| StageTimeMag.com | Vol. 2 No. 1 |
Comedy news, interviews, reviews and essays
STAGE TIME | "The Comedian's Magazine"
| Interviews |
| Home | News | Features | Interviews | Cover Story | Reviews | Essays | Anatomy of a Joke | New Releases | Archives | Feedback |
INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEATURES Festival Wrap Up: New York Underground Comedy Festival Hustle & Grow: STAGE TIME Celebrates 1st Anniversary Comic Resolutions 2007 Comic's Final Progress Report 2006 INTERVIEWS Brad Stine **NEW** Careers in Comedy: Ryan McCormick PR Manager COVER STORY Shang REVIEWS Angry Bob Comedy Jump Off Doug Powell Eric Schwartz James P. Connolly **NEW** Anatomy of a Joke "Racism Damnit!" Written and Performed by Shang |
| Terms | Staff | About Us | Contact Us ©2005-2007 STAGE TIME - The Magazine That Stands Up For Comedy. All rights reserved. |
BRAD STINE - PAGE 4
Exactly. That’s courage and that’s character. If everybody likes you, they’re not
doing it right, because, if everybody likes you, you’re bland and it means you
stood for nothing. If you believe in anything in your life, somebody’s not going
to like you for it, because one person’s belief will be another person’s offense.
In America, that’s what a democracy is supposed to be.
As a conservative comic, the only thing I’ve asked of liberals is to – you preach
pluralism, open-mindedness and tolerance and yet, they are so close-minded.
Why is it newsworthy in a country that’s about to become 300 million strong –
over half of America is conservative and/or Christian, to be a conservative
comic is rare? How is that possible, just numerically?
The only thing I can think of – there’s two things: The media of the times has
a liberal gatekeeper and they don’t want their world view to be messed with and
if you come in against it, they won’t let you in, and they can because they run
the show. The other thing, which most bugged me about comedy and it’s part
of what provoked me to come out and say that I’m a conservative, is that
doing it right, because, if everybody likes you, you’re bland and it means you
stood for nothing. If you believe in anything in your life, somebody’s not going
to like you for it, because one person’s belief will be another person’s offense.
In America, that’s what a democracy is supposed to be.
As a conservative comic, the only thing I’ve asked of liberals is to – you preach
pluralism, open-mindedness and tolerance and yet, they are so close-minded.
Why is it newsworthy in a country that’s about to become 300 million strong –
over half of America is conservative and/or Christian, to be a conservative
comic is rare? How is that possible, just numerically?
The only thing I can think of – there’s two things: The media of the times has
a liberal gatekeeper and they don’t want their world view to be messed with and
if you come in against it, they won’t let you in, and they can because they run
the show. The other thing, which most bugged me about comedy and it’s part
of what provoked me to come out and say that I’m a conservative, is that
who gets to place the monikers upon our performance? You see Bill Maher, Chris Rock and somebody
gets to call you “pushing the envelope,” “on the edge,” “provocative,” all these cool lionizing of these
men or women and I thought, “Why can’t I be like that? Why can’t I have the same moniker?" Just
because I don’t curse, suddenly I’m not hip and progressive? Just because I happen to have a
conservative [view], to be a theist, actually believe God is good somehow that is suspect? That’s insane.
Talk about close-minded. And artists who want to revel in their desire to bring in all points of view because
they’re so artistic and they want all these ideas to flow. Why wouldn’t you want mine too? The hypocrisy of
it is what so bothered me.
I’m a conservative American so they think, “Oh, he’s a Republican pundit.” I hate politics. It’s driven by
money and people compromise their character – Republican and Democrat. Because of my faith, I do not
want to politicize Jesus. He is not a Republican. He is not a Democrat. He is God. He loves everybody.
That’s my take.
The only reason why I’ve been associated with Republicans is for the most part, the values that I believe
in, they champion. I have to vote for someone who represents my point of view, so I vote for them. If a
Democrat, Libertarian or an atheist filled my point of view, spoke my words more articulately, I’d vote for
them. It has nothing to do with political power base; it’s about my values.
