July 7, 2025 • 30 mins
Comedian Jim Florentine joins Host Lynn Hoffman on “Comedy Saved Me” for a candid and hilarious conversation about how laughter helped him navigate life’s toughest challenges. From his legendary prank calls to his love of heavy metal, Jim shares stories of finding humor in unexpected places and explains why comedy has always been his greatest coping tool. Tune in for unfiltered insights, outrageous anecdotes, and a reminder that sometimes, the best way to get through life is to laugh at it.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Comedy Saved Me.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Yeah, because I grew up a family of seven kat
like you know, so just you know, I just think
the whole ball bosting, and you know that's we're just
pulling pranks on each other, and just you know, you
had that tough scame hanging out in the neighborhood with
all the neighborhood kids and it was one big, like
big community and stuff. And that's just the way I
was raised as just being like a wise ass.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I'm Lynn Hoffman, the host of the Comedy Saved Me podcast,
the podcast that explores the world of comedy, the masters
behind the work, and the true power of comedy in
our life. Now, if you like this podcast, you might
like another one called Music Saved Me that I host
as well, and you can find that wherever.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
You get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Now Today, my special guest is a true original. His
name is Jim Florentine, and Jim is known for his
outrageous prank calls on The Howard Stern Show and his
hilarious work on one of my favorite shows, Crank Anchors.
But beyond all the laps, Jim's journey is a testament
to how comedy can be a really creative outlet and
(01:04):
a lifeline for many of us. From his early days
as a radio DJ to becoming a stand up comic,
Jim has used humor to tackle life's challenges. Jim share
stories of his career, talks about the therapeutic power of comedy,
and reveals how his unique blend of humor has helped
him through very tough times. Jim Florentine, Welcome to comedy
(01:25):
saved me. It's great to see you.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It's great to see you. And while I want an introduction,
I'm mdam.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I left out movies, television, all that. I mean, you've
done it all pretty much.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yeah, I got lucky here and there.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I don't think so, but we can discuss that what
insp Let's start with what inspired you to pursue a
career in comedy and how did your early experience shape
your Dare I say sarcastic style?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
You know, I was always a music guy. I was
always in the music and all my friends were in
bands growing up, and that's what I wanted to be
a rock star. I just didn't have the talent. I tried.
I went for singing lessons, I tried to play guitar,
I was a lefty. All my friends were like, well,
if you could play righty, I could teach you. I'm like,
I can't play righty. So and I was like, I
(02:09):
want to be on stage because I just loved that
whole thing. And then when I saw you know, like
Andrew Dice, Clay Sam Kinnison, and all of a sudden,
comedians started being like kind of like rock stars. And
I was always always into comedy. I used to watch
Richard Pryor, Rodney Danielfield and stuff. And then I just
went to an amateur night. One night, I was doing
radio and they would tell me, oh, you can't say this,
(02:30):
you can't say that, you know, just due to weather
and the time, and bring up the next song. So
I said, I got to get an outlet where I
could just go up on stage. So I went up
one night and the first night I didn't do well,
but I knew I got like one laugh and I
felt that energy from that laugh, that buzz, and I'm like, man,
it was amazing. I'm like, this is I never felt
something like that before. I'm like, this is what I
(02:52):
want to do, and I just dropped everything else. I
just went for it.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Now that's amazing to me because that was actually one
of my questions for you later in this interview was
are comedians like rock stars? But you sort of answered
that is it the vibe from the audience you get
or give, get back and forth.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I don't know if we're really rock stars. I mean,
you know, rock stars get all the girls. The comedians don't. True,
you know, rockstar they could be like a cover band
down the street, you know, playing this little bar, and
they can get girls. The comedian, you know, girls always
I want to I got it. Laughs makes me laugh
and then you make them laugh for an hour and
(03:28):
they come up to you, go, Hi, you were great,
here's my husband. I'm like that. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Well I read that you grew up in a very
strict Catholic family. Did that have any influence on your
sense of humor and comedic perspective?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
You suspect yes, yeah, because I grew up a family
of seven Catholic you know, so just you know, I
just think the whole the whole ball busting, you know,
that's we're just pulling pranks on each other, and just
you know, you had that tough skin hanging out in
the neighborhood with a neighborhood kids, and it was one big,
like big community and stuff. And that's just the way
I was raised as just being like a wise ass.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Where were you raised in New Jersey?
