The Comedy Couch - Mitch Fatel Interview

GUY MACPHERSON: You at a party?
MITCH FATEL: No. Me and my girlfriend are going up to
Virginia and we stopped at a little place to eat. So
I'm going to go outside where it's nice and quiet.

GM: Where are you from?
MF: I'm from New York City. I'm totally yours right
now. I'm sitting on a bench outside. Yeah, I'm from
New York City.

GM: But you say you're going UP to Virginia?
MF: Or down to Virginia. Yeah, okay.

GM: I was just picturing you coming up from the south.
MF: I figured I could get away with it thinking you
were in Canada. Maybe you wouldn't catch on.

GM: We actually are taught geography here.
MF: Oh really? We're not taught much in the United
States. (laughs) I got away with most of it sleeping
during class.

GM: That's why you're a comic today.
MF: Absolutely. That's exactly why I'm a comic today.
I can't do anything else.

GM: You're coming here with Just For Laughs, with a
great roster of comics. But I chose you, Mitch Fatel!
MF: That's really nice. Do I get paid for that?

GM: No, you don't. Not at all.
MF: Okay. Nevermind. But that's great. Thank you so
much.

GM: I chose you because you're very funny.
MF: Funny or retarded? They usually feel bad for me or
they think I'm funny.

GM: Oh, no. I think you're funny. And also, I know
that because you keep telling us that you're very
funny. So I thought, well, he must be if he's that
confident to tell the audience.
MF: Exactly.

GM: You must have something going on.
MF: I hope so. I hope people haven't caught on yet.
(laughs) It's more like a subconscious thing. If I
just put it out there that I'm funny, I figure maybe
everybody before I get off the stage they won't know
what hit em.

GM: And they won't remember your name, but they'll
say, I liked that funny guy.
MF: I like him... Is he retarded?

GM: So that's obviously a persona on stage.
MF: I don't know if that's a persona on stage or if
this is a persona off stage.

GM: But you exaggerate it a bit on stage.
MF: I don't know. I mean, like, I always tell people
I'm more comfortable on stage than I am offstage. So I
don't know really who's the real me, if that makes any
sense. I think that when I'm offstage, its more of an
act. I think I'm more really who I am on stage, if
that makes any sense. I know that sounds bizarre, but
I feel like that's
probably more me.

GM: You say you're a very insecure person.
MF: Oh yeah, of course I'm insecure. But I don't know
any comic who's not insecure. I mean, that's a part of
why you become a comic, is you just love to have
people love you. You see the love that your mommy
never gave you.

GM: Is Carrot Top insecure?
MF: Uh... I don't know. I would just think by the fact
that you'd call yourself Carrot Top would show you
probably don't have a lot of confidence. I don't know
much about him. I just met him recently and we hung
out for a night. But I don't know if he is insecure.
You'd have to ask him that. But I would assume he's
insecure.

GM: I read on your website how cool you thought he
was. I don't know if you were just saying that.
MF: No, he was. He was absolutely cool. The first
thing about Carrot Top that I didn't realize is he's
very... he works out all the time. He's really, like,
buff. He's the kind of guy that could kick someone's
ass. I guess if you're Carrot Top, you have the need
to kick someone's ass. But he is pretty tough. He's
just a cool guy. I mean, really ... I just felt like I
was hanging out with an American icon. So I just
thought that was kinda cool,
just to be hanging out with someone that everybody
knows.

GM: One thing I've noticed is that he's the butt of
all the other comics' jokes. He's the punchline. I
wonder how he feels about that.
MF: Yeah, Carrot Top is actually a big part of ... I
think that the thing about Carrot Top is that he
actually makes a lot of jokes about himself. I think
that he knows he's goofy and it's part of what he
does. And part of what he
does is he makes fun of himself, so I think he's kinda
cool with that. And in this business, you have to have
a sense of humour about yourself. You always have to
make jokes about yourself because it IS a goofy thing
we
do. You go on stage and you act silly. So I think that
basically we do have a sense of humour about
ourselves.

GM: Your CD is called Doesn't Play Well With Others.
MF: Yeah.

GM: Is that something you were told a lot?
MF: That was something that was pretty much on every
report card I ever had as a kid. That, and -- although
this would be too long to call it -- Mitch seems to
care more about making everybody else in class laugh
than learning his lessons. Those were the two things I
used to hear all the time as a kid and so that's
become kinda like my mantra now. I was pretty selfish
as a kid and just wanted to be the centre of attention
all the time. I never
wanted to give the attention to anyone else, so I
guess I didn't play well with others.

