Lewis Black Interview

[babylonsister]

http://progressive.org/node/4677

Lewis Black Interview
By Antonino D’Ambrosio

April 2007 Issue

There is an old southern Italian saying: dobbiamo ridere per mantenere via le rotture (we must laugh to keep away the tears). Comedian Lewis Black not only believes this, but also practices it every day by making people laugh at the absurdity and hypocrisy that dominate modern American politics. As one of America’s foremost social satirists, Black caught the American public’s attention with his volcanic, hands-trembling, ticking-time-bomb-like social “commentaries on everything” in the “Back in Black” segment on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Here’s a sample about the Enron scandal: “You don’t want another Enron? Here’s the law: If you have a company, and you can’t explain, in one sentence, what the fuck it does, it’s illegal!”

snip//

Q: Your rise to the top of American comedians has coincided with Bush’s time in office. Is there a connection?

Black: Every day these guys do something more outrageous and full of hubris. There is a huge amount of material to pull from. You can’t even get to the joke. It could take weeks. I just start yelling about this stuff and there is my act. Like with this “nonbinding resolution” thing. What does that mean, nonbinding resolution? How did they even come up with that word? For me, it’s like if you went to a doctor for diarrhea and he prescribed Ex-Lax—-now that’s nonbinding.

Q: What do you see as the main problem of this Administration?

Black: As much as the problem is the Iraq War, there is a bigger problem: There are unqualified, incompetent people within the government bureaucracy. There are people who spend their entire lives working within government and are experienced and know how to run FEMA, the FDA, the EPA. You can find these people and they will do their jobs well. It’s the Administration’s job to find them and put them in these positions. This is what is called maintenance. What fell apart is maintenance. I lived around the government when I was a kid and I know it’s got many problems but you don’t elect people who don’t like government because that’s what they’re in charge of.

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[saltpoint]

1. I really like Lewis Black.

Things just click together when he's commenting on politics.

[kimmerspixelated]

2. Lewis Black Rocks!

He's my favorite comedian these days.

[peacetalksforall]

3. On any day I get to hear him, he becomes my hero du jour.

And he is a special hero on a day like this when Rove and Wolfowitz are the main news personas.

I like the article for the background information on him - theater, huh? Playwright? Talented.

Thanks.

[saltpoint]

4. It seems as if Lewis Black could do film roles.

I wonder if directors would be willing to put him in dramatic roles.

I think he could handle it, no problem.