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (04:10):
And is that where you were in radio as well?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Yeah, give him a shout out. Come on.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
It was I don't even know if it's around. It
was w CNJ in Hazlin, New Jersey. It was one
hundred watch station. Basically, I mean, you know what I did.
I went to this community college, Brookdale Community College, and
they had a good communications program, so I was interning
on the radio there. I had a little radio show
that I was interning at the station in Keypoord, and
(04:38):
then they went up hire me. They let me at night.
They would let me play after like six o'clock. It
was an open format, so they let me have like
a three hour heavy metal show where I just bring
in my albums and play whatever I brought you, my
friends with me, we do it. They go, look, we
can't pay you. I'm like, that's I don't care. That's fine.
And then they liked my voice and stuff, and then
I wound up be in the morning guy for about
a year, I like twenty one years old.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Wait, you did mornings at twenty one, so most comedians
aren't up early in the morning, so that must have been.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I wasn't even doing comedy at that point. It was
really yeah, but I know it was a six six
am to nine am, so I had to go to
bed at like eight thirty at night. It was torture,
but I liked it, you know, And I was like,
I can't believe on the morning guy this. You know,
it was one hundred watts. So if you pulled that
at a station, went like a half mile down the road,
you couldn't get it.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
No, that's good though, it really I came from a
background of radio as well, up in Boston. As a
matter of fact, bringing that back to the DJ stuff,
you said you weren't a comedian yet. What made you
transition into the world of comedy from radio? And not
only that, did you need someone to affirm besides that
one person who laughed at you that first night you
(05:49):
went up at stand up, I mean that that's a
big deal to get up in front of an audience
and try to make them laugh.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Absolutely, And I was always afraid of public speaking, even
if I had it really do something high school of college,
I had to go out and talk. I was petrified
maybe I wouldn't even go to school that day. And
the DJ can hide behind the mic. And I was
also a DJ, like in a rock club and I
have my own DJ business or a DJ weddings. So
but you weren't really out of me. There was really
hardly any public speaking with that. But then when I
(06:17):
was on the radio and they were like, no, you
got thirty seconds to get to the next song. Don't
even crack a joke. People don't want to hear jokes,
and I'm like, I got to be creative somehow. So
I started writing stuff down, like topical stuff, and I go,
I should go up on stage and do this stuff.
And then the radio stuff was too too many restrictions.
You know. I went from playing heavy metal at night
(06:37):
till like it was an AO AO R station.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
I guess adult oriented rock.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, it was like I was playing like, you know,
Still Collins solo stuff. I'm like, I don't want to
play this.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Stuff, especially if you're a big and heavy metal.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I was also a rock chick in the eighties as well,
so I totally I think we've loved all the same bands.
In fact, I read that when you were doing this
early comedy you were opening up for heavy metal bands.
What was that like, because you're opening up for Slayer
in front of an audience that's there to see a
rock show.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah, well that was later on. Yeah, it was when
that metal show was on.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
The air, So oh, okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yeah, it was later on, but it was. It was Slayer, Megadeth,
an Anthrax. I was doing arena is opening for them.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
So I had to do like three five minute sets
between each bands. Because the Jegermeister hired me. It was
like a Jaegermeister tour. So I promote Jega Meister and
then I do jokes. But I had to do three
different sets.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
In front of an arena arena.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Arena, that's yeah, I know. And I was like, man,
I go, you know, and I want to do it
as a challenge, you know, because I was like, I
see if I could pull this off. But it was
crazy because at the first set, you know, it's hardly
anybody in the venue. So it was great. You know,
there's probably a couple of thousand, and they listen the
second set, They're like okay, all right, and then by
the third set, by the time Slayer's coming on, they
(07:55):
don't want any party. You're all right enough, dude. You
know you know when you go to a show now,
you go to a concert and the local DJ goes
on stage and does all these announcements. Yeah, you know.
