
right next to a giant billboard
of Better Call Saul.

1960
01:22:25,505 --> 01:22:27,551
I took a picture of it
and sent it to him.

1961
01:22:27,594 --> 01:22:30,032
Um, I said
"Look at us now." [laughs]

1962
01:22:30,075 --> 01:22:31,598
The Chi makes--

1963
01:22:32,730 --> 01:22:34,732
Man, it makes
some strong people, man.

1964
01:22:34,775 --> 01:22:36,734
Chicago's known
for its gangster city.

1965
01:22:36,777 --> 01:22:39,041
Well, the comics is
gangsters too, motherfucker!

1966
01:22:39,084 --> 01:22:40,694
I go out to lunch a lot.

1967
01:22:42,392 --> 01:22:44,002
I work out.

1968
01:22:44,046 --> 01:22:46,222
I got clean. You know,
I cleaned up my act.

1969
01:22:46,265 --> 01:22:48,050
I go on a lot of meetings.

1970
01:22:48,093 --> 01:22:50,008
People really like me.
[chuckles]

1971
01:22:50,052 --> 01:22:51,618
Do they give me anything? No.

1972
01:22:51,662 --> 01:22:53,142
But they're like,
"She's so fun."

1973
01:22:53,185 --> 01:22:55,796
I drink a lot,
I smoke a lot of weed.

1974
01:22:55,840 --> 01:22:57,146
I write jokes.

1975
01:22:57,189 --> 01:22:58,756
Um, I give a lot of hugs.

1976
01:22:58,799 --> 01:23:00,236
Even to people that are like,

1977
01:23:00,279 --> 01:23:01,933
"I didn't think
she was gonna hug me."

1978
01:23:01,977 --> 01:23:03,848
So, I'm nice,
I like bop around, you know.

1979
01:23:03,891 --> 01:23:06,285
Chicago is a great place
to get good.

1980
01:23:06,329 --> 01:23:08,548
Chicago's not the place
where you're gonna get famous.

1981
01:23:08,592 --> 01:23:11,029
A lot of people will think you
have to move there eventually,

1982
01:23:11,073 --> 01:23:12,726
uh, New York or LA,

1983
01:23:12,770 --> 01:23:14,554
um, but I think
there is something to be said

1984
01:23:14,598 --> 01:23:18,210
for making a success
out of your career in Chicago,

1985
01:23:18,254 --> 01:23:20,212
where you live,
where other people

1986
01:23:20,256 --> 01:23:21,735
can have access to it.

1987
01:23:21,779 --> 01:23:24,390
What would be cool is if that

1988
01:23:24,434 --> 01:23:26,349
those people
who develop in Chicago,

1989
01:23:26,392 --> 01:23:30,962
there was enough going on as
far as, uh, national media that

1990
01:23:31,006 --> 01:23:33,834
they didn't have to necessarily
leave Chicago, you know?

1991
01:23:33,878 --> 01:23:36,533
That you could-- If there
was a nightly talk show

1992
01:23:36,576 --> 01:23:40,058
in Chicago or something where
comedians could get exposure,

1993
01:23:40,102 --> 01:23:42,191
you know,
just like they go to New York

1994
01:23:42,234 --> 01:23:44,410
to do Jimmy Fallon
or you go to LA

1995
01:23:44,454 --> 01:23:46,238
to tape a Netflix special.

1996
01:23:46,282 --> 01:23:48,719
If there was some shows
like that happening in Chicago,

1997
01:23:48,762 --> 01:23:50,808
then that would make it,
you know, full circle.

1998
01:23:50,851 --> 01:23:54,333
So you could develop in Chicago,
you could get good in Chicago,

1999
01:23:54,377 --> 01:23:57,684
and you could stay in Chicago
to get some national exposure.

2000
01:23:58,120 --> 01:23:59,208
I think--

2001
01:24:00,687 --> 01:24:02,733
I don't know, I think there is
a comedy boom right now.

2002
01:24:03,690 --> 01:24:06,954
Seems like a lot of people
wanna come see shows,

2003
01:24:06,998 --> 01:24:10,697
and they-- and-- and--
and the scene is-- is thrivin'.

