TresSugar

George Carlin: 1937-2008

GiggleSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0700

These days, most comedians swear like sailors and revel in shocking their audiences, but for standup comedy pioneers like George Carlin, who died yesterday of heart failure, swearing and shocking were not gratuitous. He wanted to shake up a hypocritical society and make people think about what "clean" language hides underneath it. (His famous "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" routine got him arrested and went all the way to the Supreme Court, where they ruled that his language was "indecent" but not "obscene.") George Carlin will always be remembered as a comic genius. Here's a clip of George railing against euphemisms - a crank and a gadfly to the end. (Thanks, eBaum's World!)

Quip Stop: George Carlin

GiggleSugar — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:24:22 -0800

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"
Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"
Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?
Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?
Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.
Whose cruel idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?
Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?

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Quip Stop: George Carlin

GiggleSugar — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:02:00 -0800

If a man is standing in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him. . . is he still wrong? (Yes.)

GiggleSugar Reader Spotlight: MitchelWB

GiggleSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:00:00 -0700

Funny man, father, friend to his mom, and fan of GiggleSugar, MitchelWB is the whole package! I was unsure at first if "he" really was "just a small town girl," but the picture cleared it up. He's just bein' silly as usual. To find out more details about this charming fellow, read more.

GS: What’s your motto?
MWB: PLAY MORE PINBALL!!

GS: Where are you from?
MWB: "I'm just a small town girl. Living in a lonely world."
But for now, I'm in Kansas City. Go Chiefs. . . wait . . . Go Royals. . . crap! Go [insert hockey team here] . . . oh I give up!

GS: What do you do?
MWB: What don't I do? I'm a project mangler. . .er, manager. I'm also daddy, husband, pinball repairman, family handyman, and Chips Ahoy connoisseur (did I spell that right?).

GS: How would you describe your sense of humor?
MWB: All encompassing. If it's funny, I'll laugh. I laugh at everything from mundane booger jokes to the totally irreverent.

GS: What’s your favorite GiggleSugar post?
MWB: I don't know if I can pick one. I've seen so many of them . . . can you name them all for me again? (GS: After some pressure, I squeezed it out of MWB). MWB: Who invited the lightweight? with the old lady holding the big can o' beer and spewing in the trash can, and Johnny Slimeball in the foreground. My mom and I sat and made up stories for that picture all day long.

GS: Who’s the cutest funny man and funny woman?
MWB: We tell my 16-month-old son that he's "such a funny man" all the time . . . does he count? He's the cutest if you ask me. But I don't guess I've ever judged a comedian by the way they look. Well, except Dustin Diamond, but he's on the wrong end of the spectrum for this conversation.

GS: Who are your favorite male and female comedians?
MWB: Male: Tough one to call. Top two that I can think of are George Carlin and Billy Connelly. The Amazing Jonathan, Rodney Carrington, older Larry the Cable Guy (back when he used to do daily radio), Red Peters, and that goofy little dude with cerebral palsy from Last Comic Standing all get some honorable mentions. You can have Eddie Izzard. Female: This is tougher. The only bit that really stands out that I can even remember as just having me hurting from laughing was a bit by Ellen DeGeneres way back when. It was a bit about the great fun you can have with your cat if you superglue a hamster to a Frisbee. Good stuff. I don't even have any honorable mentions that come to mind. You can have Eddie Izzard.

GS: What’s your favorite comedy of all time?
MWB: That's easy. The Princess Bride. It's my favorite MOVIE of all time. You can find a quote from that movie to fit any situation you come across in life except for two. Funerals and this questionnaire. Hmmm.

GS: If your life were a comedy, what would it be?
MWB: Canceled. All the best shows are. Can I get an "amen" from all the Michael Bluth fans out there?

GS: Do you look like someone famous?
MWB: As soon as you post my bio as GiggleSugar reader of the week I will!!

MWB free-for-all: Gee, umm, er. . . I'll just have to quote from The Princess Bride: "I do not envy you the headache you will have when you awake. But for now, rest well and dream of large women."

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(MitchelWB with his ridiculously cute son, Billy Connelly, Dustin Diamond, Ellen DeGeneres, George Carlin, Larry the Cable Guy, Red Peters)

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GiggleSugar Interviews Margaret Cho!

GiggleSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:00:00 -0700

When I think of Margaret Cho, I think of her hilarious standup act in flashes of representative scenes. There's Margaret telling everyone how weird it is to be an Asian American on an airplane with a flight attendant offering you Asian chicken salad. ("That is not the salad of my people!") There's Margaret imitating her mother's cute Korean accent and puzzling over gay men and their, uh, interest in "the ass." And then there's Margaret imagining how period-centric the world would be if men menstruated. The busy comedian/activist/all-around rad diva took some time out of her schedule to talk with us about her many projects, including VH1's The Cho Show (the second episode airs tomorrow), what it's like to have a day named after you in San Francisco, and who is hotter: Lindsay Lohan or Samantha Ronson?

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To check out the interview (and/or to listen to it!), read more.

GiggleSugar: People feel very connected to you personally. Do you have any funny or crazy fan stories?

Margaret Cho:
People really connect with me for a lot of different reasons. I was the first Asian American person they ever saw on TV, and I was the first person to talk about gay stuff. I think when people see images of themselves in the media they feel like they matter, they exist and they‘re real so a lot of my connection with people who are fans of mine, it goes deeper than just an entertainment or artist kind of relationship, so I don’t really have like, a funny or weird fan story.

GS: You have a lot on your plate right now, particularly with The Cho Show which premiered on VH1 last week. I really love the chemistry you have with Selene, your gay friends, and your parents. It seemed to me like a 21st-century family.

MC: It’s like this beautiful, queer, multicultural, and very functional family. It’s really beautiful.

GS: Can you tell me what your vision for the show was?

MC: Well, I wanted to do a show about another Asian American family because I brought the first Asian American family to TV (All-American Girl) and I then I was alarmed that there had not been another one.

GS: Race, and sexuality and gender have been really central to your work and have inspired lots of people to join comedy who might not have felt like they could be a part of it. What do you think the state of race issues in comedy is these days?

MC:
It’s a big deal. Race is still very much a factor in how much we see of you. Like I look at my contemporaries, the people I started with are people like Ben Stiller, and I feel like, considering the difference in our careers, and how far he goes . . . he’s white, he’s straight, he’s a man. I think he’s great, I like him a lot, but . . .Race is a big factor in how successful people become.

GS: With some comedians I get the sense that they’re saying we’re post-identity, post-race, they think race doesn’t matter as much because now we’re all liberated . . .

MC: No! It’s just as bad as it always was. It’s incredibly sexist, incredibly racist, and incredibly homophobic. There’s no difference. It’s not liberated.

GS: I’m wondering if you saw the pictures of the Spanish basketball team . . .

MC:
Oh, yeah. That to me is so offensive but I feel that to them it was supposed to be affectionate. That’s how you’re affectionate, by showing racism. I think that there’s such a casual attitude towards racism against Asians that exists because I feel like the Asian community at large and especially the Asian-American community is not responsible enough to stand up to it and so I feel like it’s my responsibility to stand up to it.

GS: Who are some of the comics who inspired you and who are some of your favorite comedians now, and why?

MC:
When I was growing up, probably Joan Rivers or Richard Pryor or George Carlin or Steve Martin, Whoopi Goldberg, Paula Poundstone. Major huge influence. Love her. And now Wanda Sykes is my favorite. Chris Rock. Dave Chapelle. Bobby Lee. I’m a big fan of comedy.

GS: Do you see comedy evolving?

MC: I feel like comedians are becoming political - they’ve always been political - but they’re becoming more political now, and are even invited into the political realm to talk about politics. I’m an Obama campaign surrogate so to me that’s a very exciting thing to do. And so, I think, comedy has evolved and people are taking us more seriously as social commentators. Which is really cool.

GS: This is more a personal question but is also related to your humor. In your earlier shows like The Notorious C.H.O. you talk a lot about your experimentation when you were younger with sex, drugs and being kinda self-destructive. Do you regret any of that or do you think it contributed to who you are now and to your humor?