I’ve done a lot of high school, Republican things. I remembered being interviewed – some NPR thing and
a woman called in and said, “You say you’re not political, but you did the Republican retreat, the SEPAC
convention…”I was like, “Hey lady, if there some Democrat out there who wants to pay me to do their
show, I’ll do it because I’m a capitalist.” No Democrats called me yet. You know why I work with the
Republicans? Because they pay my way. Well obviously, no Democrat is going to call me because of my
political views but the point being made is it’s a false idea that somehow I’m being a hypocrite because I
said I wasn’t politicizing it, but it’s my job as a comic.
I speak with from a very specific point of view. If this particular party chooses to think that somehow works
with their…then that’s up to them. And if you’re saying it doesn’t work with you, then what’s the problem?
That’s the point! You have Bill Maher. You have Carlin. You got everybody else. They’ve got one guy that
can compete with those guys and happen to be them.
Why do you have to explain this? The other side doesn’t have to explain it.
Thank you. That’s exactly what I’m saying. Why do I have to explain it? I’m going to tell you something:
Steve Martin said something. I don’t know if I read it or I heard it, but I never forgot it. He said, “Get so
good, they can’t ignore it.” I have never forgotten it, because I realized that when I was in Hollywood
trying to do acting like everybody else, I finally got to a place where I said, “I’m going to be true to who I
am.
My voice that I’m looking for isn’t in my dress or my hair. Here’s what I believe about me, about America.
I don’t care if you like it or not. I’m going to put it out there and let’s see if there’s anybody who is
interested.” Well, that’s when everything exploded for my career.
gets to call you “pushing the envelope,” “on the edge,” “provocative,” all these cool lionizing of these
men or women and I thought, “Why can’t I be like that? Why can’t I have the same moniker?" Just
because I don’t curse, suddenly I’m not hip and progressive? Just because I happen to have a
conservative [view], to be a theist, actually believe God is good somehow that is suspect? That’s insane.
Talk about close-minded. And artists who want to revel in their desire to bring in all points of view because
they’re so artistic and they want all these ideas to flow. Why wouldn’t you want mine too? The hypocrisy of
it is what so bothered me.
I’m a conservative American so they think, “Oh, he’s a Republican pundit.” I hate politics. It’s driven by
money and people compromise their character – Republican and Democrat. Because of my faith, I do not
want to politicize Jesus. He is not a Republican. He is not a Democrat. He is God. He loves everybody.
That’s my take.
The only reason why I’ve been associated with Republicans is for the most part, the values that I believe
in, they champion. I have to vote for someone who represents my point of view, so I vote for them. If a
Democrat, Libertarian or an atheist filled my point of view, spoke my words more articulately, I’d vote for
them. It has nothing to do with political power base; it’s about my values.
I’ve done a lot of high school, Republican things. I remembered being interviewed – some NPR thing and
a woman called in and said, “You say you’re not political, but you did the Republican retreat, the SEPAC
convention…”I was like, “Hey lady, if there some Democrat out there who wants to pay me to do their
show, I’ll do it because I’m a capitalist.” No Democrats called me yet. You know why I work with the
Republicans? Because they pay my way. Well obviously, no Democrat is going to call me because of my
political views but the point being made is it’s a false idea that somehow I’m being a hypocrite because I
said I wasn’t politicizing it, but it’s my job as a comic.
I speak with from a very specific point of view. If this particular party chooses to think that somehow works
with their…then that’s up to them. And if you’re saying it doesn’t work with you, then what’s the problem?
That’s the point! You have Bill Maher. You have Carlin. You got everybody else. They’ve got one guy that
can compete with those guys and happen to be them.
Why do you have to explain this? The other side doesn’t have to explain it.
Thank you. That’s exactly what I’m saying. Why do I have to explain it? I’m going to tell you something:
Steve Martin said something. I don’t know if I read it or I heard it, but I never forgot it. He said, “Get so
good, they can’t ignore it.” I have never forgotten it, because I realized that when I was in Hollywood
trying to do acting like everybody else, I finally got to a place where I said, “I’m going to be true to who I
am.
My voice that I’m looking for isn’t in my dress or my hair. Here’s what I believe about me, about America.
I don’t care if you like it or not. I’m going to put it out there and let’s see if there’s anybody who is
interested.” Well, that’s when everything exploded for my career.