Some of the funniest people on this planet were known to be manic depressives. What’s your off-stage persona like?
If I had a ringgit for every time a stranger said to me, “Actually, for a comedian, you’re not very funny,” I would have loads of ringgits in my pocket. Being “funny” is a chore and a challenge and (in my case) almost an “on-stage” persona. My off-stage persona is best described with an anecdote: My wife recalls that our first date was, in her words, “probably the most boring date she had ever been on.”
If stand-ups botch their set, what should be their due punishment?
The punishment is inherent in the moment. If we do a bad set the audiences’ non-laughter is enough to make the average person want to run off stage and bury her- or himself under a pile of horse manure. That’s why there are not that many stand-ups as compared to singers because it takes a special sort of stupidity to come back on stage and try doing comedy again after “dying” on stage. And, just like life, one will die at one time or another.
Does humor exponentially increase your mating potential?
Nope. As Eddie Murphy once said; “Singers get all the chicks.” When you hear a woman say, “I like a guy with a sense of humor,” what she means is: She likes the comedian—but she’ll have sex with the singer. So, anyone out there looking to get into the entertainment business for “mating” purposes—sing.
So you didn’t luck out yourself then?
Saying that, my wife is hot! But it’s purely coincidental. And, in our case, she makes me laugh—so, yes, humor is important.
The Kings & Queen of Comedy Asia 2 is on Oct 28-29 at Esplanade Concert Hall.