I was always a drunk guy or a high guy
in an audience. Go shut up already, come on, we're
going to miss a song. We don't care. So I
know I'm that guy in the audience going, man, they
don't want to hear this stuff.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
No, I totally agree with you. You're always showing up like, Okay,
who has number twenty six under their seat? You won
the prize in the raffle before you came in the show,
and no one's listening at.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
All, nobody, And by the time Slayer was on, they
were just chant Slayers, Layer Slay or over my set,
And I said, listen, I got to do five minutes here,
so Flayer's not coming on for another ten minutes. I'm
not wasting any of their time. I'm not taking away
a song by me being up here. So I don't
want you to think that. So if you don't like it,
go to the bathroom, go get a beer. I got
(08:48):
five minutes and do some quick jokes and I'm getting
out of here too bad. So I tried to do
it like that and it was tough, you know, but
I did it for a month. But I just I
wanted to challenge myself with that.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
That's pretty cool. I mean, that's quite a big challenge. Now,
going back to your radio career, prank calls led to
appearances on The Howard Stern Show, and eventually that show
I mentioned up front, Crank Anchors that was on Comedy Central, right.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, yeah, it was on Comedy Central. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Can you share some memorable experiences from that time? Just
as a radio brethren here, we used to do something
called Nutcrackers with one of my favorite radio hosts of
all time, John Lander, up in Boston years.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Ago, and we got in a lot of trouble.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
So I can only imagine the stories that you have
to tell about phony phone calls.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, well, you know, I originally started doing it. I
was messing with telemarketers. They would call my house and
I would just see how long I could keep them
on the phone because I was you know, I didn't
have a day job. I was just working at night
doing comedy, so I didn't have to go to work
till like eight o'clock at night. So I'm like, let
me just see how long and keep them on. And
then I started recording them and I put I just
(09:53):
made up a CD of them, like I produced to myself.
I brought it to a local place I made up.
I just figured I'd get my name out there with
some prank calls after a show, I can hand them
out or sell them. And then I gave it to
the Howard Stern show I knew to produce over there.
Gary Dellabate. He goes, all right, man, if it's funny,
well he'll play it. I'm like, yeah, right, whatever, he
ain't gonna play it, you know, he's just being nice.
(10:13):
And the next day he started playing all the telemarketer calls.
He's like, oh my god, this is amazing. And within
like a month, there's all of a sudden, there's a
show called Crank Anchors where they're looking for guys to
do prank calls, so they hurt Jimmy, Kimmeerlen and Corolla.
It was their show. They used to listen to Howard
starn Out in La. They heard the good calls, they
go they tracked me down, like we've got this guy
on the show. So it was crazy, like it all
(10:35):
happened within like a month.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Isn't it amazing how that all comes full circle now
that we could never do that again. No, because you
have to let people know that you're about to brank them.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well, it depends on the radio, yes you have to,
but not in real life. We first of all, it's
got to be like a one party consent state. So
as long as one person there to record in the conversation,
you could do it. So we went to Nevada and
they were already would do them in California, New York.
That's what we record because we knew they were recording them.
(11:06):
But with a prank call and outgoing, you have to
get permission afterwards to air to call, so someone has
to call back. Hey, you would just prank you. People
will get mad. No, I'm not doing that, Like, come on,
we'll call you back in a couple of days, let's
think about it, and then they would probably most of
the time they would sign off on the release.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
They were amazing. I had I had CDs. I listened
to them relentlessly. They were just so fun. Do you
I mean, did you ever get in trouble?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:34):
I mean, can you give us one experience? Experience?
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And so one it was a you know, the telemarketer stuff.
This woman called me trying to sell me a credit
card or she wanted to transfer some money into my
I forget what it was, but it was some kind
of scam. But she had my address right in front
of me. So she's like, maybe you know you need
some money, you know, maybe something. I go, yeah, I go,
(12:00):
I just hit this old lady in my car and
I got to pay her medical bills. They just make
up stuff. And then I'm going through all this stuff.
I go, I just visited the hospital and you know
this and that. And then finally she's like, okay, so
give me a bank account number, so I a transfer
of money. So now I have to get out of
the call. I I'm not giving me. So I just go,
I just blurted, I go, you know, I'm just going
to go to the hospital where she said. I'm going
(12:21):
to go some other with a pillow and put her
out of her misery and then call me back in
like an hour. And she's like, oh, my god, I'm
going to go, yeah, call me back in an hour
because I had to get at him not giving away.