2004
01:24:10,741 --> 01:24:13,265
I don't think the industry
has any idea how red-hot

2005
01:24:13,309 --> 01:24:15,180
stand-up is in Chicago,
I think the rest of the country

2006
01:24:15,224 --> 01:24:16,921
is gonna figure this out.

2007
01:24:16,964 --> 01:24:19,271
I am just waiting
for everyone to be brown.

2008
01:24:19,315 --> 01:24:21,012
I don't know how many
generations it's gonna take,

2009
01:24:21,056 --> 01:24:23,493
I don't know how many
Black and white people

2010
01:24:23,536 --> 01:24:26,496
need to make sweet,
sweet love to each other.

2011
01:24:26,539 --> 01:24:29,064
[Dwayne] You find now
there are Black folks

2012
01:24:29,107 --> 01:24:31,501
who are more open
as an audience,

2013
01:24:31,544 --> 01:24:34,591
more open to things
then they may have been

2014
01:24:34,634 --> 01:24:36,854
years and years ago,
as far as accepting

2015
01:24:36,897 --> 01:24:39,030
a certain type of style,

2016
01:24:39,074 --> 01:24:41,989
or certain type of comedian,
or a certain presentation.

2017
01:24:42,033 --> 01:24:45,863
I think Black folks
might be more open to that now,

2018
01:24:45,906 --> 01:24:48,300
as they-- than maybe
they would have been

2019
01:24:48,344 --> 01:24:50,694
ten or 15 or 20 years ago.

2020
01:24:50,737 --> 01:24:53,566
No, like,
we all want to like each other.

2021
01:24:53,610 --> 01:24:56,308
It's easier
to like other people.

2022
01:24:56,352 --> 01:24:59,572
It's tiring to dislike,
it's tiring to be-- to be angry,

2023
01:24:59,616 --> 01:25:01,183
so you could
show them opportunities

2024
01:25:01,226 --> 01:25:03,010
to laugh at each other.

2025
01:25:03,054 --> 01:25:05,448
So, that might be something.

2026
01:25:05,491 --> 01:25:07,014
I don't wanna speak
for all Black people.

2027
01:25:07,058 --> 01:25:08,538
I can hardly speak for myself.

2028
01:25:08,581 --> 01:25:10,322
Period, the end.

2029
01:25:10,366 --> 01:25:11,976
-I'm done.
-[interviewer] Yeah, yeah.

2030
01:25:12,019 --> 01:25:13,804
I've had it with you
and your interview.

2031
01:25:13,847 --> 01:25:15,197
-[interviewer] Yeah.
-Oh, my God, I'm not done yet!

2032
01:25:15,240 --> 01:25:17,373
He's trying to make me leave!

2033
01:25:21,246 --> 01:25:22,726
You get the point.

2034
01:25:22,769 --> 01:25:24,031
Got some funny people
in Chicago.

2035
01:25:24,075 --> 01:25:25,337
Had no ending to that.

2036
01:25:25,859 --> 01:25:26,947
Cut!

2037
01:25:26,991 --> 01:25:32,431
♪

2038
01:25:49,927 --> 01:25:53,887
♪ When I see you,
I think anything, oh ♪

2039
01:25:53,931 --> 01:25:56,803
♪ To be with you,
I'd do anything ♪

2040
01:25:56,847 --> 01:26:03,201
♪ To get you back
in here with me, no way ♪

2041
01:26:03,245 --> 01:26:06,422
♪ It's meant to be
and I'm feeling lucky ♪

2042
01:26:06,465 --> 01:26:09,816
♪ I'd do anything, oh,
I'm taking chances ♪

2043
01:26:09,860 --> 01:26:13,255
♪ I hope for everything
to get in here ♪

2044
01:26:13,298 --> 01:26:18,260
♪ Get by my side,
the way it is that we know ♪

2045
01:26:18,303 --> 01:26:20,610
♪ Need to hike up,
it's so hard ♪

2046
01:26:20,653 --> 01:26:24,266
♪ When I'm not thinkin'
so well, oh well, it's hard ♪

2047
01:26:24,309 --> 01:26:27,138
♪ When I'm not
thinkin' so well ♪

2048
01:26:28,400 --> 01:26:30,881
♪ I'm not thinkin' so well

2049
01:26:30,924 --> 01:26:34,189
♪ Oh well, oh well,
oh well, oh well ♪

2050
01:26:34,232 --> 01:26:37,453
♪ I'm seeing faces
I could never place ♪

2051
01:26:37,496 --> 01:26:42,022
♪ And I missed the races, but
I take second place for you ♪

