Transcript: Converting Life Into A Routine

Comedy insider
Episode “Converting life into a routine”

Christian Thom: Hi, Christian Thom here. I didn’t want to talk too loud because we are in little Italy and I don’t want to get whacked. But I used to live in that building right across the street there. Right next door to a debt collector for the mob, who used to give me unsolicited career advice, like hey Chris I know you a performer and everything, but do you know how much money you could make selling crack out of this window. And not just crack donuts too.
Tempting though that was I had to tell him I already had a job waiting tables at the restaurant down stairs. Where I would get a lot of this, hey kids come here, come over here. Ni more bread, anymore bread makes it to this table I will fucking stab you. I am on Atkins, oh and Giuliani over there he is o south beach so set him up too.
Now though having someone threaten my life didn’t seem funny at the time, every comic knows its precious little moments like that that ensure you won’t ever be out of material. And today we are talking to comedian Susan Prekel, who has managed to turn her life into an open and very funny book.
When you draw on your real life for material, where does it come from?
Susan Prekel: Where, well it all comes from my real life. It is all stuff that happened, but how I decide what I like to talk about is the stuff that is the most either aggravating to me or something that really gets me going. It was so ridiculous, it was so annoying. , I will give some thought to try to keep the setup short and figure out alright, how I make this much more quickly. And I will worry about that afterword.
You know most comedy comes from things that are frustrating or agitating. Yeah, yeah it’s rare that something funny comes from something, it’s so amazing!
Christian Thom: Oh this wonderful ting happened to me I can’t wait to tell you about it.
Susan Prekel: He told me he loved me, now that’s just not funny.
Does anyone do yoga? So you know at the beginning of every single class the teacher always asks, does anyone have any injuries that I should know about, any injuries? And one girl is always like yea I got some neck stuff going on, I got some neck stuff. And this is her big thing, this is always her response. Then you shouldn’t do anything that’s going to involve your neck. Wow, that is amazing, amazing Paisley, skylark, jasmine. That’s just…
Christian Thom: but now no ones life is as funny in real life as yours seems to be.
Susan Prekel: Yea, I can see what you’re saying, but I will say that everything actually really did happen. You know you just condense all the funny things into a short period. So over many years yea these funny things did happen. But I also think maybe I seek out those experiences, or I am on the lookout for awkward interaction. Or like love to stick out some situation where someone else might be like, I am getting out of here. I am like, no I am going to stay and see what this person does.
Christian Thom: Right I find myself putting myself in situations that a normal person wouldn’t go into because hey, this could be good comedy.
Susan Prekel: Exactly, exactly.
There is something to that positive thinking, but I don’t think like, I mean come on tell that to Jimmy on the cancer ward at the age of five. You know, you just weren’t thinking positively enough Jimmy. You need to visualize yourself with hair.
I think the reason I talk about dating so much is not that I date so much or I am so obsessed with dating. It is just that is so full of opportunity for feelings and people to say crazy things, and…
Christian Thom: Well most dates are horrible.
Susan Prekel: They are insane.
Christian Thom: and they are people you never would come in contact with unless it was a date.
Susan Prekel: Yea. And there is just so much that can go wrong. That so much can go right for comedy.
Ok, this is just something you need to know for guys, when we are out on a date; we don’t really need to know who you think is hot. It is just rude, I was out with this guy, it was a first date too, that’s important. Like fine, six months in the fantasies over, I get it. But on the first date I wan to pretend you think I am special, and so um. And that you don’t have credit card debt. Ok, so I was out with this guy, who I really liked because he was smart and funny. But not physically perfect which made his arrogance all the more fascinating. He had kind of a dead grey tooth in the back, and I was like whatever if this goes well he can get it fixed.
So uh I am out with Ben and the tooth. And he is going on and on which Hollywood star, the stylist, the trainer, who he gets to travel with .Oh my god please tell me I would really love to know. I would really, really love to know who do you and your tooth think is hot. Katherine Zeta Jones, oh and I think he really is beautiful she is one of the most gorgeous women in this world. And totally out of your league, this is your league; this is your league right. You work in a cube; you’re not meeting Katherine Zeta Jones alright. Your meeting me, I pluck my own brows. I am going to go home, take my bra off and fall asleep in front of the TV alright. Your meeting me and you should be happy because I could be bringing a lot of joy in your life.
I had an acting teacher who used to always say this. You know take it personally. And she would be like take that personally; don’t you have a response to that? And I don’t have that problem, I take it all personally, just some annoying little interaction at a restaurant. Maybe someone bumps into you or something.
Christian Thom: Things that other people might dismiss.
Susan Prekel: Exactly I am going to do, well what was that about? I saw that person earlier and I could have told you, I am being punished because early in the bathroom I kind of, I mean it was hard to say who was first. But I think I was first and I went ahead and went first. He clearly thinks I cut ad this is my punishment. And I am like probably going to say something.
You know maybe on some level I know that this works for me doing comedy and I keep it up because I can’t seem to let go of functioning throughout the day like this. And it is exhausting for me; it is exhausting for the people around me. I, I am kidding.
Christian Thom: but know for the audience they love it.
Susan Prekel: Well, no it works when I get on stage.
My cousin visited recently, that lives in Michigan. And she announced at dinner that she doesn’t like high school, doesn’t like it. Who does? It is something you get through, like brunch with your god mother. Or sex with a nice person.
The other thing that is great about those stories is there is another thing that goes on with like family too. But I do have a little bit of hesitance; I do hesitate to talk about that. Because I am afraid of what I am going to say .because you know when things are going well, I am no thinking about what I am saying. And that makes me very nervous for myself, which is too bad, because I think I am actually going to have to get over that point where I can progress and actually get better.
Christian Thom: I think your going there now.
Susan Prekel: I think I am too, and I think I am really scared about where I am going to be spending Christmas for the rest of my life, because it’s not going to be in Michigan. They are going to be like you, we are done with you. We don’t want to se you we heard what you said about us.
Christian Thom: well, there is material right there.
Susan Prekel: Yea, so I suppose.
Thank you so much goodnight.