So next thing I know, a half hour later, I
got two detectives at my door because she had my
address in front of me. So she thought that something
that she believed. Yes, so she called the local police
in my town and they go, you know, you've made
(12:44):
a prank call. You're pretending you're going to go down
to the hospital. A yeah, I go, look, it's just
a joke. I showed him. I go, look, I have
a recorder off to my phone. I got work on
this show called Crank Anchors. I go, we just made
prank calls. And they're just staring at me. I'm going
to go give me your ID, and I look at
go at the because you're thirty seven years old, that's
what you do all day. Like they were scolding me.
I'm like, yeah, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Will Juvenile. I love it.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That's pretty scary stuff, though, when you think about it,
you know, you're just trying to entertain people, and then
you realize, oh, I've kind of crossed the line here.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Well I crossed it way more about three weeks later.
If you want to hear that story.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Oh yeah, please bring it.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
So they just said, hey, listen, we can do the pranks,
just don't threaten anyone. We don't want to come back
here to your house. I go, yeah, I promise, and
I realized I go yeah. I probably went over the
line with that cut to a few weeks later. I
don't know why I came up with that idea where
I had my friend over and when when the telemark
with a call, I pretend I've given my girlfriend a
home abortion.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Oh no, no.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
I don't know. You know, you think that I wouldn't think,
and that we had a vacuum going on, and she's
screaming in the background. I know it's horrible. I'm going
to hell for it. So the woman's like, what's going on?
Told I go, my friends, just give my girlfriend a
home abortion. I'm just trying to save a few dollars, so.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Just keep going.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Don't worry about it. I know that a loud, but
it'll be all right. She got She was on the
punt for like three minutes. I was horrified and hung up.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
So we started laughing about it. My girlfriend's like, you're
going to hell, Like I go, yeah, I know whatever.
So I leave the house. We go get coffee or
something like that. I come back like a half hour later.
My door is busted in, broken down. The cops came
to my house because she had my address too. They
thought someone was upstairs in my apartment bleeding, so they
kicked the door down, kick the door in, They go
upstairs and see. So I come back. All my neighbors
(14:30):
are out and outside in the street, but in front
of my house. I go, what's going on? They go
to cops were here, ems ambulance. I go for what?
I go, I don't know. They came because of some
prank call or something. I'm like, oh, man, yeah, so yeah,
I know.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Did you get arrested?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
No, I went there. I made the mistake of going
down the police states. I wanted to tell them, and
it was the same two cops. When I walked in,
they go, what is wrong with you? I go, look, man,
They go, we just told you. I go, I know,
I wasn't thinking. He goes, So they had like ambulance,
MS workers, cops. They spread down there because they didn't know.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Wow, And I got to take.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Up a disorderly conduct and I had to go to court.
And I got fined and the judge yelled at me
in front of everybody. It was a packed courtroom. I
remember that. He goes, you did a prank call where
you pretended you were giving your girlfriend a home abortion.
You had a vacuum going on our background, and you
thought that's funny. And you work for Comedy Central. Is
that where they pass off as funny? Yeah? I don't
know what I was thinking. I'm biting and I lived
(15:25):
because I wanted to laugh like a child.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
I was going to say, how did you not laugh the.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Whole because you know front and the judges scolded and
the whole courtroom is packed just here people going oh like,
what a what a jerk? What an evil guy? Like that?
I'm like, what it refined me is like, don't ever
do it again. I had and I had to do
like the walk of shame through the whole court, like
walk right through the aisland. Were just staring at me
like they want to stone me to death.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
You did a purp walk and your girlfriend says, you're
going to help, but she participated.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
She participated it so funny.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
We never got close to that, but we did do
one where someone was dumpster diving for his kids science
project and they had to back up the truck and
he was stuck in there and he called, I'm going
to get dumped, and then the cops were calling from Florida.
