The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Lisa Lampanelli finds new meaning in humor
Nearly two years after retiring from stand-up comedy, former insult comic Lisa Lampanelli is still finding meaning in her life’s work. Once known as the Queen of Mean, she now performs in shows around the country, combining storytelling, humor and giving advice. Formerly of Fairfield, Lampanelli spent much of the last year working on herself and downsizing her life while pandemic restrictions put live shows on hold for much of that time. She is back living in New York City these days, but she’ll return to Fairfield April 24 for a show at the Fairfield Theatre Company that’s being billed as a “hilarious night of stories and questionable advice.” Lampanelli spoke with Hearst CT Media about the upcoming show and her recent appearance in “Hysterical.”
What have you been up to since we last spoke in April 2019? You sold your Fairfield home?
I’d outgrown this house emotionally and physically. It’s ridiculous to have such a large house for one person and two dogs that measure 15 pounds total. It was the best decision I’ve made — well, since retiring — so it’s pretty much been downsizing since retiring from standup.
You also got away from life coaching?
I found that I’m great at giving advice during the Q&A sessions of my shows, but I don’t like coaching because it’s my failing. I literally wanted people to change at the rate of speed I want them to change, and that’s exactly the wrong attitude for anyone who is a coach or a shrink. So that didn’t fit, but what did fit was when people would come to shows and ask questions about their health, body image, a breakup or about
changing a career. I was like “OK, here’s what I did,” so I’m really good at telling them what I did to make my life better and in a funny way kind of impart it to them and have it get into their minds. That’s the part I actually like.
What I did during Covid-19 basically was go inward. I did not do a lot at all. I kind of went inward and downsized a lot, got rid of property that did not serve me, got rid of friends that did not serve me, got rid of relationships that did not serve me and worked on family dynamics. I did what I think a lot of us wanted to do during Covid. It takes a lot of time and guts to go inward and not look outward and just do the quick fix like I have done in the past with food, shopping or whatever, and really get rid of things that weren’t supposed to be in my life anymore.
So without the downsizing, you would not be at this part of your journey?
Exactly right. I think that’s why this path opened up and why places around the country want to book the show, because
I’m actually doing something that resonates and should not be downsized. The downsizing had to lead to this. It’s just so wild, but the idea of sitting still is so hard for people, including me. But this one I can’t run away from. I’ll never forget last summer. It was awful, but it had to happen to get to the place of acceptance of what I’m supposed to be doing and where and with whom, personally and professionally
How does humor and advice go hand in hand?
Just because it’s a serious subject doesn’t mean that there’s not comedy in it, like the food and body image stuff, the career stuff, “The Apprentice,” and things I have been through in my life … At the time they seemed terrible but you can kind of get a laugh out of it now and help people, too.
Tell us about your appearance in the TV documentary on comedy and women, “Hysterical.”
It was fantastic, and honestly I was prepared to hate it, because I hate documentaries about comedy because nobody seems to be able to capture what it’s really like because it’s a very weird world. I was shocked to love it, and I was really glad that I was in it. I did not have the narrative they were really talking about, which was how hard it is for women. I was never harassed, so she had me in little snips, and that was the perfect amount. It was really meaningful but short, which I thought was great.