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Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/saltmag/public_html/display.php on line 24 A Portrait of Yo Mama as a Salt Contributor -- 03/27/2005 SALT: Is this a red state/blue state divide over maternally themed comedy? AB: Let's just say for the record that "Yo mama" is funnier. KR: Exactly. "Yo mama's so lupine" versus, "Your mom's so lupine." SALT: A lot of the funniest stuff in the book derives from juxtapositions. They're odd combinations a lot of the time, but that's part of what makes it so funny. KR: And expectation. Every joke has a certain expectation. In a sense, the whole book is the joke of, "Okay, here's the expectation: standard Yo Mama joke. Here's our twist." It's just, like, twist after twist on the same thing. SALT: If people can't get that from the truly brilliant title ["A Portrait of Yo Mama as a Young Man"]. AB: It's a brilliant title by Kent Roberts. I just want to say that before we had that title I was so fond of the word "lupine" that I wanted to call the book "Yo Mama's So Lupine." SALT: Which could have worked. AB: Maybe. KR: Check it. I have not read a James Joyce book. Have you, Andrew? AB: You know, I've heard of him, and I hear he's good. KR: Seriously, I haven't read a James Joyce book. I think that's funny. AB: I just read "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" in preparation for this interview. SALT: The Stephen Dedalus questions are coming up. Is it rude to suggest that the title might be the best joke in the book? AB: I would go with that assessment. KR: Well, I don't know . . . I honestly looked at this joke today and I thought this was a classic joke. [to AB] Blue cheese dressing? SALT: What's the joke? AB: "Yo mama is like blue cheese dressing: I hate her." [laughter all around] KR: I think that's a fucking classic joke. SALT: It's a great joke. KR: Do we have a tie there with the title, at least? SALT: I'll call it a tie. Are there any comedy writers working today whose stuff you admire? AB: I really like Ian Frazier, who's written humor pieces in The New Yorker for many years. In terms of what you'd call humor writing, that's someone I would think of. Kent, should we alternate on this? KR: I like the humor washed up onto our shores by the Atlantic Ocean. AB: I'll keep going, give Kent some time. I like Mr. Show and other things Bob Odenkirk and David Cross have done. In terms of what shaped my sense of humor as a child, it was partly the funny people in my family and the funny people I met- whatever it was in my personality that made me become drawn to those people- those were big influences. Saturday Night Live, a mix of the classic years and the late-80's/early-90's when I started watching. KR: Molestation was a big influence on me. [long, thoughtful pause] I totally think it's a good question. end of page 5 [ 5 ] read more ... [ 6 ] |