Wait thing, We're looking at all the dumpsters to find
where the person was dumped. But the sound effects we
(16:18):
were playing it was nobody was dumped. So I feel
your pain on that too, But super super fun stuff.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
We'll be right back with more of the Comedy Saved
Me Podcast. Welcome back to the Comedy Saved Me Podcast.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Do you think that comedy serves as a therapeutic outlet,
you know, for both the comedians and the audiences that
they're performing to.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I think so. A lot of people tell me after
our show, thanks, I appreciate it. It was a great show.
I needed this. I got some stuff going on in
my life. I just needed to come out and laugh.
You know. People that are you know, got to you know,
it was sick. You know, people that a lot of
cancer patients, you know, come out like I just need
to get out of the house and laugh for an
hour and a half forget all whatever's going on. So
(17:10):
I really think it is and for a comic for
me to make the people laugh too. It's a it's
a great a general rush, you know, it really is,
you know, and I love that too, just making people
making people laugh.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
I was going to ask you that question right after,
but but but following it up, when you walk out
on a stage, do you feel that comedians are in
way empathic and paths because you know, you sort of
vibe off the audience. Can you tell if you've got
to change the audience's mind or if they're going to
(17:43):
be a receptive right away.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Can you feel that in the audience.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yeah, Well, one good thing about comedy is you can't
mail it in because every set is different, every night
is different. You could do I could do a show
at eight o'clock and they're amazing. I could have filmed
it for a Netflix special, and then the next show
an hour and a half later, they're staring at me
with the same exact jokes. So you always so I
love that about it, where I just can't go okay,
(18:06):
I'm just going to go up there. I get this
is easy. It's never easy, and I love that because
sometimes you have to figure it out. All of a
sudden it's not working, so you have to feel the Okay,
this crowd's really not going for this kind of material,
so let me switch it up. You're always thinking up there,
which I like, you're almost like a quarterback at the
line before the play calls. You're looking okay, maybe I
have to change the play here and stuff. So I
(18:28):
love that about it. Sometimes you just don't connect with
the audience. They're just not buying it. They're not into it,
and there's nothing you could do. You could try, but so,
you know, so you have those sites. I just chalk
it up as a bad day of work. Everyone has
a bad day of work, so for me, that was
a bad day of work.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Well, speaking of that, when you have a bad day,
who makes you laugh?
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, I think if I'm having a down thet I'm
necessarily have to put on comedy. Maybe I'll just I'll
just watch something that's dumb, like a Netflix here just
his own out, mindless, mindless. Or I'll watch sports, just mindless,
because sports is really mindless, especially if you're not really
cheering for the other team, or like watch Sports Center,
like sports Highlights or something like that, just something really dumb.
(19:13):
I always had it for years. I had to go
to bed I had to have the TV on. I
just for some reason, I couldn't sleep without it. And
I'd always put like Sports Center on because it's just
dumb sports highlights where I don't get into. I can't
watch a movie. I'm like, oh my god, what's going
to happen next. I still have that adrenaline stuff. So
I just the dumbest the better. So if I'm going
(19:34):
through a bad day, not necessarily comedy, but I'll put
on some kind of series and watch that's cool.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Well, what would you say would be the defining moments
for your career, both both positive and negative and how
have they shaped you today as a comedian.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Well, just Howard Stern discovered me through those brank calls
and then have me on the show. Yeah, you know this,
it's like two thousand and one, Jack joke Man Martling.
He was one of the sidekicks on the show. He
left the show and they had an open share now
for and then he started having all these young and
unknown comics come in and sitting on the show, and
(20:10):
it was just perfect timing with all of that. And
I was one of those guys. I would sit in
and he would have me on the show. As a regular.
This is when he was on regular radio. He had
twenty million people listening. You know, I was doing all
the clubs, no one really knew who I was. And
then all of a sudden, he say, Jim's going to
be in Pittsburgh at the Improv this weekend. I would
sell out five shows automatically just from him with that
(20:30):
one plug, just like that, So that took my career off.
Then I got the crank anchors from being on Stern
and everything else helped through that show because it was
so big and massive at that time.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Are you addicted to making people laugh or the good
that it creates? Would you say?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I don't? You know? It's weird with comics. You know,
usually the guy that tries to be the life of
a party, he's a terrible comedian. The guy who sits
back and is kind of starcastic and quiet doesn't need to,
you know, have the whole room, you know, the attention
putt the lampshater's head. That guy, that guy's not going
to be funny. But the other but the other comics
(21:09):
just sit back and observe and watch. That's how they
come up with their stuff. So I don't need to
be funny all the time. Uh, sometimes I do, you know,
like I coach my kids wreck basketball team, and you know,
all the guys that he's like, I don't crack any
of your inappropriate SUPs, saying, oh no, I'm not. And
when I have his parent teacher meeting, I go, I'm
not going to do that. I know when I have to.
