Interview: InfoMania's Bryan Safi on Satirical Comedy, Activism, & (gasp!) Gays at Prom
source: http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/interview_infomanias_bryan_safi_on_satirical_comed.php
-
-
- Waymon_Hudson
- added this
Comedian and writer Bryan Safi has been making you laugh since he first burst onto the online viral video scene with his "That's Gay" segment on Current TV's InfoMania. Safi uses his biting wit to explore and expose stereotypes and LGBT issues as they are too often portrayed by the clueless media and pop culture. He's gone after closeted politicians, the neutered "gay best friend" television meme, ex-gays, the "no homo" tag in music, and much more!
And we love him for it!
But Bryan Safi has been churning out the laughs as a writer and improv comedian for years, including a stint as a staff writer on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and as one of the writers for InfoMania itself.
I recently had the pleasure to interview Bryan and learn more about him, his past, and exactly how he comes up with the great videos and satire we have all come to enjoy so much! Join us for a glimpse into the fabulous mind of Bryan Safi and be sure to watch his newest video about gays at prom at the end of the post!
1) Tell us a little bit about your background. Were you always the funny guy or did you stumble into that later? Do you think being gay helped shape your comedic point of view?
Bryan Safi: I grew up in El Paso, Texas, and I honestly don't think I knew a single gay person there. I don't think. The only person who might have been gay is someone my parents referred to as, "Mark. He's...you know." That was it. No one would really say it.
So I stayed in the closet for high school and waited until college to come out. But the comedy came really early. I started doing impressions of everyone in my family when I was like 6. Like, I would imitate my Mom getting super impatient in line at Wendy's or getting pissed at someone in line at the bank, and then would perform it for my family when we got home. And I got such a buzz getting from the laughter. So it started there.
2) How did you get involved with Current TV and InfoMania? Do you do any other writing or performing?
Bryan Safi: I got involved at infoMania initially as a writer for Conor Knighton, the host. Soon after that, I pitched the idea for "That's Gay" with Natalie Procter (my co-creator and producer), and they really liked it. Our first episode was about one of TV's most popular characters, the Gay Best Friend - how gay men on TV are usually seen as a woman's favorite accessory, how everyone needs a "token gay" to go shopping with and dump on - and it really resonated with people.
Before That's Gay, I was a staff writer at The Ellen DeGeneres Show and before that, I was a staff writer for the comedy website Funny or Die. And, I perform a lot at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles - mostly sketch comedy. So you can catch me there a few times a month!
Much more after the jump!
Continue reading "Interview: InfoMania's Bryan Safi on Satirical Comedy, Activism, & (gasp!) Gays at Prom" »
http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/interview_infomanias_bryan_safi_on_satirical_com...
And we love him for it!
But Bryan Safi has been churning out the laughs as a writer and improv comedian for years, including a stint as a staff writer on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and as one of the writers for InfoMania itself.
I recently had the pleasure to interview Bryan and learn more about him, his past, and exactly how he comes up with the great videos and satire we have all come to enjoy so much! Join us for a glimpse into the fabulous mind of Bryan Safi and be sure to watch his newest video about gays at prom at the end of the post!
1) Tell us a little bit about your background. Were you always the funny guy or did you stumble into that later? Do you think being gay helped shape your comedic point of view?
Bryan Safi: I grew up in El Paso, Texas, and I honestly don't think I knew a single gay person there. I don't think. The only person who might have been gay is someone my parents referred to as, "Mark. He's...you know." That was it. No one would really say it.
So I stayed in the closet for high school and waited until college to come out. But the comedy came really early. I started doing impressions of everyone in my family when I was like 6. Like, I would imitate my Mom getting super impatient in line at Wendy's or getting pissed at someone in line at the bank, and then would perform it for my family when we got home. And I got such a buzz getting from the laughter. So it started there.
2) How did you get involved with Current TV and InfoMania? Do you do any other writing or performing?
Bryan Safi: I got involved at infoMania initially as a writer for Conor Knighton, the host. Soon after that, I pitched the idea for "That's Gay" with Natalie Procter (my co-creator and producer), and they really liked it. Our first episode was about one of TV's most popular characters, the Gay Best Friend - how gay men on TV are usually seen as a woman's favorite accessory, how everyone needs a "token gay" to go shopping with and dump on - and it really resonated with people.
Before That's Gay, I was a staff writer at The Ellen DeGeneres Show and before that, I was a staff writer for the comedy website Funny or Die. And, I perform a lot at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles - mostly sketch comedy. So you can catch me there a few times a month!
Much more after the jump!
Continue reading "Interview: InfoMania's Bryan Safi on Satirical Comedy, Activism, & (gasp!) Gays at Prom" »
http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/interview_infomanias_bryan_safi_on_satirical_com...
-
- tags:
- Bryan Safi, That's Gay
