1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 In the last 7 to 8 years, I began to 2 00:00:02,839 --> 00:00:08,000 develop a different comic voice and a 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:09,919 and a different perspective. Um, you 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,640 know, comedy stand-up comedy is a low 5 00:00:09,919 --> 00:00:14,080 art. It's it's a vulgar art. It's an art 6 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:15,600 of the people. It's not fine. But it is 7 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,359 an art. It's it it has to do with 8 00:00:15,599 --> 00:00:19,359 interpreting the world as you see it and 9 00:00:17,359 --> 00:00:21,160 then writing something and then 10 00:00:19,359 --> 00:00:23,960 delivering it verbally. 11 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:26,679 Uh and I found a very liberating 12 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:29,560 position for myself as an artist. And 13 00:00:26,679 --> 00:00:32,079 that was I sort of gave up on the human 14 00:00:29,559 --> 00:00:34,600 race and gave up on the American dream 15 00:00:32,079 --> 00:00:36,799 and culture and nation and decided that 16 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,320 I didn't care about the outcome. And 17 00:00:36,799 --> 00:00:40,919 that gave me a lot of freedom from a 18 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:43,759 kind of distant platform to be sort of 19 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:45,120 amused a kind of to watch the whole 20 00:00:43,759 --> 00:00:47,320 thing with a combination of wonder and 21 00:00:45,119 --> 00:00:48,839 pity. I try to put that into words. 22 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,039 Not caring about the outcome, what do 23 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,360 you mean by that? Not having an 24 00:00:50,039 --> 00:00:53,519 emotional stake in whether this 25 00:00:51,359 --> 00:00:55,119 experiment with human beings works. I 26 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,800 really don't care. 27 00:00:55,119 --> 00:00:58,839 Uh I love people as I meet them one by 28 00:00:56,799 --> 00:01:00,519 one. People of the are just wonderful as 29 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,400 individuals. You see the whole universe 30 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,920 in their eyes if you look carefully. But 31 00:01:02,399 --> 00:01:05,640 as soon as they begin to group, as soon 32 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,359 as they begin to clot, when there are 33 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,280 five of them or 10 or even groups as 34 00:01:07,359 --> 00:01:11,400 small as two, they begin to change. They 35 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:13,680 sacrifice the beauty of the individual 36 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:16,400 for the sake of the group. I decided it 37 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:18,240 was all under the control of groups now, 38 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,120 whether it's business, religion, 39 00:01:18,239 --> 00:01:22,640 political people or what, and I would 40 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:25,280 distance myself from wishing for a good 41 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:27,319 outcome. Let it do what it's going to do 42 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,640 and I'll enjoy it as an entertainer. 43 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,000 on what it is on its own. 44 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,280 And I'll enjoy it for the entertainment. 45 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,040 There's a little bit of a sick part in 46 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:36,439 this, too. I root for the big comet. I 47 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,880 root for the big asteroid to come and 48 00:01:36,439 --> 00:01:40,079 make things right. That's the way I put 49 00:01:37,879 --> 00:01:41,599 it. Stir things up. Yes, to get us back 50 00:01:40,079 --> 00:01:43,159 where we were before the first one came 51 00:01:41,599 --> 00:01:44,000 and knocked out these dinosaurs and let 52 00:01:43,159 --> 00:01:45,479 the ferrets go. 53 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,599 about comets on this show tonight. 54 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,040 I know it. 55 00:01:46,599 --> 00:01:49,239 Uh and I'm I'm rooting for that big one 56 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,640 to come right through that hole in the 57 00:01:49,239 --> 00:01:51,719 ozone layer because I want to see it on 58 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,719 CNN. See, I'm here for the 59 00:01:51,719 --> 00:01:54,799 entertainment, Charlie. I am. People 60 00:01:53,719 --> 00:01:56,319 These philosophers say, "Why are we 61 00:01:54,799 --> 00:01:56,879 here?" I know I am here. For the 62 00:01:56,319 --> 00:01:57,919 entertainment. 63 00:01:56,879 --> 00:01:59,319 The show. 64 00:01:57,920 --> 00:01:59,480 Bring it on. I want to see the circus. 