And well, I remember, one of the moms goes, I
(21:30):
never knew you were comedian because it's never really that funny. Yeah,
because I go, yeah, because I'm hanging out, we're watching
our kids, you know, play basketball. We're talking about this
the referee and that shot or whatever. I go, I
don't need to command the whole room here. When I'm
on stage. That's the only time they need to do.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
You think laughter is the best medicine.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Oh yeah, I mean it is for a lot of people. Yeah. Really, Uh,
you know, it gets people in a better mood. You know, absolutely,
it definitely does. And there's nothing like a live comedy
show because you never know what happens at a live show.
You can watch it on TV, it's not the same thing.
It's almost like watching a concert on TV. Yes, when
you're there, it's special and when you're in a people
(22:10):
come to show. Go this my first comedy show. I
used to watch it on TV. It was amazing just
being in the room because at tension with and you
saying that is picking on the crowd and working the
crowd and this guy and not I go, yeah, because
you never know on a live show what's going to happen.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Why do you think comedians are what? I've interviewed quite
a few in my lifetime, and I've noticed the one
thing that always surprises me is how down to earth
all comedians are. Do you think it's the line of
work or do you think it's how hard you work
versus you know, actors, musicians. It seems like comedians are
the hardest working people in show business.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Yeah, And you know, I guess maybe if you get
to a certain point, your ego gets in the way.
But we just know, like we're just every day we
think that this at some point we're not going to
have a career anymore. Something's going to happen. So we
always had that fear, I do, you know, and I
think a lot of comics do so. And we're not flashy,
you know, actors, that's a whole other thing with the
(23:08):
ego and the narcissism and stuff like that. I mean,
I guess some of the comics, but you know general,
we're just happy that we're making a live and we're
making people laugh, and we get we're our own boss,
which is huge. We could we could dress the way
we want, say whatever we want, and we don't have
a boss to listen to.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Pretty awesome.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
This is one of those questions that I just always
love to hear the answer to, if you had your choice,
living or dead, who would you love to headline with,
and what would that show be or look like if
you could perform with anyone.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Rodney Dangerfield he never gets like his catchphrase, he never
gets respect. Yet like a lot of people don't say
he was an influence on him, Like when they talk
about comedy communiz I was a Richard pryor George Carlin,
Reddy Murphy. They never put Rodney in there. To me,
Rodney was a huge influence.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
You know. I just love to set up punch, set
up quick quick one liners. I love that, just self deprecating,
and I would have you know, I met him a
couple of times. Obviously I never did a show with them.
But I would have loved to do to do shows
with Rodney.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I would have loved to have seen that and.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Just watch him and watch him every night, Like if
I was on tour with them and just watch him
every night. It would be amazing.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Do you do you find that people come up to
you and say, hey, Jim, meet my friend so and SOO.
Go ahead, be funny, say something funny. Yeah, how does
that work?
Speaker 2 (24:35):
I just I'm like, look, man, I'm not at work.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
And then they laughed because you're sarcastic when you're funny, too.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Right, I just go, I go. You know, I guess
it's not I hate when people do this. When I
have like family members or people that know me, Hey,
you know, introducing me to strange people. Hey, and he's
a comedian. I'm like, you don't have to say that.
I go, please, I go. I didn't say, hey, he's
he does construction when I introduced you, Hey, he's a
law here, you know, so why you don't I leave
(25:03):
that out?
Speaker 1 (25:03):
That's a good way to do it. That's that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
That's creative, right, because what then what happens is oh,
really a comedian? Oh you know so, uh, you know,
you write your own jokes? Where do you perform? Just
a million dumb questions? And it's like, I'm not at work, right,
I don't want to answer these. When I'm at a party.
