How Jim Gaffigan Really Feels About Clean Comedy
By Movieguide® Contributor
Jim Gaffigan is opening up about how he really feels about edgy and clean comedy.
“The only adjective comedians want is ‘funny.’ With categories on a streaming platform, ‘edgy’ is more positive than ‘clean’ — but I’m constantly looking for what to watch while I sit next to my 12-year-old,” the father-of-five told The Hollywood Reporter.
What does he really think about “edgy” comedy? “By the way, edgy is ridiculous, too. It’s lazy,” he said.
For Gaffigan, avoiding edgy topics helps him stay relatable.
“I grew up in a small Midwestern town where you might curse if you stubbed your toe, but people would think, ‘Can’t you think of another adjective?’ …People look at me and think, ‘He could be from my town. I could hang out with that guy,'” he told Deseret News.
As a dad, though, being a parent takes top priority.
“Every three months I evaluate and readjust my schedule to find a balance between being involved in my kids’ lives and maintaining my independence through work and projects,” he explained. “Independence makes you a better parent. I bring my kids on the road with me when it makes sense. Every school break, they’re usually with me doing stand-up. They’ll come with me on bus tours and sometimes to international shows. Before my tour started this year, my family and I were in Hawaii on vacation.”
Gaffigan has made his experiences as a father of five a major part of his stand-up routine and often talks about life as a parent.
“It’s wonderful and really, really hard,” he told TODAY. “What no one tells you is that when they get older, it gets so much harder. It’s just a different type of hard.”
READ MORE: JIM GAFFIGAN JOKES THAT RAISING KIDS IN NYC WAS ‘A HUGE MISTAKE’
Gaffigan’s latest special, THE SKINNY, is streaming on Hulu. In a funny video posted to Instagram, the comedian shared about his show.
“I’d like to pass the mic to somebody who’s pretty darn special, and frankly funny, and has a new special streaming on Hulu,” he says as he passes the mic to himself, and then says “You’re making me blush. I’d like to pass the mic to somebody who, not only looks great, but also is a good person.” Once again, he passes the mic to himself. “I’d like to pass the mic to somebody who’s deceptively good looking, but also humble,” he jokes.
