April 3, 2008

Family, money, life — post-goat
Jim Breuer plays wisdom for laughs
By Brian Early bearly@hippopress.com

Comedian and radio host Jim Breuer will perform at New Hampshire Technical College on April 11 as part of his Breuniversity Tour, promoted as “a comedy show that will prepare students for real life with lessons they won’t learn in the classroom.” Breuer first made it big on Saturday Night Live in 1995, with his Goat Boy character. He also starred in Half Baked with Dave Chappelle. Since 2004 he’s hosted a radio show, Breuer Unleashed, on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Why are you resurrecting your stand-up on the college circuit?
If you can hold their attentions for an hour and half, you’re on to something. That’s why I picket the universities and colleges to start off with. I have a lot of nieces and nephews around that age. It’s a hard time in life. Everybody always asks you, “What are you going to do with your life? Are you going to make money?” It’s a lot of pressure, a lot of pressure.

What was your college experience?
I attended Nassau Community College. I already I knew I wanted to do stand-up, I knew I wanted act. I knew I wanted to be the white Eddie Murphy. I could care less about school and college. I didn’t take college very seriously. The most challenging part of the show is that they all look to me as the Half Baked guy. I’ve been doing stand-up for 20 years. I’ve never had a problem entertaining any age group. I do a show like I was hanging out with my nieces and nephews. So far I’ve done 15 colleges; all of them have been standing O’s. I just get the Half Baked stuff out of the way. I’m not going to stand here like a goat for an hour and half. I never thought a simple noise would make people happy.

You have an inspiring message?
Ever since I started doing stand-up, it’s always been a simple message of life. Life is short and valuable, and sometimes we need to reevaluate. You can learn all you want in college, but you have to learn about your family and taking care of your family, and nobody teaches you about that stuff. And you just need friends to talk to. Your dad just died and your wife is pregnant. What are you going to do? Are you going to turn to drugs, are you going to run away? Oh ... you didn’t take that course.

Is this tour testing the waters for a larger tour?
I am back. This is going to lead to a European tour and a worldwide tour.

What have you learned about family over the years?
It’s all you got in the end. It should be valuable to everybody. At the end of the day, it’s all you have. When you’re mangled in the hospital, who is going to show up? We need to stop the finger-pointing. Britney Spears is a mess? You’re a mess. Let’s stop reading the nonsense. You need to start taking care of one another. All money pays for is an enhanced ego. There were times I found myself in that catch. I’m working with Robert De Niro and shooting movies. I’d come home and my wife would ask, “Did you send you mother a birthday card?” I didn’t, but she’d understand, because I’m famous. I have leather pants and a kangaroo. Did you see my trophies? “But you don’t know your daughter’s name?” But I make money, that what’s all about. Your life is valuable. It’s not about how long your donkey is and how fat your wallet is, it’s what you’re doing with it. All of our families are dysfunctional. My sister just wrecked her car for the ninth time with a DUI. We all got it. Let’s not pretend that you don’t.

How do you enjoy radio?
It’s more like therapy, especially being on satellite. You can discuss anything you want, or talk about anything you want, any time you want. It’s an opportunity to go to other places, like god, faith, how you really feel, race, sexual manners, morality. Try that on regular radio. That’s all truthful stuff. Real friendship and real marriage. Regular radio doesn’t allow that anymore. Regular radio is not going to tell you the truth.

Have you gone back to college?
There are other ways to learn the things you need to. Even college to me is another way of milking people’s money. It’s a system that’s failing horrendously. Ninety percent of the world end up leaving college in debt, a lot are alcoholics, a lot have lost their morals and none of them do what they went to school for. I’d say that’s a major problem.

Do colleges have a problem when you bring that message?
Kids believe in truth, and they have no problem when you speak in truth. The adults are the ones that have a problem with the truth.