Rich Vos has spent most of his career earning the reputation of being a brash, straight-talking curmudgeon with a healthy dose of Jersey grit. Vos has been seen on HBO, Showtime, Starz, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Comedy Central. He came in third on the first season of NBCs Last Comic Standing. Vos also co-produced, with his wife, (comedian Bonnie McFarlane) the hit Netflix documentary Women Arent Funny. The two also host a weekly podcast, My Wife Hates Me. Vos returns to Louisville to headline at The Laughing Derby this weekend.
LEO: Last time we spoke, it was your first time in Louisville. Is there anything here youre looking forward to this time?
Rich Vos: The friendly people of Kentucky thats what Im looking forward to. If my golf game were better, I would play Valhalla. But my golf game is out the fucking window, so I may not even bring my clubs. Sorry if I seem cranky, but I just played bad golf, and Im driving back into New York, so Im extra cranky. Its not you. I went from shooting high 70s and low 80s to not being able to hit a fucking ball.
LEO: Youre fine. But youre married to comedian Bonnie McFarlane. Does having two comedians in a marriage make things harder?
RV: No, its hard being married to a cunt. My wifes not a cunt, so its not really hard being married to her. Life is hard, and marriage is hard thats all. Are you married?
LEO: No.
RV: Do you have a girlfriend?
LEO: I do.
RV: Is that easy?
LEO: I dont know. Sometimes, I suppose.
RV: Well, take what you go through with your relationship times it by 10 and thats marriage. Im not on the road all of the time like a lot of comics, but the traveling helps a little bit, because we arent in each others faces all of the time. And I think the fact that were both comedians helps us realize that sometimes we both need space, and it helps us recognize when those times are.
LEO: When you sit down to write, where do you start looking for inspiration?
RV: Personal shit, life experience and how I view things. Basically, its the world from my perspective: Its some wife, [and] some kids, but mostly I think just being an old piece of shit helps me write my material.
LEO: Do you write at home or wait until youre on stage?
RV: Ill come up with an idea, and write a couple of words down on a piece of paper to remind me of what I was thinking about. Then, Ill take it to the club and will work it out from the stage. Im not going to write the whole thing out word for word, Ill just keep taking it to the stage, until I get it right.
LEO: Youve written for The Academy Awards and Comedy Central Roasts: Is there a trick to writing for someone else, as opposed to writing for yourself?
RV: Its no trick. Its just seeing the world from another perspective than yours. Sometimes you have to learn the voice of whoever youre writing for, which can be tough, because its hard not to hear your own voice, but it is a tool in my toolbox.
LEO: You produced, with your wife, the documentary, Women Arent Funny. Why is there such a common misconception that women arent funny?
RV: I think its primarily based on numbers: There are simply more men in the comedy industry than there are women, so men kind of hold up an old-guard mentality. But funny is funny. There are shitty female comedians, and there are shitty male comedians. But women couldnt be hotter in comedy right now. Theyre on fire with Amy Schumer [and] Maria Bamford. Hopefully, that misconception is going out the window.
LEO: There are some great clips on the internet of you dealing with hecklers. Is there a part of you that enjoys that part?
RV: You know, it really doesnt happen as often as you would think. I do a lot of crowd work, so if Im talking to the audience, and they talk back, its not heckling, I spoke to them first. But if Im doing material, and someone starts getting out of line, Ill handle it, and move the fuck on. Thats just another tool I have in my toolbox. If I have to beat them down, I beat them down no one came to the show to see anyone but me.
RICH VOS
July 7 9
Laughing Derby
1250 Bardstown Road, 459-0022
$12-$15; Times vary