GM: Were your parents worried about you?
MF: Um, I think they still are worried about me!
(laughs) I think my parents thought I'd never actually
be able to make a living. So I think they're just
thrilled right
now that I don't live at home. They're really good
people, but yeah, they were worried about me.

GM: Are you from New York originally?
MF: Yeah, I was born in Manhattan.

GM: The Hollywood Reporter said you were the Best Bet
for Future Fame. That's a lot of pressure, isnt it?
MF: Absolutely. That was one of the most exciting
things that have ever happened to me. The thing about
this business that is so amazing is there are just so
many people trying to do it. And when you can get any
kind of recognition from anybody, it's very,very
exciting. Just the recognition is exciting, and then
hopefully I can show that to some girls and get some
sex from it. That's really the most important part of
it.

GM: And your girlfriend's cool with that?
MF: Um... what she knows.

GM: She thinks, "Oh, he's just being funny."
MF: Right. Exactly. That's what I tell her. And then
when my mom asks me about the journal and says, "You
don't really have sex with those girls, do you?" And I
go, "Of course not! It's all made up for the journal.
Just for
the character." That's what's kinda good about this
business -- you can get away with stuff you wouldn't
be able to get away with in any other business by
saying that, you know, you're doing it for the career.

GM: How important is fame to you?
MF: Um, fame is probably the most important thing in
the
world to me. More for the autonomy that it gives you
in charting your own career. This business is really,
really, really fierce. I just think that the more
famous you become, the more you have control of the
situation and
the more you can do things. It's very hard to get
things done when you're not famous. And when you're
famous, I think that people give you a certain
respect. As I get more and more successful and people
know me more and
more, I'm allowed to get away with more. When I did my
things for the Tonight Show, they let me do more
things on my own now without watching my back because
they learn to trust you. So I think more I want to be
famous just for the autonomy that it would give me in
charting my own career. ... Boy, that sounded really
professional! I'm really proud of myself! That sounded
really cool. As I was saying it, I was like, I don't
even really know what I'm saying!

GM: It was like you were channeled.
MF: But it sounded cool!

GM: Speaking of the Tonight Show, that's another
place, or comic -- Leno -- who's the butt of a lot of
jokes, by other comics, anyway. He's watched a lot,
but he's kind of lost his street cred.
MF: Actually, one of the things I give Jay a lot of
credit for --and this is what they told me when they
started using me for a lot of their skits -- is that,
Jay is a
guy that wants to entertain as many people as
possible. And whether he thinks things are funny or
not, usually he'll play into that. And one of the
reasons they started using me was they found that they
wanted to start to appeal to more of a younger
audience and they know that I have more of an appeal
to a younger audience. So they started using me. So
much to Jay's credit, he'll listen to what his
audience wants and he'll put on what they want. I
think that one of the reasons they started using me
was because it's definitely not the type of comedy
that Jay usually does and he wanted to make sure that
he took care of those viewers as well. So I respect
him for that. I respect him for the fact that he
really does want to entertain people. The feeling I
get from Jay is he loves entertaining as many people
as possible at once. He just lives for it. So yeah, I
guess he gets a little shit from people for that,
because they say he's expanded his horizons to the
point where he appeals to a lot of people at once, but
I think that everybody has a place in what they do.
And you take someone like Letterman, and Letterman
wants to appeal to a very small certain group of
people, which is fine. And Leno wants to appeal to the
greatest amount of people possible. That's what he
does. He keeps people entertained. I think that's a
beautiful thing and if people think that it's not as
appealing as another kind of show, then they can find
something else to watch. I think that he's just found
a niche. That's the thing -- he really loves
entertaining as many people as possible.

GM: Yeah. I guess the danger is that's the lowest
common denominator, so you don't do anything that
might offend a small group because he wants to appeal
to the largest
number.
MF: Right. Yeah, that is absolutely a criticism that
he hears and he's aware of. I don't know how valid it
is. I know the stuff that I've done on the show, at
least for me, they've let some stuff go, some stuff
that could be politically incorrect, some gay jokes,
or whatever, that I
was really, really shocked they let go. The thing
about Jay is this -- and this is what I've always
learned about him in the time I've done that -- he can
be talked to. If you go to him and you say to him,
"This will work," I mean, Jay's come over to me before
and he's come over to other writers and he's said,
"You know, I have to be honest with you, I didn't
think that that was funny. I didn't think it was going
to get a laugh. Obviously I was
wrong." And he's actually said, "I just want the
audience to laugh." So if it's good, he'll take
chances with it. So I respect him for that, I do.

