Do you repeat jokes a lot at different shows?
More than I’d prefer, yeah. But for every joke I use, there’s literally like fifteen that I’ll never, ever use. I’m super harsh on myself and ultimately, if it’s funny enough to me, I throw it out there.
Do you have a favorite joke?
Good question…One of my personal favorite jokes that I’ve written, so far, is, “Don’t you hate it when you think you really know somebody…and it turns out to just be two little kids in a giant overcoat?”
What makes it a favorite?
I mean other jokes are funny for different reasons. I like that one because it’s a clean fusion of imagery and wording and I personally feel it’s strong enough that you’re not waiting for a rim-shot, you know? Even though some jokes borderline on that tone… not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Who is your all-time favorite comedian?
Mitch Hedberg. He was the best joke-writer ever, period. And his persona, at least on-stage, is like an uncannily-accurate externalization of my inner monologue. No one else’s material is so directly in line with what I think is funny.
High energy and catch-phrases are cute and lead to solid careers for many comedians but Mitch knew how to scientifically craft brilliant jokes. Literally every single day of my life, I say “that reminds me of this one Hedberg joke…” But any similarities I bear to him, and I don’t think I’m really that much like him anyway, are not on purpose. Although he did also have an affinity towards Chucky, oddly enough.
What about Steven Wright? When we saw you at the Jon Lovitz club, my friend said you reminded her of a young Steven Wright.
Any comparisons to talented comedians are very flattering but I don’t think I’m that much like Wright or Hedberg on stage. I get that it’s similar in that it’s observational and mostly short-form and I guess we have the sort of druggie vibe going on. I absolutely recognize the similarities but would never claim to be anywhere on their level.
Steven Wright is Steven Wright. Mitch Hedberg is Mitch Hedberg. Lil’ Kim is Lil’ Kim. I’m Zack Kahn. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Are there “rules” to doing comedy?
Just be funny. Make the audience laugh. Everything else is garnish. And don’t park on Sunset after 6.
Tell us about the feature you’re making.
I’m making a quasi-documentary about drugs in entertainment and the film culminates with an unprecedented third-act stunt that will hopefully cause lots of controversy and awareness of the project. The two main players are myself and Paul Provenza, who is not only hilarious but one of the aforementioned 26. It’s like The Aristocrats meets I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. It’s an exciting film and it’s an obvious fit for me. I’m psyched. Sex and violence are portrayed on screen all the time. I’m here to bring drugs into the equation and shake things up and open a long-overdue dialogue.
I know that to some of the more closed-minded people, I sound like a walking Phish concert when I talk about drugs and I perhaps lose credibility in their eyes but the fact is that it’s a topic that has always fascinated me for many reasons and I really want to explore the irrefutable link to entertainment. Drugs can be devastating and they’ve led to sincere tragedy and loss of people not only in showbiz but close to me in my own personal life. There’s no question drugs are dangerous and can be lethal. But people forget to discuss the other aspects about drugs, like, for example, everything else. I’m not demonizing or glorifying or defending drugs. I just think people should make their own informed decisions.
That sounds incredibly entertaining.
That’s my main goal. To entertain. It’s going to be a fun, funny ride!
Anyone in the entertainment industry who has something to say good, bad, or indifferent about drugs, as long as it’s entertaining, contact me. Also, wealthy people who want to get wealthier, contact me. It’s hard work and I feel like it’s taking forever to get wherever the hell I’m going but I really have been blessed with the confidence, involvement, and support of friends, family, and comedians I admire.
Visit Zack Kahn at his website at www.Kahn-Artist.com.
Lauren Alexis Wood is the author of the comedic graphic novel Qorviq the Nondenominational Winter Solstice Celebration Seal and creator of Animals with Hitler Mustaches. She holds a B.A. in Cinema and Comparative Literature from the University of Iowa, and took several MBA courses only to quit after realizing that “corporate America totally blows.”