65 00:01:59,319 --> 00:02:00,679 So 66 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,520 But how does this affect your 67 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,480 performance and what you bring to 68 00:02:02,519 --> 00:02:05,599 stand-up? 69 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,960 I've seen a lot of comedian We've all 70 00:02:05,599 --> 00:02:09,439 seen a lot of comedians who seem to have 71 00:02:06,959 --> 00:02:11,759 a political bent in their work. 72 00:02:09,439 --> 00:02:13,639 And always implicit in the work is is 73 00:02:11,759 --> 00:02:14,879 some positive outcome. That this is all 74 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,399 going to work. If only we do this. If 75 00:02:14,879 --> 00:02:19,120 only we pass that bill. If only elect 76 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:21,159 him. If only we do that. It's not true. 77 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,560 It's it's circling the drain time for 78 00:02:21,159 --> 00:02:24,039 the for humans. I believe this. I 79 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,719 honestly believe this. Not just as a 80 00:02:24,039 --> 00:02:28,639 comedian he thinks that. He likes to say 81 00:02:25,719 --> 00:02:31,120 that. I believe it. And when you say to 82 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:33,359 yourself, "I don't care what happens." 83 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,800 It just gives you a broader perspective 84 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,800 for the art for the words to to emerge. 85 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,320 To not care. That's what happened in 86 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:42,240 that '92 show. That's why I could say 87 00:02:39,319 --> 00:02:44,319 the planet is fine. The people are 88 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,120 Cuz the planet will outlast us. It will 89 00:02:44,319 --> 00:02:48,519 be here and it will be fine. 90 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:50,080 Has the subject matter changed? Well, I 91 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:52,360 I you know, you're still stuck with 92 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,800 what's going on. But I I don't like 93 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,480 topical. I don't like political humor. I 94 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:59,080 I don't mention politicians. In fact, I 95 00:02:56,479 --> 00:03:00,679 defend them in this particular show. 96 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,560 Everyone is on their case. Everyone is 97 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,000 always making things 98 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,240 Politicians are bad. I I defend them and 99 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,000 blame it on the people. This is where it 100 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,719 belongs. 101 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,759 You get what you deserve? Yes, you get 102 00:03:06,719 --> 00:03:09,319 what you deserve and you deserve what 103 00:03:07,759 --> 00:03:11,560 you get. And I have a slogan, "The 104 00:03:09,319 --> 00:03:13,479 public sucks." And it works nicely and 105 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:16,000 people accept it. Not not not very 106 00:03:13,479 --> 00:03:17,759 enthusiastically, but they understand 107 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,560 that it says, "We the people" in that 108 00:03:17,759 --> 00:03:21,439 preamble. Doesn't say them that this is 109 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,159 and those that that's us. It says, "Hey, 110 00:03:21,439 --> 00:03:23,800 We got on this boat. 111 00:03:22,159 --> 00:03:25,960 And people who hate government are 112 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,719 involved in a in a form of suicide 113 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,000 because government is self-government. 114 00:03:27,719 --> 00:03:29,960 And if you hate the government, you hate 115 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,520 yourself. 116 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,200 It's the same with the war against 117 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,320 nature that that mankind goes through. 118 00:03:33,199 --> 00:03:37,239 So, I just said to myself, "It's not 119 00:03:35,319 --> 00:03:39,199 going to get better, not in my lifetime. 120 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,480 Let me enjoy this and get a little 121 00:03:39,199 --> 00:03:42,439 perverse about my my commentary on it." 122 00:03:41,479 --> 00:03:44,759 I I I open 123 00:03:42,439 --> 00:03:46,520 perverse mean, though? Well, to to look 124 00:03:44,759 --> 00:03:48,519 for where the people think the line is. 125 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,040 The people have values that these things 126 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,439 these these amorphous things they call 127 00:03:50,039 --> 00:03:54,639 values that they bring to to the to the 128 00:03:52,439 --> 00:03:57,000 seat in the theater when they sit down. 129 00:03:54,639 --> 00:03:59,959 And I like to find out where their line 130 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,240 may be and deliberately cross it. 131 00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:03,200 Disturb them a little, make them 132 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,879 uncomfortable and then 133 00:04:03,199 --> 00:04:06,519 make them and then bring them with me 134 00:04:04,879 --> 00:04:08,560 across the line and make them glad they 135 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,400 came. That's what I do. I'm an 136 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,280 entertainer. I'm not a doomsayer. I'm 137 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,599 not here to preach. I don't do political 138 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,199 tracts. But I do entertain. I do a lot 139 00:04:14,599 --> 00:04:20,600 of jokes, but I want you to feel a 140 00:04:16,199 --> 00:04:20,599 little in danger along the way.