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A Quickie with Paula Poundstone

Paula Poundstone has been doing comedy for longer than many of you have been alive. After more than 30 years of stand-up, television specials and wry observations about cats, kids and everyday absurdities, she’s poised to take the stage at The Dinah Shore Weekend this year in Palm Springs.

We checked in with Paula recently and found out a bunch of things, like her thoughts on women in comedy. How easy is it to write an act when you have kids? Is there still golf at The Dinah? She also offers some droll observations about the importance of celebrities’ opinions on bullying.

AfterEllen.com: Are you familiar with AfterEllen.com?

Paula Poundstone: No, I’m not familiar with very many websites.

AE: What do you mean? You don’t spend hours upon hours surfing the internet, looking for cat videos?

PP: Hard to believe, isn’t it? If I had hours and hours, it may as well be that, but I don’t [have hours and hours.] I do dishes and fold laundry.

AE: Oh, that’s too bad. Is there a way to do both?

PP: Not really. Not efficiently.

AE: You are performing at The Dinah in Palm Springs this year.

PP: Yeah!

AE: Do you know anything about it?

PP: No! Other than, I was under the impression that there was supposed to be golf. And it turns out, golf has almost nothing to do with it.

AE: It hasn’t been about golf in many, many years. Now, it’s about drinking.

PP: Huh. Maybe I did do it, a long, long time ago. And I could swear there was golf involved. Maybe I didn’t do it? The truth is, it all runs together after a while.

AE: Well, that’s how lesbian Spring Breaks are, too. After a few years, they’re all a blur.

PP: I do look forward to going. Everyone I’ve spoken to, speak of it with great enthusiasm.

AE: Since you mentioned performing for so many years, I was wondering if you think comedy has changed over time.

PP: I don’t know. I don’t watch a lot of other acts, so, I’m not that up on what happens out there. But there’s not much different – so many of the boundaries were already broken so long ago, it’s sort of like the fashion now. That’s not new at all.

AE: Do you like political humor?

PP: I love political humor. I like it when it’s well done. But I like funny stuff, so the subject matter almost doesn’t matter to me. I wish I were more political. I’m paying attention to politics when I have the time and energy to pay attention to politics. You’re probably supposed to pay attention to politics more than I actually do.

AE: Do you think things have changed for women comics in recent years?

PP: No. I really don’t. After all, there are only two genders and someone has to do the job, so there.

I think there was a time when being a woman comic was a big deal — that was really before my time. It had importance and meant something when Joan Rivers was starting out, when Phyllis Diller was starting. I think it was formative in terms of the way they work.

AE: Who are your favorite comics or humorists?

PP: I love Lily Tomlin. She’s timeless, she’s brilliant. Um. I don’t generally select who I like based on gender. But I tell ya, the comedic actress I really love is Tina Fey. Have you see Date Night?

AE: Yes!

PP: I just think that was the funniest movie.

AE: I don’t think she wrote that. It was written by the guy who did Shrek.

PP: She’s in it, though, and she was great. It was a remake of The Out of Towners.

AE: I love 30 Rock. Would you want to have a TV show?

PP: I would, but I can’t for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is it’s very time-consuming. I can’t do that and raise my family at the same time.

AE: I guess it’s easier for people with wives and personal staff.

PP: Yeah. My staff is very limited.

AE: To… 

PP: Me.

AE: You have teen-aged kids. Do you talk about them in your act?

PP: I do! I don’t have to write [an act], I just take notes.

AE: Do they mind that you talk about them on stage?

PP: I don’t ask them. It’s none of their business.

AE: [Laughs] Hey, it puts food on the table.

PP: That’s right. It’s their share.

AE: What else do you talk about in your act?

PP: I talk about Abraham Lincoln.

AE: You’ve said in the past that you consider yourself asexual.

PP: I don’t date. Never did. You know, a handful of times, if ever. Never had that much interest to me.

AE: Well, life is less complicated that way, that’s for sure. But even if you subtract sex, romance and unhealthy, obsessive co-dependency, wouldn’t you like mere companionship?

PP: No, not really.

AE: [Laughs]

PP: [Laughs] No, I really don’t. But I’m happy for everyone else.

AE: Well, at least no one’s mad you’re on the road all the time. Are you on the road all the time?

PP: Yeah. Not right now, but I’m sort of on an endless tour. There is no beginning, middle and end. I just sort of do jobs a couple of nights a week.

AE: Who watches the kids when you’re on the road?

PP: I’m fortunate to have the same nanny for 16 years. But it is challenging. I wish I could evaporate, and come back quickly but, all in all, I think it works out pretty good.

AE: This is the 21st century. We were supposed to have teleportation by now. Someone needs to work on that… where was I? OK. What are your thoughts on the recent events  surrounding gay bullying?

PP: What a silly question.

AE: [Laughs] I know, I know. Work with me here.

PP: It got strange when celebrities were coming out against gay bullying. It just made me laugh. Like you know, as if there’ s anybody who was on the fence about gay bullying. Like, turns out, Tom Cruise doesn’t like it and decided not to flush the kid’s head down the toilet after all.

AE: [Laughs] Good choice, Tom.

PP: [Laughs] It’s just a silly question because who would respond any other way? I’ve come out in support of libraries. And since then, people ask me about that, as if that’s such a courageous stance. Ya know? I have yet to cross a picket line!

AE: What stance could you take that would truly be revolutionary? One that would make people go, “Yes! Me, too!” and then, they change their middle names on Facebook.

PP: I have no idea. Teleportation.

AE: Perfect. We’ll get to work on that, after we stop bullying. It might be a while, though. The world has no shortage of a-holes.

PP: [Laughs] Right. You know what? It’s the focus on the bullying that’s keeping us from working on teleportation.

AE: That’s exactly what it is.

PP: It’s pulling us down. I never really thought about it until we had this little chat. I see that now.

AE: I’m going to stop right here because there is no way I can top that.

PP: It was soo nice talking to you! Thank you very much!

To buy tickets for Poundstone’s show on Thursday, March 31, or get more information about The Dinah Shore Weekend, visit the website.

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