GM: How long have you been doing segments for that
show?
MF: I was really shocked that they asked me. Because I
didn't think that my sense of humour would be that
appealing to Jay. But Jay sold me on the show about
three years ago. He said, "I really think you'd be
good doing some correspondence stuff for me." I said
okay and I told him what I'd do and what I would want
to do, and I don't want to do stuff with a lot of
props and stuff. And he was okay. They said, "We want
to appeal to your audience. We want the people tha
like you to be watching our show, so just go out and
do what you do." And they give me very little rules.
They let me go our and put in the pieces I
want to do. And you fight for the stuff that you want
and then some stuff they put a hold on no matter what
you say. And that's part of what I said about becoming
famous. If you become famous, you can at least say
whatever you want whenever you want. You don't have
anyone to answer to.
Hopefully.

GM: Do they send you out to stories or do you find
your own?
MF: Usually it's stuff that I think would be a good
idea. I'll call them up and say, "Let's go to the
SuperBowl. I have a feeling that would be really
funny."

GM: You just wanted to go to the SuperBowl.
MF: You know, that's true, except I gotta tell you
that after working at the SuperBowl, people go, "That
must have been so cool you went to the SuperBowl," and
I go ... you
know, it's so funny, but when you're working, it's so
different. Like, I really thought that I'd be able to
enjoy it. Like, when I'm working, all I care about is
really getting a good piece. That's all I really care
about. And it's very funny. My satisfaction comes from
knowing the piece is funny. After the SuperBowl, all I
thought to myself was, I hope that piece is funny.
Like, I don't even know if I really enjoyed the
SuperBowl. And then, looking back now it's really fun.
But while it was happening, I was really intent. I
just kept thinking funny, funny, funny, funny. I just
want to be funny.

GM: I used to cover the NBA and people said, "Oh man,
you get to go to all the games!" "Yeah, but I'm
working!"
MF: That's right. When you're working, people don't
understand that you're in a totally different mindset,
that you're really not relaxed. When you're working,
it's a totally different mindset and you really can't
just relax and enjoy yourself. And I think that that's
the irony of the business. You'd think you get to the
point where you're like, "Oh my God, I'm on the field
of the SuperBowl! This is so exciting!" And then when
you're there, all I'm thinking is, "Shit, I've been on
this field for five minutes and haven't gotten one
funny interview." That's all I'm thinking about.

GM: How many of these have you done?
MF: The next one I do, which is probably the women's
football league, that will be my tenth piece.

GM: I understand you're psyched to have sex with many
Canadians women.
MF: And learn about those Canadian rumours.

GM: And they're all true, believe me.
MF: (laughs) I can't wait to hear what they are.

GM: And why Manitoba? That fascinated you.
MF: Because it just sounded like one of those places
that nobody ever lived in. It just sounds like, to me,
like, Manitoba... I just never met anyone from
Manitoba, I never heard anyone going to Manitoba. I
don't even think Manitoba really exists. I think when
you get there, they just kinda tell you, "Listen,
here's the deal, we all just make believe that you're
in Manitoba. Just say that you were here." Because
when they said it, I was like, "There's a place I've
always heard the name, but I never really knew there
was a place.

GM: I've never been there, either.
MF: See? No one's ever been to Manitoba. That's my
point. Even you.

GM: And you're going to Regina, which Americans think
is really funny.
MF: What?!

GM: Regina.
MF: There's my whole new bit!

GM: There you go. You can get some regina in Regina.
MF: Yeah, it would be too easy to go there, wouldn't
it?

GM: But you say nothing is funnier than stupid stuff.
MF: So what is Regina like?

GM: I have no idea. I've never been there.
MF: Very wet, I heard.

GM: No, it's freezing.
MF: All right, that's a bad joke.

GM: Oh! I see! You were going with the joke. Yeah, wet
and warm. That could be the joke. You thought it was
going to be wet and warm...
MF: Yeah, but you know for a fact that that joke's
been said five thousand times, so I'm gonna try to
stay
away from it.

GM; I don't know because no one goes there. You could
be the first one to actually...
MF: Will you come there with me, please? I'm scared.

GM: Hold your hand.
MF: I'm scared to go to Manitoba.

GM: Yeah, I could be your nipple assistant.
MF: There you go. I could give you some good work.

GM: I bet you could. ... And you're freaked out by the
length of this tour.
MF: Never been on the road for that long.

GM: What's your longest?
MF: The longest I've ever been out has been two weeks.
So this is going to be very, very interesting.

GM: Do you know any of the comics on the bill?
MF: I know Adam Ferrara. Adam Ferrara has been a comic
that I've worked with for the last ten years in New
York City. So I'm looking forward to working with
Adam. But more importantly, I'm looking forward to
working with comedians from different countries. It's
just so exciting for me to be able to test myself like
that and be on the road with all kinds of different
comedians. I'm really excited about this.

