Comedy

Dance Monkey: October 12, 2007

A comic in the hot seat

By SARA FAITH ALTERMAN | October 10, 2007

John Oliver

John Oliver | Comedy Connection, Boston | October 12-13 | 617.248.9700

Out of all of the people you’ve ever interviewed on The Daily Show, who smelled the worst?
That has never been a problem, as I have all interviewees stripped and washed before they enter the room. They are sprayed with eucalyptus and enter the interview smelling like a mid-range boutique.

Does Jon Stewart ever get “handsy” under that big desk?
He’s told me that it’s our little secret, and that I’m not allowed to tell anyone. People often wonder how I’m able to keep a straight face during our pieces, and it’s because whilst we are talking to each other, he is very tenderly stroking my knee. It’s extremely awkward, but professionally it does seem to get results. I asked if we could try one without the knee stroking, but he just started stroking my knee again and I dropped the subject. Apparently he’s always done it to correspondents. Ed Helms still has nightmares about it and can only hold down a conversation with you if you’re stroking his knee.

What’s your feeling about clowns? How about puppets? How about clown puppets?
Well, as a child, a clown killed my dog. I bought a cat to replace it, who was immediately murdered by a puppet. (I hear he later cut his own strings in remorse.) And as I type this, there is a clown puppet outside my window looking at my new goldfish with a sinister glint in his eye. Does that answer your question?

Write me a haiku about your favorite snack food. Ready, go.
Oh I wasn’t ready. No fair. I wasn’t ready. We say “Ready, set, go” in England, but you went from “ready” straight to “go.” I wasn’t ready. And now I’ve missed my opportunity to write a snack-food haiku. How many times is this going to happen to me in interviews before I learn?