SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Comedian Jeff Ross says audiences fear comedy
May 17, 2018, 5:42 PM | Updated: May 18, 2018, 10:06 am
Comedian Jeffrey Ross, the "Roastmaster General" (Courtesy of Jeffrey Ross)
(Courtesy of Jeffrey Ross)
Comedian Jeff Ross, who will appear with Dave Attell at Seattle’s Moore Theatre Friday, May 18 as part of the “Bumping Mics” comedy tour, told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson that he particularly loves performing for Seattle audiences.
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“I don’t know what it is, if it’s the usually crappy weather, or if they’re all hyped up on coffee or weed, but people in Seattle love to laugh,” he said. “They’ve got good sports there.”
Ross, who refers to himself as the Roastmaster General, spent most of the last year touring the world with comedian Chris Rock. He compared performing for arenas full of thousands of people to a sports game.
“It’s like watching a hockey game or something — except every laugh is a goal,” he said.
However, Ross said that he loves every kind of venue, whether a packed stadium or a more intimate venue with just a few hundred people.
Ross began his career writing for Billy Crystal and Chris Rock — stars he said were hard acts to live up to.
“I saw that they were working harder than I was, and I was working for them,” he said. “And it really inspired me. And in a way, it was terrifying to see even when you make it big, there are no shortcuts.”
Jeff Ross and sensitive comedy
Ross, who never pulls any punches, is disappointed to see a public attitude in recent years that is sensitive to comedy.
“It’s upsetting. People are afraid of comedy right now … It makes no sense. Comedy is such powerful truths,” he said. “It’s something we really need to protect.”
He did note, however, that stand-up is the last form of comedy that comedians “can really do without fear” because people cannot take one line out of context — they have to listen to the entire joke.
The Roastmaster General has roasted some pretty prominent figures in today’s society — including the current president. Ross twice roasted Donald Trump before he was elected, but noted that Trump’s appreciation of jokes has changed since then.
“I’m not sure he has the same sense of humor he used to have,” Ross said. “I hope he does, but it seems like, for whatever reason, he has gotten a thin skin.”
Still, Ross holds out hope for the commander in chief.
“He roasted his way to the Oval Office somehow, so you know he appreciates a good joke,” Ross laughed. “But I don’t know what’s happening now. I’m looking forward to his new book — ‘Mein Kampf is Bigger than Your Kampf.'”
Jeff Ross and Dave Attell take to the Moore’s stage at 8 p.m. on Friday. For tickets and more information, click here.
