With a recent Netflix Comedy Special, Unruly, which dropped February 27, 2015, and a second special
premiering soon, Ralphie May has been busy elevating his comedic game to new
levels of greatness. This four times platinum stand-up comedian, and the
co-host of The Perfect 10 Podcast with
wife Lahna Turner, is a straight
shooter to say the least. No gimmicks, or topics out of bounds, just a
heavyweight champion of delivering relevant jokes and hysteria to the masses.
His career has been on a steady rise to the top ever since
the public had been introduced to the Mid-western quipster on the very first
season of Last Comic Standing over a decade ago. Four one-hour critically acclaimed Comedy Central specials and
countless national tour dates later, Ralphie May has solidified his place in every
possible realm of the entertainment industry. Performing at comedy hot spots
and “one of a kind” favorites like Comic Strip Live, Gotham Comedy Club, and
Comedy Cellar, is a highlight for Ralphie whenever he graces the east coast
with his presence.
Ralphie’s newest original, Unruly, was filmed in front of a raucous crowd where he unleashed
his hilarious inner beast. Audiences are boasting about his fresh social commentary
as they rally with friends to catch a live show coming to a city near you.
Jessica Schirripa:
Who are your biggest influences and inspirations?
Ralphie May: Such
a difficult question to lead off with… I would say… Sam Kinison, Lenny Bruce,
Buddy Hackett, and Richard Pryor. Basically, anyone uninhabited and unafraid to
speak the truth and be 100% themselves. Comedy is my life, but it is also my job, so right now my
family, my wife Lahna and my children, April June and August May, have the
biggest impact on everything I do in my life. They are my motivation and
inspiration to go out there and be confident and be me.
Jessica Schirripa:
You have done so many killer performances and specials. What has been your
favorite project to work on? Your passion?
Ralphie May: (Laughs)
Enough with the Bab Walters questions…These are like “real” questions. I
wasn’t expecting that (lol). Honestly, I have been so lucky and blessed to
be doing what I am doing and getting a paycheck for it. All of my jokes are
meaningful to me because, well, I mean them. I have a few favorites that stand
out to me from each album, but for me it is all about the now. The jokes will
be funny as long as they reflect the reality of the current social status. The
secret is to relate. Now that’s comedy gold.
My passion is my family and raising my children. Comedy was
never work for me until now. People aren’t just paying for my jokes anymore.
It’s my time that I am away from my family. I started off doing things for
myself and now I do it for them.
Jessica Schirripa: I know labels suck, but describe your
comedic style?
Ralphie May: I
wouldn’t say I am a shock comic, but I guess I have a bit of a raunchy
perspective. Listen, I love the coasts, but there are about 300 million people
in between Los Angeles and New York that seem to really get me. That
demographic I unintentionally cater to because that’s who I am. It’s an amazing
feeling to be appreciated by the east and west coasters though! I’m politically
incorrect, radically insensitive, and controversial! I believe in using our own
language against us for a good laugh. Real and in the moment. That’s passion!
My overall style is just to say what I know and hope people respect the
simplicity.
Jessica Schirripa: So
tell me all about Unruly and why now?
Ralphie May: I
couldn’t be more excited to debut Unruly the same night as my favorite show,
House of Cards also premieres. Netflix came to me and they were exactly what I
had been looking for. Complete freedom and the ability to naturally be me. The
timing was right. We taped it last November in front of a sold out crowd at
Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. I think it’s some of my best work
and I’m really, really proud of it Jack. It’s raw and uncensored and I riff on
pop culture, my own excesses, the dangers
of meeting Anderson Cooper and the mesmerizing deliciousness of Chick-Fil-A. Unruly is very topical. I love staying
on top of the discussion and getting my piece out there quickly. It covers
everything from sexuality, and racism, to the missing Malaysian airplane,
oh it’s got it all! I’m so excited to take it on the road live. Between this
and House of Cards premiering the same night, that’s the biggest launch in
Netflix history. The wave for House of Cards is a tsunami and
I’m the fat guy trying to body surf. What’s up? It’s going to be incredible.
Netflix is taking me to the middle of the country. They’re taking me into
people’s homes. I’m the luckiest guy in America.
Jessica Schirripa:
How do you like being in the NJ/NYC area?
Ralphie May: Well
it has been colder than I would like it to be (laughs). But two decent days out
of the week this time of year in NYC is still better than average! The gains
from the tri-state area though trump everything else. The entertainment, the
food, the people. You have everything you could imagine at your disposable. The
quality and the variety keeps the city alive!
Jessica Schirripa:
What’s next for you? What can we look forward too?
Ralphie May: I am
so pumped, my wife and I are
both debuting two different comedy specials on the same day. We are a comedy
couple duo, making Hulu history, and that is awesome! We adore working on The
Perfect 10 Podcast together so this is really exciting for the both of us. Fair
warning, Lahna makes jokes about my weight. She says it is only fair because
she is the one that has to go to bed with me. Both specials, “Lahna Tuner: So I Wrote a Song about It” and mine,
“Filthy Animals” will be available on Hulu.
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