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What do you like about simple, relatable subject areas?Yeah, Im not about clever.
I think youre right.
I said that its not groundbreaking, and thats a great way of explaining that statement.
You dont got to look too far for material.
Its always right in front of you.
Im just reporting the news, really.
It works for me because it resonates with everybody.
You dont have to be specific.
Like some people talk about smokin pot, right?
Where did the doorbell joke start?
And how did it develop?It started at my kitchen table in Chicago when I was around 23.
I took what we were talking about at the table to the stage.
The second prong is the act-outs.
I paint a picture of whats going on.
I tell people to get down.
I get on one knee.
People really enjoy the physicality.
You dont think that Im going to be physical or expressive onstage.
When a guy like me acts goofy, its unexpected.
In telling the story, you find those moments where physicality is needed, then you embellish it.
At Second City, I learned to make my pantomimes very specific.
The range of movement is all determined in the practicing of the bit.
There are two types of act-outs in this joke.
I know what the door looks like.
I know what the little peephole looks like.
Youre not doing a full persona, youll do a burst.Yeah, its a very pronounced movement.
You know he means business.
I also see the world in a family sense.
When I do my act, there are a lot of differences.
My wife comes from wealth; I come from the middle class.
There are a lot of differences there.
Back in the 80s you had a black eye.
Now you could be in a wheelchair eating through a straw if you fight the wrong guy.
Nostalgia covers a broad audience, too.
That doorbell bit, an 80-year-old grandmother could relate to as well as an 8-year-old granddaughter.
Youre playing Madison Square Garden this weekend, and this piece will come out once your show is over.
It feels like youve reached some sort of summit.
You play the Vatican?
Its not like Im looking to top this.
To me, its more about my act.
Dont get me wrong, Im flattered that 80,000 people are coming to see comedy this weekend.
I mean, thats crazy, but its a little overwhelming.
Your first few years starting out, you worked as a waiter.
So first and foremost, I have to be on my game.
I have to deliver comedy for an hour and 20 minutes.
Thats what people pay to see.
For the show at the Madison Square Garden, theres more excitement in the air.
Theres pyro involved and LED screens in the proscenium so people can see the act-outs.
When I was doing clubs, I would stay until everybody left.
I would take photos, sign DVDs, talk to people.
Id be there for three weeks.
