Lisa Lampanelli;
"Queen of Mean" Is Like a Hyper Don Rickles
The ANNOTICO Report
Lisa Lampanellia,
an Italian, was born in
Lampanelli is known for her outrageous attacks on celebrities and her own brand of self-deprecating humor. But Lampanelli’s takes on racial stereotypes have her now in a league all by herself.
COMMENTARY
THEY'LL SCREAM AT QUEEN OF MEAN
The
Tue, June. 06, 2006
There’s an art to making people laugh at their stereotypes and their differences.
Nobody, and I mean nobody, does it quite like Lisa Lampanelli. In fact, sometimes she’s too effective.
Dubbed comedy’s “Lovable Queen of Mean,” Lampanelli is known for her outrageous attacks on celebrities and her own brand of self-deprecating humor. But Lampanelli’s takes on racial stereotypes have her now in a league all by herself.
Lately she has been hotter than any other insult comic around. I caught her standup routine a few months ago on Comedy Central. During her delivery, she used every ethnic stereotype imaginable.
That’s what audiences can expect when Lampanelli performs this weekend at Stanford & Sons
Comedy Club in
“I’m an insult comic, and I’m equal opportunity,” Lampanelli told me in an interview. “I insult everybody: black, white, gay, handicapped. Nobody leaves untouched.”
Lampanelli, who is Italian, performs all across the country. Believe it or not, rarely do people in the audience get so angry that they cause a commotion.
“For the type of comedy that I do, I’m pretty lucky that I’ve never been beaten up,” she said.
People do get up and leave. And audience members have been ejected because they wanted to fight.
“But that’s so rare,” Lampanelli said. “You would think with my act, I would anger more people. I was hoping I would, because I’d be more famous. If I was protested, I’d feel really cool.”
Lampanelli believes more people know her from appearances on Comedy Central, where she often roasts celebrities.
“I’m not that shocking anymore,” she said. “Now that I’m known, I can get away with most of the audience being happy all the time.”
Lampanelli was born in
She said audiences understood that her humor was only an act.
“The audience knows I have a good heart and I love everybody,” Lampanelli said. “Audiences don’t vary. There are smart people everywhere, and there are dumb people everywhere. There are racists everywhere, and there are nonracists everywhere.”
Craig Glazer, who operates Stanford & Sons Comedy Club, said working as an insult comic was hard.
“Lisa is really the first insult comic I’ve seen in a long time that has gotten to this level,” Glazer said. “She’s very popular with minorities. People are amazed that she’s taken the whole Don Rickles concept to a new level.”
Some people who’ve seen her act want to be the object of her insults. And they’ll actually pay more just to sit up front.
“I’m a huge fan of Don Rickles,” Lampanelli said. “I’ve always said I’d pay to have him insult me just once.”
Lampanelli performs Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Stanford & Son’s. Before she arrives in town, she’s performing at a roast for Jerry Lewis at the New York Friars Club.
The question really is: Can comedians ever go too far? I don’t know the answer.
But I do know that you should think twice
before ever choosing seats on the front row at Lampanelli’s
show.
To
reach Steve Penn, call (816) 234-4417 or send e-mail to spenn@kcstar.com.
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