News
Smoking Pot and Spreading the Word is Comic's Duty
Sun, Mar 18, 2007 7:21 pm
source: mercurynews.com
There's more to Doug Benson than his cheeky commentary on VH1's "Best Week Ever."
Besides his irreverent recap of the week's gossip in the gabfest of talking heads, Benson is a reality TV vet ("Last Comic Standing"), part of the rotation in the Comedians of Comedy tour and the recent recipient of the High Times magazine Stoner of the Year Award. He performs Thursday through Sunday at Rooster T. Feathers in Sunnyvale.
Rather than some dopey, 21st century version of Tommy Chong, Benson is a sharp minded, sharp-tongued entertainer who has starred in the long-running stage show "The Marijuana-Logues" in New York City. He spoke by phone about his new title, his life as an ever-quipping commentator and his run-in with one louder-than-loud celebrity.
Q How does one become a regular on "Best Week Ever?"
A People come and go based on the whims of the producers or on their own schedules or careers. (Comedian) Patton (Oswalt of "King of Queens") was on there for a while, but he got sick of talking about Paris Hilton every week. I, of course, love it. I can never stop saying how horrible she is.
I was in New York doing "The Marijuana-Logues" off-Broadway ...
Q You love saying that, don't you?
A What?
Q "I was in the Marijuana-Logues. Off-Broadway."
A Yeah, the two don't seem to go together. We ran for a year off-Broadway, so that was pretty exciting that here was a big pot leaf on Seventh Avenue.
Q You should bring in some established theater actor like Patrick Stewart into the production.
A Or get Harrison Ford or Brad Pitt to do it.
Q Are you implying something with that statement?
A With Harrison Ford, it's just what I heard, but with Brad Pitt, I've seen it in person. I was lucky enough to actually share a joint with him once.
Q You're outing the pot smokers in Hollywood!
A There's no reason not to, because they are fairly open about it.
Q Back to "Best Week." How were you selected?
A They knew me because I had done a couple of shows on VH1, one called "The 100 Hottest Hotties." I'm an expert on hotness. I did that show and a few others. I'm coming up on my two-year anniversary of "Best Week Ever."
Q Do you keep close tabs on the gossip, or is that even necessary anymore?
A I couldn't get over the amount of hard news sources that were covering Anna Nicole Smith. The day she died when I saw Wolf Blitzer (reporting) more news about Anna Nicole, I just couldn't believe it. "Best Week Ever" was kind of at the head of that.
Q Is there any negative fallout from you doing this?
A One time I was in a bar and Courtney Love walked right up to me, which is scary in and of itself. She said, "Doug Benson, you make fun of me on VH1." And I said, "I don't recall anything I've said about you." And she not only dropped it, but she hung out with me for a while and chatted. Whenever I do see her, which has only been a couple more times, she says, "Hi," like we're friends. And I'm happy to keep it that way.
Q So people know you best as the guy on "Best Week Ever"?
A Coming in closely behind would be my brief foray into "Last Comic Standing" last season. Fans have a fairly violent reaction to how I didn't advance from the semifinals.
Q They felt you were shortchanged?
A I spent the next several months being told I was robbed. And I have to say, I agree. (He laughs.)
Q You were named Stoner of the Year by High Times magazine. How did this happen?
A I believe a couple of dudes at High Times looked at each other and said, "How about Doug Benson?" And I certainly was quite honored by the title. And I also really appreciate the trophy, because it's a bong.
Q What responsibility comes with that lofty title?
A I believe it's my responsibility to keep smoking pot and spreading the word that it's not as evil as some make it out to be. And part of my responsibility is to not be terribly responsible.
Q The last couple of times I saw you live, with Marc Maron and at SF Sketchfest at Cobb's Comedy Club in San Francisco, I don't recall you joking a lot about pot.
A What were you smoking? (In the Maron show) at Cobb's I believe I talked about it quite a bit. I play to the crowd. If I'm out on the road somewhere and doing jokes about pot and the crowd isn't digging it, I have other things to joke about. I'm not just a pot comic, and I'm not just a pop culture pundit. There is a lot of stuff in between: There's still sex and alcohol.
Doug Benson
Also Graham Elwood and Sherry Sirof
Where: Rooster T. Feathers, 157 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale
When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Tickets: $15-$18; (408) 736-0921, www.roostertfeathers.com
Online Extra
To listen to the podcast interviews of Doug Benson, go to www.mercextra.com/listen
Besides his irreverent recap of the week's gossip in the gabfest of talking heads, Benson is a reality TV vet ("Last Comic Standing"), part of the rotation in the Comedians of Comedy tour and the recent recipient of the High Times magazine Stoner of the Year Award. He performs Thursday through Sunday at Rooster T. Feathers in Sunnyvale.
Rather than some dopey, 21st century version of Tommy Chong, Benson is a sharp minded, sharp-tongued entertainer who has starred in the long-running stage show "The Marijuana-Logues" in New York City. He spoke by phone about his new title, his life as an ever-quipping commentator and his run-in with one louder-than-loud celebrity.
Q How does one become a regular on "Best Week Ever?"
A People come and go based on the whims of the producers or on their own schedules or careers. (Comedian) Patton (Oswalt of "King of Queens") was on there for a while, but he got sick of talking about Paris Hilton every week. I, of course, love it. I can never stop saying how horrible she is.
I was in New York doing "The Marijuana-Logues" off-Broadway ...
Q You love saying that, don't you?
A What?
Q "I was in the Marijuana-Logues. Off-Broadway."
