Q&A with Alonzo Bodden, comedian panelist from "Wait Wait! Don't Tell Me"

As the Wait Wait! Stand-Up Tour makes its away around the states, comedian Alonzo Bodden took some time for a Q&A with KLCC.

Q&A with Alonzo Bodden

KLCC: We look forward to welcoming you back to Oregon! Having toured all around the U.S., what differences have you noticed in the Pacific Northwest humor versus the rest of the country?

Alonzo Bodden: Well there’s definitely more rain involved. Other places, yeah I’m looking at you Austin, claim to be weird The Pacific Northwest is weird. I love it.

KLCC: You have a skill for taking current events and molding them into something that makes people laugh. When the news is sometimes anything but funny, what's your technique for finding humor in those tough spots?

Alonzo Bodden: I don’t know if there’s a technique, I just call it the gift. I point out what makes me laugh. I was raised a news junky with a sense of humor. The sense of humor comes from my mom. She’s the funniest person I ever knew. Besides, if we start taking Marjorie Taylor Green seriously we’ve already lost.

KLCC: What role do you think comedians have as society grapples with difficult current events or adapts as culture changes?

Alonzo Bodden: We comics are the last truth tellers. We don’t trust either side and have no skin in the game. I haven’t received one lobbyist check yet. Comics have always spoken truth to power and the laughs make it palatable. I always say the Jester was the only one who could make fun of the king. Of course if it wasn’t funny the king had his head chopped off. That’ll keep you on your game.

KLCC: What is your favorite part of touring with the other Wait Wait! panelists? How is touring as part of the program different than touring or doing shows on your own?

Alonzo Bodden: We panelists all get along. It's nice to work without the time constraints of radio. Also not being led by questions means we can talk about anything, whether it be news or personal. When we say the show is uncensored, people think we’re talking about language. For me the freedom is in topics. Yeah, there may be some adult language but you can’t talk about our insane news cycle and not cuss now and then. NPR nerds can handle it.

KLCC: Who in your life inspired you as a comedian? Who made you laugh as a child?
Alonzo Bodden: Without a doubt, my mom. Funniest person I ever knew. The comics I learned from were the stars from then 80s and 90s. George Wallace, George Carlin, Damon Wayans, Dom Irrera. The list goes on and on. Today Chappelle sets the bar. It’s a high bar.

Thank you, Alonzo! We look forward to seeing you, Cristela, Maeve, and Helen on stage with the Wait Wait! Stand-Up Tour on November 10th at the Hult Center in Eugene.