Geek of the Week: Funny man, Christian Finnegan

By Kate Kotler

Most of you probably will recognize comedian Christian Finnegan because of his sly, ironic and extremely funny commentary on shows such as VH1′s Best Week Ever and Countdown with Keith Olbermann… Maybe you remember him as “Chad” in the Real World spoof on Chappelle’s Show or have seen him as “Marty” the single, lovable rogue on Are We There Yet? (on TBS).  Or, you’ve caught one of his multiple comedy specials on Comedy Central.

Finnegan (who is married to a friend of mine from college, Kambri and I were in the play “Born Yesterday” at Weathervane Playhouse, holla Akron!) is a very, very funny man who is all over the place making his mark on the comedy industry.

Despite his busy schedule, Christian was kind enough to take a few minutes to answer some questions for us via email… Without further ado, we present Christian Finnegan – Geek of the Week!

As best we’ve observed, most comedians tend to draw the funny into their bones from a really dark, morbid place in their soul. But, your life seems pretty happy and shiny. You have a beautiful and talented wife (Hi, Kambri!), a great career and you get to chat with Keith Olbermann (*dreamysigh*) on a regular basis… So tell us, Christian – what the heck made you so damn funny?

First off, thanks! But setting aside my damn funniness, I think the premise that comedians are all miserable wretches is a tad overstated. I know plenty of that type, but I also know a lot of dudes who just love silly wordplay or women who do great voices and characters. The thread that ties most comedians together is not so much misery as it is the tendency to fixate on things, to keep turning an idea or petty frustration over in your head beyond the point where “normal” people would move on with their lives. It’s actually quite gratifying to figure out what’s going on in your brain—not simply to acknowledge the ridiculousness of life, but to put your finger on WHY a particular moment feels ridiculous. It’s not always so tortured a process.

Of course, I’m writing this from the bottom of a whorehouse dumpster with a revolver in my mouth. So who’s to say?

What is the weirdest thing you ever had to riff about on a show like Best Week Ever or Countdown?

On Countdown, I enjoy taking some major political event and distilling it into something very juvenile. And I always get a kick out of making a reference only Keith and maybe 35 of his viewers may get. Same thing with Best Week Ever—you want to make your Lindsay Lohan jokes universal, but every once in a while it’s fun to slip in a “Highlander” reference for the fifteen hardcore geeks watching. It’s a pathetic kind of re-directed machismo common to trivia nerds (“Ha ha! No one gets this but US!”). I once made a joke on Countdown where I referred to legendary modern dance choreographer Twyla Tharp as a cockblocker. For the life of me I can’t remember what the context was, but I remember thinking “Gee, I bet I’m the only person in the history of television to call Twyla Tharp a cockblocker.” I get misty just thinking about it.

Have you ever been at a loss for words on one of those shows?

A couple of times Keith has caught me flat-footed. It’s usually because a question has been switched out and maybe I forgot to check my email right before the show. It’s not like a normal interview, where I could just respond to each question organically. I’m appearing as a comedian, so I’m expected to have a discernible joke in every answer, which can be a bit difficult to come up with on the fly. I’m not a huge fan of “riffing”, especially in political humor. You know, that whole “I’ll just talk for forty-five seconds and eventually get to something that sounds vaguely like a punchline you’ve heard a thousand times” schtick? Screw that. You’re on tee-vee, fer chrissake—take the time and write some hard jokes.

I have to thank you – your funny Tweets and Facebook status updates keep me from jumping out my office window each day as I work boring marketing writing. How much time do you average on social networking sites? And, do you find that there’s demonstrable value to connecting to fans using online resources?

Please, don’t jump. You have so much to live for.

Actually I don’t know you at all. Who am I to say whether suicide is the right answer for you? Go with your heart. But please post this interview before doing anything rash.

I spend a lot of time staring on Twitter/Facebook, but most of it is spent staring blankly at the screen, trying to come up with a cogent thought that fits into 140 characters. The breakdown of my status updates is probably 60% jokes, 20% promotional, 20% weird links and photos. If I was completely indulging myself it would be 100% music recommendations, but that would get old real quick. There’s a “What have you done for me lately?” quality to Twitter that can be a bit tedious, but it’s helped me keep writing jokes even when I’m not feeling ‘inspired’. The promotional stuff is a necessary evil, there’s just no way around it. If I wasn’t an aspiring public figure I like to think I’d have no need for social media, but it’s just as likely I’d be one of those weirdos posting recipes and cat photos into the ether.

Could you give aspiring geeky comedians some advice you think will help them in their career aspirations?

I would caution against succumbing to the highs and lows that go along with being a professional approval-seeker. After any particularly successful or unsuccessful show, I try to remind myself: “Good set, bad set; you’re still going to end the night by sitting in front of the computer in your underwear, checking your email.” And when I get frustrated by perceived slights or mistreatment, I think of Hyman Roth’s famous line from The Godfather, Part II, “This…is the business…we have chosen.”

And… anything coming up you want to plug?

Well, there’s always my latest DVD, “Au Contraire!”, which is available on iTunes and Amazon. If you would like to personally insult me, I’ll be touring this Summer—Tampa, Houston and Portland, to name but a few fine American cities. We can be e-friends on Facebook and/or Twitter (@christfinnegan), if you want to be part of the not-particularly-cool crowd. And I’m working on a couple of cool things that aren’t quite plug-ready, so I’ll instead plug the new records by Dr. Dog, LCD Soundsystem, Darwin Deez and Surfer Blood. They’re all wicked good.

[Photos courtesy of Christian Finnegan.com]