| StageTimeMag.com | Vol. 2 No. 1 |
Comedy news, interviews, reviews and essays
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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 |
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BRAD STINE - PAGE 5
And it’s something that I would tell any comic: Find what you really truly believe
in and live it and you’ll find where your career will go. Because what most
people admire is sincerity and passion about a belief system. Even if they hate
what you believe, at least you get [credit]– if you just stick with something.
I got to a place to where I was like, "I don’t know if I can act." The only thing I
know I how to do is comedy. I just decided that I’m going to be the best comic
I can be and I’m going to get so good that somewhere, somebody is going to
say, “I can make money off that guy.”
Because we’re a commodity. When I say that, some people are like, “Oh, I
see. You’re just manipulating these people to make money off of them.”
“No. I really am a Christian. I really am a conservative. But I am also in the
entertainment business. I am a commodity. I have a product that happens to
be one of a kind. I kind of have a monopoly on this thing. I grew up in Middle
America. I went to church on Sunday. I know those people and they didn’t have
any comedians. And I wanted to give them that.
in and live it and you’ll find where your career will go. Because what most
people admire is sincerity and passion about a belief system. Even if they hate
what you believe, at least you get [credit]– if you just stick with something.
I got to a place to where I was like, "I don’t know if I can act." The only thing I
know I how to do is comedy. I just decided that I’m going to be the best comic
I can be and I’m going to get so good that somewhere, somebody is going to
say, “I can make money off that guy.”
Because we’re a commodity. When I say that, some people are like, “Oh, I
see. You’re just manipulating these people to make money off of them.”
“No. I really am a Christian. I really am a conservative. But I am also in the
entertainment business. I am a commodity. I have a product that happens to
be one of a kind. I kind of have a monopoly on this thing. I grew up in Middle
America. I went to church on Sunday. I know those people and they didn’t have
any comedians. And I wanted to give them that.
I don’t know why that’s somehow suspect or manipulative. I’m glad I can go into a comedy club, have
people laugh and think I’m funny and then the next day, go into a church and do the same material and
have people who would never go into a comedy club. I’m glad I can offer that. That’s an accomplishment
that not everyone can do. I’m proud of that.
How long did it take you find your voice? And what was the turning point that led you to: “This is who I am
and this is what I am going to talk about?”
In 1999-2000, I was in Hollywood. I had a management. I had an agent. I was out trying to do com-
mercial stuff, studying [acting] in Beverly Hills, trying to do all this stuff like everybody else, but
something felt wrong. I started questioning: "What am I doing? I don’t feel real happy. I’m kind of
depressed." At that time, I was working at a club called Knuckle Heads at the Mall of America and I was
working with a lesbian comic who a feature act and it was one of these slow off nights where you’re trying
to work the crowd. There’s only like 30 people and you’re trying to build some kind of rapport with them.
And 20 minutes into it, she’s like, “Did I mention that I was a lesbian?” Comedically, I’m thinking, “This is
going to be funny or it going to be some agenda that has no relevance to comedy? I don’t care who you
have sex with.” And she had a funny routine to go with it. I remember the people laughing and clapping.
“Wow, she’s so courageous.”
First off, there’s no courageous to be gay anymore. Being gay is like a yawn now. Now, we need some-
thing beyond that. I remember thinking, "What this crowd is doing? They have been conditioned to have
to respond, to show how hip and progressive that they are. 'Let us show you we’re not prejudice.'" It’s
almost like what blacks experience with white people, who go out of their way show that they are not
prejudice. It’s becomes almost icky. You’re so much trying to prove it that it becomes almost–
It’s really about them.
Yeah. But it’s an unfortunate awkwardness that’s created in our country because sometimes we don’t know
how to relate to each other, and we’re not allowed to be honest and admit it because then somehow it’s
suspect and it’s as racist. You certainly can’t even talk to people. It’s only on a one-on-one basis with
different races that it always comes up and everyone feels comfortable because there’s no agenda. I’m
trying to find out about you who you are. Here’s my ignorance. No judgment. I’m trying to learn.
So I’m watching this happen and I’m going, "It sounds like she’s trying to show how hip." And I remember
thinking at that moment, “I’m going to come out onstage and let’s see how friggin’ hip you people are.
You’re so open-minded.” So I got up onstage and do about 20 minutes of material and I mention, “Did I
mention I’m a born-again Christian?” I said that but I never call myself a born-again Christian. But that
word, if you put born-again with Christian – oh, you might as well say, "Hitler is my hero." They’re not
expecting it. I make the joke that “We’re everywhere. You can’t even drink…”
people laugh and think I’m funny and then the next day, go into a church and do the same material and
have people who would never go into a comedy club. I’m glad I can offer that. That’s an accomplishment
that not everyone can do. I’m proud of that.
How long did it take you find your voice? And what was the turning point that led you to: “This is who I am
and this is what I am going to talk about?”
In 1999-2000, I was in Hollywood. I had a management. I had an agent. I was out trying to do com-
mercial stuff, studying [acting] in Beverly Hills, trying to do all this stuff like everybody else, but
something felt wrong. I started questioning: "What am I doing? I don’t feel real happy. I’m kind of
depressed." At that time, I was working at a club called Knuckle Heads at the Mall of America and I was
working with a lesbian comic who a feature act and it was one of these slow off nights where you’re trying
to work the crowd. There’s only like 30 people and you’re trying to build some kind of rapport with them.
And 20 minutes into it, she’s like, “Did I mention that I was a lesbian?” Comedically, I’m thinking, “This is
going to be funny or it going to be some agenda that has no relevance to comedy? I don’t care who you
have sex with.” And she had a funny routine to go with it. I remember the people laughing and clapping.
“Wow, she’s so courageous.”
First off, there’s no courageous to be gay anymore. Being gay is like a yawn now. Now, we need some-
thing beyond that. I remember thinking, "What this crowd is doing? They have been conditioned to have
to respond, to show how hip and progressive that they are. 'Let us show you we’re not prejudice.'" It’s
almost like what blacks experience with white people, who go out of their way show that they are not
prejudice. It’s becomes almost icky. You’re so much trying to prove it that it becomes almost–
It’s really about them.
Yeah. But it’s an unfortunate awkwardness that’s created in our country because sometimes we don’t know
how to relate to each other, and we’re not allowed to be honest and admit it because then somehow it’s
suspect and it’s as racist. You certainly can’t even talk to people. It’s only on a one-on-one basis with
different races that it always comes up and everyone feels comfortable because there’s no agenda. I’m
trying to find out about you who you are. Here’s my ignorance. No judgment. I’m trying to learn.
So I’m watching this happen and I’m going, "It sounds like she’s trying to show how hip." And I remember
thinking at that moment, “I’m going to come out onstage and let’s see how friggin’ hip you people are.
You’re so open-minded.” So I got up onstage and do about 20 minutes of material and I mention, “Did I
mention I’m a born-again Christian?” I said that but I never call myself a born-again Christian. But that
word, if you put born-again with Christian – oh, you might as well say, "Hitler is my hero." They’re not
expecting it. I make the joke that “We’re everywhere. You can’t even drink…”