2052
01:26:42,066 --> 01:26:45,548
♪ Oh well, it has to be to you

2053
01:26:45,591 --> 01:26:49,029
♪ Oh well, oh well,
it's so plain to see that ♪

2054
01:26:49,073 --> 01:26:52,816
♪ I had it so hard, 'cause
I'm not thinkin' so well ♪

2055
01:26:52,859 --> 01:26:56,472
♪ Oh well, it's hard
when I'm not thinkin' so well ♪

2056
01:26:57,864 --> 01:27:00,127
♪ I'm not thinkin' so well

2057
01:27:00,171 --> 01:27:04,175
♪ Oh well, oh well,
oh well, oh well ♪

2058
01:27:04,219 --> 01:27:07,613
♪ It wouldn't be
the same to me ♪

2059
01:27:07,657 --> 01:27:11,269
♪ It couldn't be
the same to me ♪

2060
01:27:11,313 --> 01:27:15,012
♪ It shouldn't be
the same to me ♪

2061
01:27:15,055 --> 01:27:19,495
♪ To you and me

2062
01:27:19,538 --> 01:27:24,587
♪

2063
01:27:32,247 --> 01:27:35,380
♪ And when I see you,
I see everything ♪

2064
01:27:35,424 --> 01:27:39,036
♪ Oh, and to hear you
I hear everything ♪

2065
01:27:39,079 --> 01:27:42,561
♪ Oh, and to touch you,
I touch everything ♪

2066
01:27:42,605 --> 01:27:46,173
♪ And if I smell you,
I smell everything ♪

2067
01:27:46,217 --> 01:27:49,699
♪ Oh, and to taste you,
I taste everything ♪

2068
01:27:49,742 --> 01:27:53,833
♪ Oh, and to know you,
I know everything, oh ♪

2069
01:27:53,877 --> 01:27:56,880
♪ And to hold you,
I hold everything ♪

2070
01:27:56,923 --> 01:28:00,362
♪ And if I scold you,
I scold everything ♪

2071
01:28:00,405 --> 01:28:04,409
♪ God, it's so hard
when I'm not thinkin' so well ♪

2072
01:28:04,453 --> 01:28:08,326
♪ Oh well, it's hard
when I'm not thinkin' so well ♪

2073
01:28:08,370 --> 01:28:10,720
♪ Oh well, oh well,
oh well, oh well ♪

2074
01:28:10,763 --> 01:28:14,332
♪ Oh well, oh well,
oh well, oh well, oh well ♪

2075
01:28:14,376 --> 01:28:17,901
♪ Oh well, oh well,
oh well, oh well, oh well ♪

2076
01:28:17,944 --> 01:28:21,513
♪ Oh well, oh well,
oh well, oh well, oh well ♪

2077
01:28:27,606 --> 01:28:29,391
You know, you used to have to
hire a rock and roll band,

2078
01:28:29,434 --> 01:28:31,044
-and those guys, it was--
-[knocking at door]

2079
01:28:31,088 --> 01:28:32,263
You know, those guys
were ruining the place.

2080
01:28:32,307 --> 01:28:33,656
Comics were easier to deal with.

2081
01:28:33,699 --> 01:28:35,135
Hold on,
I have to enter the vids.

2082
01:28:35,179 --> 01:28:36,354
-It's Steve Rudnick!
-[Alan] Oh.

2083
01:28:36,398 --> 01:28:38,182
-No.
-No, it's not, no.

2084
01:28:38,225 --> 01:28:39,836
-[Alan] It's not Rudnick?
-No, it's Alan Alter.

2085
01:28:39,879 --> 01:28:41,490
-Yeah, it's Alan Alter.
-It's only Alan Alter.

2086
01:28:41,533 --> 01:28:42,969
[Alan] I didn't wanna
pull up the door to be--

2087
01:28:43,013 --> 01:28:44,188
[interviewer] Oh,
don't worry about it. I mean,

2088
01:28:44,231 --> 01:28:45,015
we're editing, so we're good.