A Yeah, the two don't seem to go together. We ran for a year off-Broadway, so that was pretty exciting that here was a big pot leaf on Seventh Avenue.
Q You should bring in some established theater actor like Patrick Stewart into the production.
A Or get Harrison Ford or Brad Pitt to do it.
Q Are you implying something with that statement?
A With Harrison Ford, it's just what I heard, but with Brad Pitt, I've seen it in person. I was lucky enough to actually share a joint with him once.
Q You're outing the pot smokers in Hollywood!
A There's no reason not to, because they are fairly open about it.
Q Back to "Best Week." How were you selected?
A They knew me because I had done a couple of shows on VH1, one called "The 100 Hottest Hotties." I'm an expert on hotness. I did that show and a few others. I'm coming up on my two-year anniversary of "Best Week Ever."
Q Do you keep close tabs on the gossip, or is that even necessary anymore?
A I couldn't get over the amount of hard news sources that were covering Anna Nicole Smith. The day she died when I saw Wolf Blitzer (reporting) more news about Anna Nicole, I just couldn't believe it. "Best Week Ever" was kind of at the head of that.
Q Is there any negative fallout from you doing this?
A One time I was in a bar and Courtney Love walked right up to me, which is scary in and of itself. She said, "Doug Benson, you make fun of me on VH1." And I said, "I don't recall anything I've said about you." And she not only dropped it, but she hung out with me for a while and chatted. Whenever I do see her, which has only been a couple more times, she says, "Hi," like we're friends. And I'm happy to keep it that way.
Q So people know you best as the guy on "Best Week Ever"?
A Coming in closely behind would be my brief foray into "Last Comic Standing" last season. Fans have a fairly violent reaction to how I didn't advance from the semifinals.
Q They felt you were shortchanged?
A I spent the next several months being told I was robbed. And I have to say, I agree. (He laughs.)
Q You were named Stoner of the Year by High Times magazine. How did this happen?
A I believe a couple of dudes at High Times looked at each other and said, "How about Doug Benson?" And I certainly was quite honored by the title. And I also really appreciate the trophy, because it's a bong.
Q What responsibility comes with that lofty title?
A I believe it's my responsibility to keep smoking pot and spreading the word that it's not as evil as some make it out to be. And part of my responsibility is to not be terribly responsible.
Q The last couple of times I saw you live, with Marc Maron and at SF Sketchfest at Cobb's Comedy Club in San Francisco, I don't recall you joking a lot about pot.
A What were you smoking? (In the Maron show) at Cobb's I believe I talked about it quite a bit. I play to the crowd. If I'm out on the road somewhere and doing jokes about pot and the crowd isn't digging it, I have other things to joke about. I'm not just a pot comic, and I'm not just a pop culture pundit. There is a lot of stuff in between: There's still sex and alcohol.
Doug Benson
Also Graham Elwood and Sherry Sirof
Where: Rooster T. Feathers, 157 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale
When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Tickets: $15-$18; (408) 736-0921, www.roostertfeathers.com
Online Extra
To listen to the podcast interviews of Doug Benson, go to www.mercextra.com/listen
» add a comment
noblem
Mar 22 2007, 11:17 am
Tribes 2 of 2
Mar 21 2007, 10:26 am
Even if that love is based in simple self-interest, it will do. Trying to get anything together without love will fizzle or worse. Hell, I don’t know any you are but I choose to love you. If that’s freaky it isn’t where I come from so don’t worry.
Choose to count to ten before you hammer on your brother. Think benevolent teacher whenever you can and we’ll all benefit.
We can pretend to get along real good like when families are expecting important company.
420 day will be a media darling a la’ Woodstock, in a 20 minute flash!
Daisies in tha rifle barrels was much harder than getting along with my brethren's cyber-essence on my screen in front of invited company, at least ‘til we kill the giant on 4-20 in a twenty-minute walk.
Word?
Tribes 1 of 2
Mar 21 2007, 10:24 am
We've hated and feared he next campfire in the black night from always and right up to today.
Love is a brave and conscious decision, but ultimately a selfish one. When we choose to engage the next tribe over we enrich our own tribe with both positives and affordable trade-offs. We leave our spears at home and use our words and arms, and peaceful intentions. We count on our inborn love and tolerance as our social lubricant.
We don't become exactly like them, they don't change into us. We choose to overcome the fearful, intolerant caveman DNA of our fathers in order to get what WE can get out of dealing with one another. Mutually and in our own interest.
This give and take is the basis of all human civilization, NOT because we inherently ENJOY each other's company.
All of that cooperation gets fortified when local tribes are mutually threatened or have a collective opportunity. They built fortified cities with many tribes together in them. Ancient inter-tribal disputes faded into ridiculous stature in the face of the common outside enemy. Or the Big Hunt!
Make no mistake. WE are making war against an industrial/military/political complex entrenched in hard line-isms and movie scripted world oppressive looting. They know how to keep the status quo where ever they want it.
more
who cares
Mar 20 2007, 7:08 am
hey,
Mar 20 2007, 6:57 am
BLIZOUNT
Mar 19 2007, 3:22 pm
www.passyourdrugtest1.com
Mar 19 2007, 9:07 am
877-286-7068
I Wonder What Would...
Mar 19 2007, 1:09 am
I wonder how many of us view these pages?
NuggyFresh
Mar 18 2007, 8:52 pm
nice announcement
Mar 18 2007, 8:50 pm
???08
Mar 18 2007, 8:47 pm
He is the only candidate to openly support Mediacal Marijuana
angrytoker
Mar 18 2007, 7:35 pm
» add a comment