Benkharakh.com

By Ben Kharakh

Pete Holmes on becoming a comedian.

At a young age, were you exposed to comedy, were the cause of laughter, or were referred to as funny?
Yes. My family took me to see Bill Cosby when I was, say, eleven. That was a big thing, because here my parents were, in a way, showing me that comedy was important and something civilized people could enjoy and spend their money on. And in my family, jokes were always important. My mom encouraged me to read the "funnies" in the paper, as she still does every morning (as do I).

As far as being funny, I'm often surprised that people remember me as a funny kid, because I didn't necessarily feel like I was the funniest kid. I knew I liked acting funny, but didn't know if it was how I was seen. I did get a lot of laughs in my house and with my friends, but usually was called "weird" over "funny." But the laughter also suggested funny.

How would you describe your childhood and what you were like as a child?
My household was great, and a lot better than most, I think, but wasn't without some tensions. My family didn't get along as well as we do now when I was a kid, and often joking at the dinner table was a quick and easy way (and fun way) to break the tension and keep people from being hostile (or mean to each other, nothing physical). I learned pretty quickly that if I smashed my face into my ice cream, it's pretty hard to have whatever fight you were about to about whateverhthehell. Or, if I set up my keyboard in the hall and sang as song I called "I'm a Cow Giving Birth, and So Are You," the house just felt lighter.

But I was a ham. I went for laughs all the time. I'd fall down, talk silly, sing, joke, yell, whatever. I wanted to be the center of attention and laugh all day.

What do you think first motivated you be funny?
I like people to be happy, and I like being happy (as obvious as that sounds). I really do ingest other people's stress. I feel it like it's my own. So when people are uncomfortable or anxious, or if I'm uncomfortable and anxious, a laugh is a great relief. I also really enjoy getting affirmation from the outside. I try and tell myself that if I think what I'm saying is funny, that should be enough, but honestly there's a real need to connect and unite with strangers and have them agree. It makes the world smaller, happier and friendlier.

Do you think that by being funny you may be counteracting a sense of inadequacy caused by a defect of self or circumstance, I.E. poverty or social ineptitude?
Sure. I'm a big guy. Tall and a little thick. I stick out. It makes sense for me to assume an attention-grabbing role, or at least it seems to. I wasn't poor nor did I have any defects, per say, but I wasn't "cool." I'm still not cool. Screw cool. But I could be funny, and that's an in to make friends, impress girls, and make your life better overall. But I didn't really feel like an average kid. The spotlight was on me, or at least I felt it was, so I started performing. And this is just from being tall and a slightly thicker milkshake! Imagine if I had to wear a corrective boot or something.

Do you think outsiderdom, alienation, or isolation play a role in the development of comedians?
It can, I suppose. I spent a lot of time alone as a kid, even though I had some great friends. There's still a lot of hours in the day. It was those times that I wrote songs, sketches, jokes, cartoons... Stuff to show people later. So alone time became creative time. It still does.

But I wasn't a typical outsider. I had lots of friends growing up, and was one of those guys that "knew everybody" but I still spent a lot of time alone and clearly felt separated on some levels (I had a punk band, for crying out loud!).

But even now, as I'm more clear on who I am, I don't feel like a civilian. I'm a comedian. I go to the movies and I give a review of the movie AND the crowd. I can't tune things out. I'll count the number of times someone uses an obvious vocabulary word as they're talking to me. This isn't normal. This is comedian stuff. And I'm okay with it.

Did people think you were funny before you thought you were funny?
Yes. It took a long time before I even considered that maybe I was as funny as people said I was. Then even longer after that to think of doing standup. A lot of times people are funny just because of the way they think. So why would you think the way you think is funny? It's just normal to you. But after a while, you start to believe people when they say you're funny and should be a comedian.

How did you learn to be funny?
It's cliché, but my family is very funny. Great timing, great storytelling, real colorful characters. And friends, and of course listening to comedy and watching comedy. In college, it was very academic. I would study Steve Martin records, listening to them over and over, transcribing them, rating the laughs they get, breaking down the structure. I would never do this now, but that's how I started. And Improv. That was a very easy way to just START and try and be funny with no preparation. I started doing Improv when I was like twelve. It was the greatest.

Was there a moment when you eventually thought, "Well, I guess I'm funny."?
I made my friend throw up once. Since then, I have two pants-peeing, and numerous coughing fits to my credit. But when my friend got out of the pool to wretch (we were swimming), I had a very clear idea that I might be funny.

When did you make the decision to make comedy your career?
Freshman year of college I decided to be a cartoonist. Sophomore year I decided to be an improviser. Junior year, I decided to be a standup. But I knew right away I'd never use my degree. Really takes the edge off of "classes."

The goal of these questions was to support, rebuke, or amend my grand unified theory of comedy, which is as follows: At a young age comedians are either exposed to comedy, are the cause of laughter, or are referred to as funny due to inadvertently comical behavior. They want to receive the same response and attention that the comedy that they saw or were the cause of achieved, possibly also to counteract a sense of inadequacy caused by a defect of self or circumstance, I.E. poverty or social ineptitude. However, it is more likely that the comedian recognizes the usefulness of comedy, such as the satisfaction one receives from creating it and its utility in social situation, and pursues it for that reason. What do you think of this theory and do you think it describes you?
I do want the attention, but in the framework of standup. I don't want to ever be "the funny guy at the party" or the crackup at the movies. I'm more comfortable talking to a crowd because I know my role and they know theirs. I get off on the affirmation that people are validating and supporting my thoughts and giving them the high praise of, "Being something funny" which usually has to be smart or well-put-together. Afterwards, I feel invincible, I feel connected to the world, and affirmed. I do feel more put-together, more myself, better looking, taller, brighter. So, yeah.