MC: I don’t regret that. I feel like . . . I want the brain cells back. (Laughs.) That’s the hard part . . .

GS: Don’t we all!

MC: Cuz I remember I used to be so lightning fast and it was like really crazy how smart I was. And now I’m just f*ckin’ so dumb, and I can’t remember sh*t.

GS: I think that’s age, too, cuz I’m right there with you.

MC: Yeah, but it’s f*ckin’ drugs. For me, it was totally drugs. I have huge gaps.

GS: But you weren’t a huffer or anything? (Laughs.)

MC: No, but you know, I did every drug, and a lot.

GS: You were a San Francisco girl, how could you avoid it?

MC: It’s so fun, but I miss the brain cells.

GS: They’ll regenerate. I think. (Laughs.) So, speaking of San Francisco, how does it feel to have a Margaret Cho day christened by the mayor?

MC: That was April 30. That was just last April. It was really cool and I actually work with Mayor Newsom a lot, because he and I are big gay marriage advocates.

GS: And your parents are still in San Francisco?

MC:
No, they moved. They’re in San Diego now.

GS: They’re so cute!

MC: They’re really cute.

GS: Your parents seem so not uptight!

MC: Well, they have their moments of getting super-uptight. They can’t fight their culture all the time. They can be pretty uptight sometimes and annoying. But they’re super-sweet and really fun, too.

GS: How does it feel to be successful and to also remain rebellious? Do you still feel like an outsider?

MC: I’ll always be an outsider because of who I am. There’s never going to be a feeling where I feel like I’ve arrived or I’m comfortable, but I feel like I’ve created my own thing. I love performing, I love doing standup comedy, and I love writing.

GS: You’ve been married for six years.

MC: We’ve been together for like 10. We’ve been married forever!

GS: But you still identify as bi or queer.

MC: For sure. Which I’ll always be. That doesn’t change.

GS: That’s wonderful. Are there any other projects that you’re working on that you’d like to talk about?

MC:
I’m doing a show for the Lifetime Channel now called Drop Dead Diva which is a comedy/drama. I play a legal secretary which is really cool and funny. I have to cover up my tattoos in a suit and be super-vanilla which is cool and which I love. And it’s a great show and then I’m going to finish out my tour dates, and then I’m gonna see if I finish out season two of The Cho Show. (I hope we are!) But we don’t know yet.

GS: What are some things that your fans might not know about you that would surprise them?

MC: Like, I am really a dog mom.

GS: Oh . . . ! [This is where I kept quiet about my cat fetish.]

MC: I have three dogs. They’re my whole life.

GS: Silly questions, now. Either or questions: Strawberry or grape-flavored gum?

MC: I can’t chew gum because I’m such a spaz like I would bite the inside of my mouth so much and bite my tongue and then my whole mouth would be filled with blood. It’s really stupid. I’m really dumb about chewing gum. I’m not sure how to. Sometimes, I’m super dumb about stuff. The other thing I’m dumb about is I don’t know how to do the laundry.

GS: I wish I didn’t know how to do the laundry and then I could make someone else do it. Granny panties or thongs?

MC: Um, I’d say thongs. But I do appreciate a granny panty in moderation.

GS: Lindsay Lohan or Samantha Ronson?

MC: Oooh. I love Samantha. (GS: I know!) MC: She’s such a hot dirty butch. I like her a lot.

MC: That’s it Margaret, thank you so much for your time. I hope to catch your show, Beautiful, in Santa Rosa!

GiggleSugar Best of the Week

GiggleSugar — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0700

RIP George Carlin. Your legacy lives on!
It's imperative that we utilize our collective synergy, give it 110 percent, and vote to determine the most annoying corporate catchphrase. It's a win/win, really.
I'm clearly not working my vajayjay to its full potential . . .
If this doesn't make you smile, then I don't know what will.
Didn't your mother teach you any ass hygiene?
Funny or offensive? This banned mayo commercial was a little too forward for the peeps across the pond.
The unscripted news is so much more informative - in a Freudian kind of way.
When life gives you a steaming pile of dog sh*t, make Poopsicles!
Methinks this Take Your Daughter to a Tattoo Parlor (and Watch Her Scream and Squirm) Day was a bad idea.

