Edward "Ted" Alexandro (born January 26, 1969) is a stand-up comedian from New York City. He has appeared on most late night talk shows and has had his own half-hour specials on Comedy Central.
Comics definitely embody the importance of practicing free speech.
I think there comes a time in any comedian's career where they can either coast or keep growing and evolving.
Inherent in mourning is celebration. Mourning without celebration or some form of acceptance leaves you stuck.
Comics can definitely be subversive on the whole, but it's a stylistic thing.
Comedians can articulate some important and profound ideas that address a lot of the hypocrisy we're inundated with (in the media).
Not that that's the goal, but sometimes these funny insights can also be deeply profound.
Opening for Louis C. K. during his "Hilarious" tour was a great experience for me. He is the generation just ahead of me, because he started so young. So it's like he's sort of a senior and I'm a junior, in terms of the business. He's done so much - from writing on Conan and Chris Rock to writing and directing movies, having his own HBO show, "Lucky Louie," and now having "Louie" on FX.
I often think about my future wife and how lax she's been about getting in touch with me.
I don't think comics necessarily think in literary terms. There is an element of developing your stage persona and your comedic voice, but I don't think comics see it like a character in a novel.
It's a constant process of bouncing ideas off of one another and intuitively arriving at the right decision in the moment.
I wasn't in the drama department, but I auditioned anyway and he not only cast me but also included a few sketches that I wrote, which really sparked my pursuit of comedy.
Chris Rock went from a guy whose name you knew from SNL to a legendary comedian by working his ass off.
I think comedy is no different now than it was at other points. It takes a long time to get good and know how to distill what makes you funny beyond the realm of standup, which is what I'm trying to do with 'Teachers Lounge. '
It always comes down to what the crowd buys coming out of your mouth, which differs from one comic to the next.
It's harder to reveal sides of yourself that make you vulnerable but it's another muscle that can be developed and one that I think is worthwhile. That said, everyone finds their style. It's personal.
With a project like 'Teachers Lounge,' you're wearing a lot of hats, so it demands hard work and focus if you want to do it right.
Comedy clubs are arguably one of the last bastions of uncensored, public free speech.
I belong to a gym now. . . well, let me rephrase that: I don't belong there at all, but I go.
After twenty plus years of performing hundreds of shows a year, I prefer to try things out on stage rather than for friends. I don't see the benefit in that, really.
I've seen people who are not very likeable but hilarious. I think comedians get to a point where they know they're funny, so they don't care - in the sense that they know what they're doing. They have a skill.