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If there was any doubt that comedian Lisa Lampanelli was an insult comic, one look at her Web site address (www.insultcomic.com) would confirm she lives up to her billing as "Comedy's Lovable Queen of Mean."
It's been quite a year for the 48-year-old funny lady who not only got engaged but also released her first book," Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat, and Freaks," and watched earlier this year as her debut one-hour HBO special introduced her expletive-filled material to a wider audience.
For Lampanelli, it's all about putting people in the seats for her stand-up show, which makes its way through the Palace Theatre on Friday, Nov. 6. Metromix talked to Lampenelli about her memories of Ohio and her controversial material.
Considering your comedy is often insult based, which goes over well at comedy roasts, do you feel you're misunderstood in our politically correct world?
Who cares, as long as I get paid. To be honest, I'm probably misunderstood by a few people, but as long as the people I care about understand, which is basically the industry and audience, that's good enough for me. And if the industry gets it, that's fine. So guys like (Howard) Stern and (Don) Rickles, people I respect, are like, "You're doing the right thing," I'm like, "OK, I must be onto something."
So what are some of the current topics you'll be discussing at your upcoming show?
I'm still an insult comic at heart, and it's a lot of racially based stuff still. I just got engaged, so I talk about my relationship with my fiancé and how I used to date a lot of black guys. And now I'm engaged to a white guy, so there are definitely topics for discussion there. I have like 25 minutes on his nut sack alone. He brings a lot to the table in that department. I talk about what pisses me off, makes me angry and upset in the world. Anything with emotion is what I talk about, because emotion is funny. People want something you're passionate about. So you have to really feel something about it.
Any memories of playing Columbus in the past?
Let me think. It was Cincinnati that sucked. I played the State Theatre in Columbus before. Columbus is like a decent city. I don't remember hating it. I don't remember loving it. And I don't have this snobby attitude that New York City and Los Angeles guys have, which is like, "Oh, they're not smart in the Midwest." It's like, "Shut the f--- up. Folks are folks. If it's funny in New York City, it's funny in Columbus." That's why my audiences kind of blend together because I draw cool, smart people and, sadly, some racists, but hey, you have to pay the bills.
Actually, people have called you a racist before. So, the natural question is, are you a racist?
The thing is, if they think that, that's fine. Like probably that fat b---- from "The View" said I was a racist, and Joy Behar said, "Really? In our day, that was called comedy." But really, if you're going to piss off anyone, you want it to be one of those cackling hens from "The View," because they're people who have opinions on things they know nothing about. So if people like that think I'm a racist, that's cool. The audience never does. They just get it. They know I'm making fun of stereotypes and making fun of things that people make fun of in their own homes. I'm kind of bringing to light how stupid all of the stereotypes really are. So, I get that, I'm not a racist. I'm like Cher—the only opinions that count are mine and God's, and God's really doesn't count as much as mine.
Lisa Lampanelli is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Palace Theatre. Tickets are $34, and are now on sale at all Ticketmaster locations.
