Our Interview With Doug Stanhope
Mr. Douglas Stanhope Esquire the 3rd I presume?Yes that was the first question. Actually first things first, we here at DamnCrackers.com wish to thank you for doing this interview with us and since this is a written interview that we are mailing to you, I am going to bank on you saying "you're welcome" right after this sentence.
I missed the question.
So now that we have the formal talk out of the way, on to the questions.Did you throw the Tonya Harding boxing match in 2004 because Don King told you too, or was there some other factor at work there?
She'd agreed to the fight but when she showed up she made it clear that she had no intention of actually fighting. She was scared out of her tit that we were going to embarrass her in some fashion and I really felt bad for her. Her soul was completely gone. A lot of the writers were trying to get me to pound her anyway but I couldn't do it. My wife at the time was in her corner and said that she both puked and pissed herself between rounds - we caught the puking on tape - and she was the one that was supposed to be trained and in shape. It was sad to be around.
Do you think the events of September 11th effected the state of comedy today? How so?
I really couldn't tell you. Entertainment in general has worn down to a low-water mark of dull but who could say how much of that is do to 9-11.
It seems in 2007 that America in general is getting more politically correct. Do you think comedy is going to keep following the trend in the main stream or will the public want to hear comedy that's going to shake things up?
Too many Jerry Seinfelds in the 80's made for the rise of Dice Clays and Sam Kinisons. Who knows what will spring out of the mothballs this time. But something has to change.
Do you think that comedians will hold back on some of their material because of the political correct movement that is going on now?
I wouldn't call it a movement. The term "politically correct" has been burned out for years. It'd be nice if people stopped making public apologies and going to rehab for saying anything deemed insensitive but it'd also be wonderful if people cared more about what they were saying than where it will get them.
What's your take on comedians who spend nine minutes on a set up with no punch line at the end?
Too vague a question. I'd have to hear the specific 9 minutes in question to form an opinion.
What underground comics do you like?
Sean Rouse, Rick Shapiro, Brian Holtzman, Joey Diaz, Brett Erickson, Travis Lipski, Andy Andrist, Brendon Walsh, Kristine Levine. I could go on but that'll give you a day of Google-hunting.
Since you did the Man Show with Joe Rogan, do you feel the same way he does about Carlos Mencia, or as Joe calls him, "Ned".
I don't live or work in LA so I don't have to worry about him stealing my shit. I appreciate what Joe did and his standing up for other comics but I have my own shit to worry about and my own battles to fight. I could give a fuck about Carlos Mencia. If he's a thief - and it would be hard to get a reputation like his for no reason - then he's stealing some pretty weak shit.
Do you find comedy is getting a little lazy by comics using a lot of physical humor for a punch line instead of crafting one with actual words?
I think the audiences are the ones to blame. There's always gonna be different styles of comedy. It's the fact that people yawp like monkeys at empty gesticulation that gets depressing.
Do you think internet sites, such as YouTube and MySpace are helping comedy or creating an over saturation of bad comics?
Bad comics will always out-number good ones. Just because Youtube allows more of them to be seen, it won't make them popular. Most of the shit you see on youtube is stuff that's been forwarded to you - word of mouth - and bad comedy doesn't get spread around.
What's your writing process? Is there a time of the day you prefer to work or is it very loose?
Work?
Is it difficult to do standup in front of a foreign crowd, and by foreign we don't mean the Republican Party?
Only in that it forces you to be more aware of your references and your wording, making sure that the material is relevant to your crowd. But generally overseas audiences are far more polite and attentive with stronger attention spans.
Do you think most comedians need to feel like they have a tortured existence in order to create comedy?
No, actually it seems like less and less comics - or people for that matter - push their own personal boundaries at all. It feels like a very sober, responsible and medicated generation and the art reflects it.
What's your feelings about doing terrestrial radio compared to internet/satellite radio?
Jesus, what a softball. Satellite radio is almost as much of a savior for comedy as the internet. Regular radio is dead in almost every market. Unlistenable. Satellite is worth every penny and more.
Doug, how do you feel about comedy club comment cards?
The same way I feel about people who log on to CNN.com to let Wolf Blitzer know their opinion on the question of the day. People so want to believe that their opinion counts and it really doesn't at all.
Since you started your standup career in Las Vegas, how did you feel when you made the cover of Las Vegas Weekly ?
Interview by: Vegas702