Welcome Chris Gethard:
We’re joined on the Starline by a comedian whose wife calls him the longshot kid. He spent 2019 in some of the most unusual places and the documentary of that tour has been turned into “Chris Gethard: Half My Life”. We welcome Chris Gethard.
Chris, let’s go Beyond the Mic in 2019 we were all innocent, nobody had heard of COVID-19 and you were on the road taping Half My Life.
And drink those overpriced water priced drinks…where are some of the weird places you went on this tour? I saw a portion where you were doing a set in front of alligator or were they crocodiles?
As you put together this tour what was going through your mind? Did you think you were going to do weird stuff or was it one thing lead up to another…
Improv vs rehearsed:
Why is improvisional comedy so much deeper rather than what a traditional comedian performs rather to opening it up to whatever the audience will give them?
What makes Music / Comedy so similar? There is a degree of entertainment but the fans want to hear the hits, the old favorites while the artists want to play the new stuff. How do you reconcile the needs of the fan with your own needs?
You’ve been successful with your Planet Scum site. How did that come together and how hard is it as a comedian especially with the last year of zoom shows, drive in shows just trying to get content out to people?
People are starving for entertainment, how hard was it to entertain your son Caleb during the quarantine?
You lived in New Jersey, but have a thing for New York, no, I won’t give you shit about being a Knicks fan. You’ve written a book about the weird stuff from the Island to upstate. Why was this so interesting to you?
“Lose Well” is another book of yours where you encourage people to fail, then live a life without regret. In radio there isn’t an instant reaction for me, for comedians, people laugh or don’t. Why was writing “Lose Well” important for you?
The Rockin’ 8:
It’s time for the Rockin’ 8, 8 random questions; answer with the first thing that comes to your mind.
There is no Pressure.
1. Favorite place to normally do a comedy show?
2. One thing that you do that drives your wife Hallie crazy? (light laugh)
3. Someone would hand you 100 million dollars but you could never listen to The Smiths again, would you take their money? What about 1 mil What about 100K
4. If you could do a set with 3 other comedians but they all had to be dead, who would be on stage with you for that one weird night? Another master of chaos
5. Have you ever bought an airplane ticket for a dog?
6. What’s the one food you hated as a kid but love as an adult?
7. If you could have chosen another profession, what would you have been?
8. Your best moment as a dad?
Time for One Big Question:
What is going right with the world right now and what scares you?
We’ll survive…
The Back Half with Chris Gethard
You’ve hosted the critically acclaimed podcast “Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People”, where did that concept come from and why does it work in your mind?
That’s what Beyond the Mic as started. Instead of forcing the same 3 questions that everyone else on the tour is going to ask you I wanted to be able to go deeper with people. It’s not, thanks for showing up, here’s your gift bag…
How has your family and friends helped you with your mental health. It’s a dog eat dog world, how easy or hard is it for a person to get or feel lost?
Happier Questions:
You’ve been on films and television shows, which do you prefer and what show do you still want to get a call from?
That is so weird because it’s not like “Chris is going to talk a woman who lost her leg saving her dog from a fire. Chris?”
Best summer moment with your family? Really?
Letterman was a legend. I think of Letterman’s daytime show
What are your joys of fighting for the underdog? You’ve helped raise money to feed hospital employees. You’re not the typical star who fights for the who’s who list but for the underdog. What’s it like fighting for and being the underdog?
Like the weird late night movies on WOR…
Why?
Will the Knicks ever win with Dolan as owner?
The Wrap:
His midlife crisis job would either be a tugboat captain or work in comic book store. His latest comedy special “Half My Life” is available through streaming platforms anywhere, we thank Chris Gethard for taking the time to talk with us today.
And that my friends is Beyond the Mic.
Check out Planet Scum!
Check out Chris Gethard’s YouTube channel here.
Visit his website here.
Check out other comedians here.
