Comedian Gary Gulman talks new book "Misfit Growing Up Awkward in the 80s"

will never have that feeling the found 20 it means nothing to him nothing a 20 is more annoying to Bill Gates than a nickel is to us exponentially more annoying and how annoying is a nickel to us it is I hate them I hate them because they're quarter impersonators humor in everyday things as a calling card for comedian Gary Goldman a slam dunk really appropriate since he says he grew up dreaming of playing for the Boston Celtics his fallback comedy making for a unique childhood Journey that he Chronicles in his new book Misfit growing up awkward in the 80s the look back is a look into the humor that's produced comedy specials and countless late night talk show appearances bringing audiences laughs and connection you know what no matter how nice a hotel is the curtains never close all the way they can with his observational humor comedian Gary Goldman has been making audiences laugh for almost three decades that's how we tried to take on Christmas by having eight days of Hanukkah but then the Christian people couldn't even let us have that they were like oh really eight days of Hanukkah screw you 12 Days of Christmas Even finding humor in his lifelong battle with depression I'm depressed I look at a Sunset and I think yeah you gave up too turning the bleak biggest times into a hit HBO Comedy Special 2019's the Great Depression more times than not I would eat ice cream with a fork which is like an unofficial symptom of depression it was tough for a long time to share that with people but then when I recovered and felt not just better but was thriving and felt hopeful for the first time in almost three years I thought I'm obligated to the universe to share this I think the best way to picture my childhood was think of Charlie Brown had Snoopy died the special also took fans back to Goldman's childhood growing up outside Boston a journey he fully details in his Memoir Misfit why did you want to write the book money that's a great reason it's a really good reason no I always wanted to write a book Goldman's irrepressible humor is woven through the story of his school age years chronicled in chapters K through 12. I was very precocious when I was a little kid I I think he would have loved me the youngest of three boys with divorced parents Goldman says comedy was a Sav for traumatic times the language within his family do you remember the first real laugh that you got it's in the book in first grade Mrs Burns one day she said what is a chick and this little girl who was the smartest girl in the class uh lorianne McLaughlin should raise her hand she said it is a baby chicken and Mrs Burns said that is good Lori and very good and I said or a girl and and everybody laughed and and I thought I will spend the rest of my life chasing this high comedy became his calling with Goldman finding those everyday moments from Life provide the best material one of my favorite things ever was noticing in about third grade that most of the states start with the same first two letters you need same actor I love this they assembled a ragtag outfit of Rogues Misfits and nerdu Wells how often do well and there they nare they nare did well and they were charged with abbreviating all 50 states down to two letters when they first started doing comedy I thought this will be my joke in 1994 I put it into my notebook and then finally in around 2014 um I got it I got it all together and to work they said Alabama A-L holy crap this is easy Goldman released the state sketch to the world as part of his 2016 stand-up special it's about time so what's next Arizona AI there we go we're back on track next Arkansas it went viral after a performance on Conan just it grew into a a thing where I was walking down the street just a week ago and a man on the corner yelled out neduel and I was uh my gosh that that was that was quite a moment Goldman calls comedy his first love although basketball is a close second still playing six days a week it always felt like when I was on a basketball court this is where I'm supposed to be it's the same way I get when I'm on on stage I'm like oh this is where I'm most comfortable I was automatic from the free-throw line because free throw shooting is a direct function of childhood loneliness shoot for hours and do dribbling drills my mother's room was the only a part of the house that had tile so I would dribble in her room and it gave me a purpose and an outlet ideal and also and I said this my last special if somebody slaps you on the wrist they stop the game and that made me very happy and make everybody stand around stop the game separate everyone and let you make two easy shots while everyone else is forced to watch quietly as if to say think about what you did I can't tell you how much this means to me that you're quoting me in an interview with me so funny thank you Goldman stand up has inspired more than just laughs with his willingness to Bear all in the Great Depression electroconvulsive therapy ECT as it's always called now it has a very bad branding problem including the ECT he underwent even electro shock to electroconvulsive is at best a lateral move people's image of it is always going to be Jack Nicholson and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest moment but then I asked my manager and the director and they said you think people will be horrified and they said well you can just try it and if you can't make it funny then you take it out it's not done like that anymore it's not they give you a general anesthesia and a muscle relaxer and it's delightful four years since that came out and there's not a day that goes by where somebody doesn't say that it helped them or their family I mean when you find out that what that these jokes are are providing some Solace and also some information it's it's more than I could hope for in terms of his own recovery Goldman says his wife Sade was the most valuable player we weren't even married we've only been together for six months when I fell apart and she basically became a caregiver if you ever wanted to give a spouse a test of whether they will stand by you make them watch you fall apart he says the marriage like the book was meant to be as for what's next I'm a vision board guy so I made a lot of vision boards over the years what's on the vision board now yeah the vision board is is mostly about maintaining this incredible life that I've somehow walked into and secured I'm very grateful the book is out on Wednesday he's also launching a comedy tour with it and the best part he talked about this because we saw him working on his act it's inspired by the book so it's not like just retelling jokes that are in you're not going to read the book and say oh I heard that in the ACT it's things that you may have learned in the book and then there's more it's I'm really fascinated to see how people that have read it will take to it the vision board is maintaining what I have just not screwing anything exactly exactly

Channel: CBS Mornings

Views: 21,642

Keywords: CBS Saturday Morning, CBS News, video, gary gulman, comedian, performance, new book, Misfit Growing Up Awkward in the 80s

Id: t0USfImcyDo

Length: 8min 11sec (491 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 16 2023