A comedian familiar to many NPR listeners is making a stop in East Lansing on Friday, October 2 with a performance set for Michigan State University's Wharton Center.
Paula Poundstone is a mainstay panelist on the comedy news quiz show "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!" She says one of her favorite moments on the show didn't even have to do with news itself. It was when she started laughing at something and just couldn't stop.
"I don't even remember what exactly I was laughing at anymore. It had something to do with Peter, the host Peter Sagal. I got laughing so hard. I thought they were gonna have to come haul me out," she remembered.
Poundstone says her stand-up is a little different from the NPR show.
"I won't be answering any questions about the week's news. I won't be losing, hopefully, in front of the audience," Poundstone joked.
Poundstone says about a third of her set is unique to each performance.
She's spent nearly four decades in comedy, including as a correspondent on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and as a host of her own podcasts. She says being on the scene for so long means sometimes, it can be hard to come up with new jokes.
"I get on the airplane, I come home. I get on the airplane, I come home. People make fun of comics for having airplane jokes. Well, you know, it's about a third of our lives," Poundstone said.
When it comes to making jokes about the news and current events, which seem increasingly dark these days, Poundstone says laughter is important as an emotional outlet.
Everyday, she's been posting two video on her Instagram account, one counting down to the November 3 election and another staging a Facetime call as if she was talking to President Donald Trump.
"I feel like it's a public service because speaking truth to power is very important," she said.
Poundstone performs at the Wharton Center's Pasant Theatre on Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
The Wharton Center is a financial supporter of WKAR.
Upcoming Arts Events
The Lansing Symphony’s first Masterworks concert of the season takes place Friday, October 2. Conductor Scott Seaton will lead a program including Mendelsson’s Violin Concerto at 7:30 p.m. at the Wharton Center. WKAR music host Jody Knol will lead a pre-concert talk in the Jackson Lounge at 6:45 p.m.
Broadway star Sutton Foster will perform at the Wharton Center at 7:30 p.m Saturday, October 3.
Country music artist Chris Jansen performs at Jackson’s Potter Center on Sunday, October 4 starting at 7 p.m.
Interview Highlights
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: With Inside the Arts, I'm Sophia Saliby. A comedian familiar to many NPR listeners is making a stop in East Lansing this week.
Paula Poundstone is a mainstay panelist on the comedy news quiz show "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!" She'll be performing at Michigan State University's Wharton Center tomorrow.
And she joins me now to give our listeners a taste of what to expect at her show. Thanks for being here, Paula.
Paula Poundstone: Hey, Sophie. Thanks for having me.
Saliby: So, how are your sets different from what "Wait Wait" listeners might be familiar with?
Poundstone: Well, I won't be answering any questions about the week's news. I won't be losing, hopefully, in front of the audience. I mean, it's the same me, except for I'm doing stand-up comedy. I'm telling my little jokes.
Probably a third of any given night is, you know, unique to that night, unscripted and unique to that night. And that's it! It's fun. It's good, you know, good for you. It's healthy. It's mentally healthy.
Saliby: And you've been doing stand-up for almost four decades. Is it ever hard to come up with new jokes?
Poundstone: You know, sometimes it is actually. Sometimes I have a little dry period. I think, in part because, you know, to some degree it might be like second album syndrome, you know, where the first album is, you know, a product of your whole life, and your second album is a product of your life since people liked your last, you know, your first album.
And my life is a little bit one-noted sometimes. You know, I get on the airplane, I come home. I get on the airplane, I come home. People make fun of comics for having airplane jokes. Well, you know, it's about a third of our lives.
Saliby: I've never thought about that before. So, I mean, you're already coming up with things I haven't thought about yet. I have to say, as somebody—
Poundstone: You have other things to think about.
Saliby: [laughs] Well, you know, I work in news. The news and current events can be extremely dark, you know, and sad these days. It can be hard to laugh. So,how do you—
Poundstone: Sophia, you have to have an emotional outlet! Yes, it's dark. Oh my gosh! I'll tell you something. I miss Nixon!
Saliby: So, I mean, how do you make the news funny these days?
Poundstone: Same way you always did. You know, and it's, you know, it's more important now than it ever was. Although, you know, obviously, laughter is important at any time, but you know same way you always did. I do two daily video series.
One is a countdown until November 3, and the other is a thing I call "Hey Donald Trump," the premise of which is that I am FaceTiming with him. I'm talking directly to him, and that one I've done every night for just over a year, and the countdown video I've done for, I don't know, 200 and something nights, and, you know, I feel like it's a public service because speaking truth to power is very important, and dictators don't like to be mocked.
Saliby: I think I should end this conversation by asking if there's like a favorite "Wait Wait" moment or a crazy news story that just sticks out in your mind?
Poundstone: I got laughing. I don't even remember. I don't even remember what exactly I was laughing at anymore. It had something to do with Peter, the host Peter Sagal. I got laughing so hard.
I thought they were gonna have to come haul me out, and you know, you have the headphones on and in your ear. You know, the producers are talking to you, saying, "Okay, cut it out. Let's go, next thing." And I couldn't stop. And I don't know that one sticks out in my head.
Saliby: I think those are the best kinds of laughs when you just kind of forget what it's all about. You're just thinking about the laughing.
Poundstone: Yep.
Saliby: Paula Poundstone is performing at MSU's Wharton Center tomorrow at 730 p.m. Thank you for joining us.
Poundstone: I so appreciate it. Thank you very much. Stay strong. Stay safe.
Saliby: The Wharton Center is a financial supporter of WKAR. For Inside the Arts, I'm Sophia Saliby.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
