Janeane Garofalo began her stand-up comedy career in the '80s with news clippings and observations in a notebook. Her act hasn't changed much over the years, but her career has.
She has starred in such hit movies as Reality Bites and Ratatouille. Her television roles include The West Wing and 24 among others.
Garofalo returns to her stand-up roots with TBS' Just For Laughs Festival and we talked to her shortly before her arrival.
Windy City Times: Hi, Janeane. I saw you perform at the Lakeshore Theatre years ago. That was a while ago.
Janeane Garofalo: Yes, it was. Thank you for going.
WCT: Is this going to be similar to that show, with you and a notebook full of observations about things?
JG: Yes, it will because I can't remember anything as has been since 1985 when I started. My lack of discipline has led me to writing down in notebooks and pieces of paper things I would like to talk about. Hopefully, it will be interesting or funny to the audience.
WCT: Do these observations come to you in the middle of the night sometimes?
JG: Well, I keep a notebook with me. If there are current events that strike me or if it is newsworthy, then there is also really stupid shit that will bug me whether it be a commercial or a dating site ad or a magazine, just garden variety nonsense. I don't make stuff up for the sake of killing time. Now having said that I have certainly embellished a story here and there because it would be too much of a boring ending.
WCT: You are performing late at night here. You will have to sleep during the day.
JG: What a drag! I have to sleep during the day? You know how much I love to get up early and get out there.
WCT: I bet. Plus, you have a few performances while in town.
JG: Yes with Kyle Kanine. I am also with Delocated on June 15 at The Hideout. It is a show on Adult Swim and some of the cast from that show will be there, like Amy Schumer, and Jon Glaser will be there too.
WCT: Fun! You talk about politics a lot in your act so I wanted to ask you your thoughts on gay marriage.
JG: I am against it! [Laughs] Just kidding.
WCT: I picked the wrong comedian to interview, then!
JG: Psych! I am, of course. As I always say in these situations, gay rights are human rights. This is a human-rights issue and a civil-rights issue. There is no reason in the world why there should be no gay marriage. There is also no reason in the world why we should be discussing it in 2012!
This is not a side to an argument. It is not a viewpoint denying someone civil rights. I don't know why it is framed that way. It is like it's someone's belief. First off, they are bigoted and wrong. So bigots shouldn't get to discuss this on the news. In 2012, why are such backward people being indulged?
WCT: I have noticed that.
JG: Not only that, but the biggest attackers turn out to be gay. Someone who is vehemently anti-gay has a personal problem so why do we have to deal with it? What about that preacher who advocates killing gay people?
WCT: Reverend [Charles Worley].
JG: Not only does that tell me that he has a neurological problem but it is so deep that it has got to mean something more.
WCT: What did you think about Obama coming out with stance on gay marriage?
JG: I'm thrilled but—come on!—that should have been proudly stated from the word "go." There is no reason in the world where it takes someone pretending that it was an evolution. He is a smart enough and forward-thinking guy to always have been pro-gay rights, especially as a Black man who knows what it's like to come up against bigotry. But he is pretending—for whose benefit, I don't know—that this is new.
Society is far ahead of where the political pundits think we are. The outcry is from a small portion of the population and yet somehow they dominate the conversation.
WCT: I thought you would be outspoken on Twitter so I was looking for you on there.
JG: I don't [tweet]. There are people that twitter as me but it's not me.
WCT: I thought you would be into it.
JG: No, I am too old. Grandmas don't [tweet]!
WCT: We are almost the same age.
JG: For whatever strange reason they are pretending like they are me. If you are going to fake-[tweet] somebody then how about someone who can get a lot of followers?
WCT: You did Criminal Minds not too long ago.
JG: Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior—which, mercifully, got cancelled.
WCT: People love Criminal Minds.
JG: For some reason, they sure do. It is not my cup of tea but apparently millions of people love it.
WCT: Is there a TV show you would like to do but haven't yet?
JG: Oh yes, a billion of them. I would like to be on Girls on HBO.
WCT: That's a good one!
JG: I love that show. I would like to be on more Adult Swim shows because that is the funniest comedy on TV. I would like to be on Mad Men. Of course, why wouldn't I? There are tons of shows on BBC, like Peepshow. I also like the show Veep. The new Jeff Daniels show looks good on HBO. If it were up to me I would be on all of these shows. It is not up to me, sadly.
WCT: You must be a big television watcher.
JG: Yes, but not randomly. I don't watch Dancing With the Stars or the fake reality stuff although I have been known to watch Mob Wives. I'm fascinated.
WCT: There is a Chicago Mob Wives that just started. I heard it is really bad.
JG: Really? That's a shocker.
WCT: I love The Truth About Cats & Dogs [a movie that co-starred Garofalo and Uma Thurman].
JG: The original script was more interesting to me. It is a light romantic comedy; what are you going to do? The original was just a little more complex and I didn't wind up with Ben Chaplin at the end. We were friendly but we didn't wind up together.
WCT: Well, I can see why you picked the movie because it was different than some romantic comedies.
JG: They offered it to me and I had never been offered a big movie like that until then. I had just left SNL and was happy to do something.
WCT: What are you working on now?
JG: I have been doing Delocated and some voice work with Metalocalypse. I just closed a play and this Monday I start rehearsals for another play. Hopefully, that will get a run and be good.
WCT: People can come to New York and see you.
JG: Come on down!
Look for Janeane and Kyle at the Up Comedy Club, 230 W. North Ave., 3rd Floor, on Wed., June 13, at 11 p.m. For ticket information, visit www.justforlaughschicago.com .