GiggleSugar's Reader Spotlight: Superjules

GiggleSugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:10:40 -0800

We love our loyal readers here at GiggleSugar, and what a diverse group they are! So we decided to spotlight one each week. Get to know who your fellow readers are! And be sure to check out the photo gallery after the interview. So without further ado...introducing Superjules.

If you don't notice her crazy avatars first, you'll find yourself laughing at her wicked comments. Superjules does not mince words! She definitely represents the wild side of GiggleSugar, and we love that she appreciates that!

In Her Own Words:

GS: What's your motto? SJ: I have a couple of them tattooed on my person. One being Carpe Diem. Latin for "Where are my keys?!" Kidding, kidding. It means seize the day. The other is Per Aspera ad Astra. Latin for through the thorns to the stars. You can also see a few of my tattoos in a blog I made from my page.

GS: Where are you from? SJ: Don't tell anybody, but I grew up in the Yuba Sutter region of California. Well known for several things. Mass murderer Juan Corona. It's been rated by Rand McNally as the worst place to live in the US several times. The now defunct Prune Festival. Holla!

GS: What do you do? SJ: Currently I am a volunteer with the Red Cross at Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany where the wounded are brought from Iraq and Afghanistan. I work in the ER and I also have a therapy cat named Squishy that I take to visit people. See my page and watch us on the news!

GS: How would you describe your sense of humor? SJ: I would describe my sense of humor as black, twisted and cutting.

GS: What's your favorite GiggleSugar post of all time? Your least? SJ: I love the coffee commercial post. We don't get commercials over here and I can't believe it's real. It's completely disturbing on the one hand and really catchy and upbeat on the other. I don't know whether to sing along or hide under the bed (not that hiding would help!). Least? I'd have to say the flashing lights bra post. I'm epileptic and flashing lights cause me to have seizures. So if she was in a club and her boobs were flashing I'd be on the floor "break dancing."

GS: Who's the cutest funny man and woman? SJ: I love Tina Fey. I think she's adorable. She's whip smart and has that sexy librarian thing going. The cutest funny man, that's easy. Mitch Hedberg. He was so sexy with his hair and easy-going charm. I miss him. RIP Mitch.

GS: Favorite male and female comedian? SJ: I love so many funny men it's hard to choose just one. I would have to go with John Cleese. If you could put John Cleese's brain in Ed Norton's body you would have the perfect man for me. Er...except of course for my sweet, sweet husband. And female...I'm going out on a limb here and saying Eddie Izzard. I know he's not a female but he dresses as one. He is so sharp and so quick, if you're not fully paying attention, you miss something. And I find him terribly sexy even in fishnets and heels. Especially in fishnets and heels..

GS: What's your favorite comedy of all time? SJ: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. I grew up watching that from about age 7. Where were my parents?

GS: If your life were a comedy, what would it be? SJ: I haven't seen the movie but I read the book and aren't books so much better? I would say Running With Scissors. It was a rough beginning but I turned out okay.

GS: Do you ever get told you look like someone? SJ: Rose McGowan. Mostly, though, people say I look like my daughter, she's actually a clone. (SJ's daughter is in the gallery below.)

SuperJules' Free For All: "Religion easily has the best bullshit story of all time. Think about it. Religion has convinced people that there's an invisible man...living in the sky. Who watches everything you do every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a list of ten specific things he doesn't want you to do. And if you do any of these things, he will send you to a special place, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer, and burn, and scream, until the end of time. But he loves you. He loves you. He loves you and he needs money." - George Carlin

GS: When are other GiggleSugar readers free to chat with you? SJ: I'm living in Germany so I'm 9 hours ahead of California and 6 hours ahead of New York. I'm online quite a bit looking up facts about everything from giant squids and furry caterpillars to photos of dead celebs. I am great to have on your team when playing Trivial Pursuit, a veritable wealth of useless knowledge.

GS: Thanks, Superjules!

View 9 Photos ›

(SJ's avatar, her hubby, daughter, Rose/SJ, Squishy & Vet, Tina Fey, John Cleese, Eddie Izzard, Mitch Hedberg)

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