It’s entertainment…
Yeah, exactly.
As you grow more successful, do you find it harder to be more self-depreciating?
No. It’s just different things. There’s this expression “wherever I went, there I was.” So the success and the other things don’t change who Jim Norton is. You know what I mean? So my self-loathing is still there, I still have body image issues, all the self-hatred. It’s just, you know, things are better on the outside.
Doug Stanhope just wrote a pretty lengthy blog post on the fraudulence of comedy classes. How do you feel about them? Do you think standup comedy is something that can be taught in a classroom environment?
Well, yes and no. First, I’ve never been to one so I can’t comment. I know guys that teach them. I don’t know a lot of guys that are working comics that are students of them, but there might be guys that are working who’ve taken them. It’s hard to say.
If the teacher’s honest, just tells you to be honest, and tells you what you might be doing wrong in front of a crowd, could it get someone started? Sure. But, does it guarantee you’ll be a working, good comedian? No, I don’t think that that’s very accurate.
How do you feel about the state of American politics today?
They’re all cunts. I was just talking to a guy in Atlanta about this, a reporter, and this is not democrat or republican, but Howard Dean just had a moment where he shows you everything that’s wrong with politicians. Did you see the clip where he’s on Fox and he’s talking about the broad in the White House who just resigned, uh like Sherrod or something?
Yeah, Shirley Sherrod.
So Howard Dean, the Vermont fucking douche that he is, is blasting Fox News because that’s what they do and he’s all “oh they’re racist. They’re irresponsible by playing that tape” you know, accusing them of racism because of this woman’s case. And then someone from Fox said, “are you aware of the fact that her name was not even mentioned on Fox until after she had resigned.”
The tape was not played on Fox until after she had resigned and Howard Dean was stunned he didn’t know that. He made an ass of himself and then the guy goes “ did you know that?” and he goes “Well, you know, the tape…” and this is what they all do; they just fucking babble to make themselves seem right instead of being truthful. They’re all shit.
You sound a little flustered….
I mean, I like some more than others, but I’d say as a group they’re all garbage.
Was there a time in your life where you had a little more political hope than today?
Yeah. I mean they say the older you get, the more you realize. I was very, very liberal when I was younger. Then I started doing comedy and started to hate liberals, but it was about language, not their beliefs or abortion or anything like that. There are language prescriptions and all that shit political correctness does. Then you come to a point where you’re like “yeah, I hate the conservatives too” and you lump them all into the same pile of shit. You realize they’re all the same person just on different sides of the (political) spectrum. None of them are out to really benefit individuals.
I think Obama’s got good intentions, I really do. I don’t think he’s a typical scumbag. I think he’s much more idealistic. I like him more on a personal level than the others, but, you know, he’s still an ass.
That’s reassuring. I’m 22 and starting to feel that way…
No, you’re smart. That’s good.
I hear you’re a big Ozzy fan. Have you heard his new CD yet?
Yeah, I actually did. I love it. I interviewed Ozzy. I got to do an hour interview with him on Terrestrial Radio. So, yeah I actually really dig it. I very rarely will like something brand new that an old artist comes out with because I’m such a fucking stuck in the past idiot, but I really do love this one.
You said, “the only labels in comedy that matter are 'funny', 'original' and 'hack'. I have to ask, who are the hacks today?
It’s hard to say. I mean, because talking about topical stuff is never going to be hack. Hacks, to me, are guys who are just taking the typical route on anything. Like, guys doing stuff from the 80’s, guys still talking about Bop-Its; to me, talking about Bush being stupid is hack. You know what I mean? We get it. It’s over. It’s done. Attacking the same thing, the same way that everyone else has been doing it for years to me, is hack.
I don’t know if I want to attack other comedians for no reason. I’m really weird with attacking other comics. It’s like I will do it, but only if they attack me first. Like, actors I’ll attack. I despise most of them.
How does the outlook of 42-year-old Jim differ from the outlook of, say, 25-year-old Jim?
I’m less interested in the audience’s opinion. I still want them to laugh. Every comic wants them to laugh, but I’m less interested in whether or not they agree with me. If I’m going to give political opinions or whatever, they’ve got to be funny, first and foremost, because no one wants to hear some bore onstage trying to lecture them. You can’t think you’re smarter than the audience.
But I feel I have to A) Be funny and B) Explain why I’m saying what I’m saying. You know, make it in the context of a joke, but at least give reasons for my point-of-view. Otherwise you’re just up there trying to be shocking and that’s boring, too. You know, standing up there and saying like, “Yeah, the Catholic church. They suck!” Ooh, you’re edgy [dismissive fart noise]. Shit. They do suck, but at least attack it accurately.
At the end of the gig, what do you hope people take away from your comedy?
I want them to feel like I was honest with them and I was funny and I was original, but I want them to mostly feel I was funny and honest. Very, very important, to me at least.
Jim Norton performs August 5 through 7 at the Tampa Improv, 1600 E. 8th Ave., Ybor City. Tickets are $22 in advance. For more info, visit improvtampa.com.
