Interview with Comedian Jasper Redd
Thanks to everyone who made it out to see comedian Jasper Redd on Friday! Still hankering to learn a bit more about the comedian? Comedy committee member Claire Favret was able to sit down with Jasper for a quick interview before he hit the stage.
CF: First off, who are you wearing?
JR: Old Navy with a bit of American Eagle Outfitters, nike shoes, and a White Sox hat.
CF: I hear that your birth name is not actually Jasper Redd. Would you mind telling us how you came up with your stage name?
JR: Jasper is an old-timey name. When I wanted to be a comedian, I knew I wanted a stage name and it popped into my head because you don’t hear it too often. I looked up the meaning and found out it’s a name for a male and also means a shade of red. And than I added red and put on the extra D (Redd) so it wouldn’t be too obvious to people who are up on their colors.
CF: How did you get into comedy and how long have you known you wanted to be a comedian?
JR: I got into comedy as a last resort. I first wanted to be a cartoonist/ animator. As I grew up, that changed to doing music. I tried that for a while. I had a home studio. But the thing is to make it in music, you need talent, and I didn’t have that. I was also working a job as a janitor at the time. People always had told me I was goofy and silly, but I thought comedy was difficult- it’s not just being funny with your friends. So after failing at a lot of things, I started jotting jokes down at work as a janitor. Some of the jokes you hear tonight will be from the note pad- really old. I’ve always been a fan of comedy, and I just decided to give it a shot.
CF: Describe the best show and worst show you've ever performed.
JR: That’s easy. The best show is a good show. If people walk away having had a good time, not offended, it’s a good time. My worst show was when I was still green. I had been doing comedy for about 6 months in San Francisco. I had a connection to this place called the Rumba Room, which had a talent showcase for rappers- HARDCORE rappers. Somehow they decided to throw me in the mix of these rappers- they put me in there after about 15 rappers. I don’t think I even got my name out before they started booing. They booed the whole time. That’s the worst it’s ever been. It’s never been more hostile.
JR: Cheesecake. I have a serious sweet tooth.
CF: What Disney character are you most like?
JR: Pinocchio. I used to like to stretch the truth and exaggerate a bit as a little boy.
CF: Fill in the blank. If I weren't a comedian, I'd be ________.
JR: Thinking about it now, a lawyer. Being a comedian, you have to look at things from a lot of perspectives. You always see two sides of the coin. I feel like I could see all sides of the case.
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Be on the lookout for our next comedian, Rob Gleeson, on October 20 in Lodge 1!
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