Podcast Moment: Comedian Ralphie May on WTF
February 14, 2012 3 Comments
In the not-so-large circle of stand-up comedians, Jay Mohr does not have a stellar reputation.
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I believe it’s on Episode 148 of Marc Maron’s WTF that Bobcat Goldthwait goes into a tirade against Mohr, as just one example. So on Episode 247, there’s a definite moment of interest for comedy nerds when fellow stand-up Ralphie May praises Mohr effusively.
May described Mohr picking him up as May was walking to the comedy club in Los Angeles, too poor to afford the valet parking or the gas.
He called up Matt Frost, his agent, and goes, “Hey, my new opener is Ralphie May. All those Improv gigs that I got, Ralphie May’s my new opener, okay? Make it happen.” And boom, he booked me sixteen weeks of work right there. And I’d never been able to get into the Improvs because even those I was a killer feature act none of these fucking titty-baby lazy fucking headliners wanted to follow it. Alright? They don’t want to follow somebody getting a standing ovation. And that’s what I told Jay. I go, “The Improvs won’t work me because I’m too strong for their acts and yet I don’t have any TV credits so I can’t get on their stage as a headliner.” And he’s like, “Fuck that. I want to be pushed, alright. You come work with me and you kill every show.” And he let me do it.
Not only is it laudatory concerning Mohr, it’s also insight into how the world of stand-up comedy operates. Maron’s interview with May delves into detail about the rivalries between fellow-comedians and the business bullshit with which they have to contend. May brings up his own reputation as a hack comic, saying that it was something a few jealous comedians threw his way which stuck. Maron doesn’t press him on it much, perhaps having gone as far as he could on the topic of joke-stealing with his Carlos Mencia interviews.
There’s also some advice on varying speech patterns that May learned from Sam Kinison, so it’s one of those episodes that’s helpful for those interested in breaking into show business. Or simply surviving it.
About Matthew
I’ve always like Jay Mohr better in his acting gigs like Mafia and his completely underrated show Action. I had no idea though about his bad rep in stand up circles. Interesting then to hear another side to the story. There usually always is.
If I recall correctly, on a previous WTF Maron mentions Louis CK being upset at Mohr because comedy is not supposed to be for pretty people.
I have always been a fan of Ralphie May, so after I watched his Comedy Central special it really caught me off guard that I recognized one of his jokes. It was a joke John Henton did on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson back in 1991. The one about people being too racist to take a day off of work. Henton said something to the effect that “It could be national KKK day and I’d have my black ass at the house with a beer in my hand and my feet on the couch saying Here’s to you Grand Wizard”. Ralphie basically said he knew some black friends that would do the same thing…same joke.