GM: It's always a good show.
MF: It's so much different than the regular kind of
comedy tour. I just can't wait to see how the
audiences react to different kinds of comedy, like the
different comics from the different places. A few of
the guys I don't even know yet and by the end of the
tour I'm going to be friendly with them -- or killing
each other -- so it should be
interesting.

GM: I know they kind of micro-manage you when you do a
gala in Montreal, saying "This is what I want to
hear." Will they do that here, or can you say, "I did
this for the last three nights so I'm going to change
and do something else?"
MF: No, no. I was actually told that this is your
choice. Unless it was being televised, which,
apparently, they're televising one part of the tour,
and they don't want you to repeat any of the stuff
from the gala, apparently
you're allowed to just do the material that you like
best. And that's what's really good. I love that they
give the respect to the comics, to let them make that
decision. That's kind of what I was talking to you
about before:
As you become more successful, I think you get more
and more trust. And the more trust you get, the more
you can get away with. And so I'm going to make sure
to give the audience what I think is the funniest
material I have.

GM: You've been doing this for ten years?
MF: Yeah, ten long years.

GM: How old are you?
MF: Im 30 years old.

GM: You started young.
MF: I actually started doing comedy when I was 15.
When I was 15, I started doing stand-up and wasn't
very good at it. My mom once told me, "Boy, you really
suck." And I decided maybe I shouldn't do it. And when
I was 20, I decided to get back into it. And it
happened really fast, actually. I just started doing
it and I was really good at it immediately. It was
really nice to find the one thing that I could do
good. And I just glommed on to it and suddenly people
liked me. So I said I'm going to stick with this.

GM: And your mom has taken back those mean words?
MF: And now my mommy says, "I think you knew best."
Thank you, Mom. ... And then I kick her... in the
Regina.

GM: You were on Dr. Katz twice. That was my favourite
show.
MF: That was actually the biggest honour I've ever had
is to be asked to do that twice because that, to me,
was THE show. When I was asked to do it, which was a
while ago now, I'd been doing comedy two or three
years. I was so, so, so honoured to be offered that.
It meant a lot to me.

GM: How did it feel to be animated?
MF: That was phenomenal. What was more phenomenal was
that if you watch those Dr. Katzes, I'm actually
having conversations with people that weren't there. I
was doing it in a room by myself and all of a sudden
they put in all this stuff of Dr. Katz talking back to
me afterwards. It was really weird because I went in
with these ideas of what I want to do. Like, I want to
talk to the receptionist. "Well just do it. Well put
it in later." So it was exactly how I said I wanted
it. I love when people come together and do stuff like
that, when everybody does what they do the best, it's
so cool. It's really very neat. I remember when they
let artists do what they do. I'd think definitely
you'd learn that you get a better product.

GM: Okay, Mitch, have a good drive to Virginia.
MF: We're almost there. And the girlfriend's being
very good while I'm ignoring her... We're going to see
the circus. She's never been to the circus, so...
She's only ten.

GM: She'll love the clowns.
MF: Yeah, exactly. She actually asked about the
clowns... And were going to get a wax there, too, so
we're very
excited. So the clowns will be happy.

GM: You're going to what?
MF: We're going to get her waxed. That's my present
back to me for getting her the circus.

GM: A hairy ten-year-old?
MF: (laughs)

GM: I look forward to the show, Mitch.
MF: I'm really looking forward to it. The women of
Vancouver have a calendar, and there's a woman, a girl
named Jamie Koeppe. Ever heard of her? Somebody at
jamiekoeppe.com.

GM: Never heard of her.
MF: She lives in Vancouver and she's coming to the
show,
too, so you should come and see her. She's apparently
one of the women of Vancouver.

GM: Really! So she e-mailed you?
MF: Yeah, she e-mailed me.

GM: And said, "I'm coming and I want to have sex with
you."
MF: She's coming to a show. I don't think we're going
to have sex, though. I don't think that we're allowed.
There's a law against that. I don't think you're
allowed to have sex with any of the women of
Vancouver.

GM: They're too hot for you.
MF: And I'll get the shit beat out of me by the
10-year-old.

GM: She's not coming on the trip, is she?
MF: No. But she'll be talking to me on the phone
making sure I'm being good.

GM: I know you have to say that because she's right
there.
MF: There you go. Exactly. It's tough being a guy.

GM: Yeah, it is. But that's what the road is for.
MF: Exactly! (laughs) And especially British Columbia,
5,000 miles away.

GM: She's gotta understand that going out with a
comic.
MF: Yeah, she's very cool. She trusts me.

GM: That's her first mistake.
MF: Exactly.