Where do you get your material from? I go, I
get it from you because you bother me and you'll
(25:26):
be in.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
My act tune in tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Well I could see, I could. I'm sure. Like a
doctor goes to a party, I'm sure he's like, hey, doc,
oh you're a doctor. I got a lump right here?
Is this anything to worry about?
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Does this looking affected?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Right? Or is this the root canal? You think I'm
missing a cap here? You know? So I guess they
get that too. But it's so I always tell people
if I'm in a plane, they go, what do you
do for a living? Because you tell me you're a comic.
You're talking that person for two hours, right, right? So
I just go, Yeah, I do landscaping. So there's no
they're not going to ask anything about landscape. And yeah,
(26:01):
I cut lawns, I mow lawns, and I do landscape,
and no one's going to go, really, what kind of
mower do you have?
Speaker 1 (26:07):
That's great? I never even thought of that.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
When anyone asked me, I would always say I sell shoes.
That's a good one too, because no one cares about
that either.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
No one's going to be like, really, what kind of shoes?
I just work at a store or whatever the shoes
they want with the landscape, and nobody's ever going to
I don't even say I own the business, because then
they go, you own the business? How does that work?
I go, No, I just work for a guy.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Yeah, yeah, even better. What is my last question for you?
What I mean?
Speaker 3 (26:35):
You've done it really all movies, television voiceovers.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
You're a comedian.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
What does it feel like when you really connect with
an audience or even just a one on one, when
when you've really made somebody's day and you can really
tell that they're having a great day because of your comedy.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
How does that feel to you?
Speaker 2 (26:57):
It's amazing, It's the best feeling in the world. It's
like it's equivalent to having an orgasm. Really yeah, that
you can connect with a crowd and they like you.
And then also if like new jokes work, Like if
you have new material, you just can't wait to get
on stage and do it. And if it works, it's
an unbelievable feeling. And any comic will tell you the
(27:18):
same thing, like, oh my god, I can't believe because
you could come up with ten ideas, ten jokes, and
maybe four you are going to work six I'm just
not going to work. You have to try them in
front of that crab. But once they do work, it's
it's unbelievable. It's the best feeling in the world.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
I told you that was the last question, but I
had one more. Is that? Okay?
Speaker 2 (27:37):
That's right? All right? Yeah? Sure?
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Upcoming projects and themes that inspire you right now? Personally,
how do you see yourself moving forward from here?
Speaker 2 (27:46):
You know, I don't you know. I think as a
comic you could just keep working until you know. There's
no set age. So I'm just going to keep doing
it until I feel like I don't want to do
it anymore. But you know, you don't have to retire
at certain age or any of that stuff. So I
still love doing it. Who knows at some point. But
you know, my sons now he's fourteen, so he'll come
to a lot of my shows. He's getting into comedy,
(28:08):
just not on stage, but watching. He loves all the
comics and stuff. He loves being at the shows and
all lot. So it's good that he could see that.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
That must make you feel so proud.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
It's great, yeah, that he's like, oh man, next time
you go to Austin, I want to go to Joe
Rogan's club with you. I go, yeah, no problem, you know,
stuff like that. So it's great that I could show
him that. You know so, but yeah, just could you know,
continue doing a stand up. That's one thing. It doesn't
matter how old you get, what you look like, you
can always still be funny. You can make fun of
(28:38):
the way you look, how old you are, whatever it is.
And as long as you can connect with an audience,
you could do it forever.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
And he's laughing at yourself. Pretty much the price of admission.
You have to be able to laugh at yourself.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Absolutely. Yeah, Like if someone comes back with something funny
in the crowd, Like if you're picking on and the
guy says, I'm back there, that's a good way you
got me. You know, I get it, you know, so yeah,
you got to laugh for yourself too. A lot of
comedians are sensitive too, you know, they don't like to
get critiqued. But that's just the way it is, you don't,
you know, I don't worry about that. Like if people
don't like my stuff, I understand it. You're not gonna
(29:14):
appeel everybody. As soon as you try to appeal to everyone,
you're just you're never gonna make it. You're just gonna
be middle of the road trying to make everybody happy.
Just everyone's not going to get your comedy no matter
what kind of comedy you do. And don't take a
personally of four to ten people don't get it. Just
focus on the sixth that do. That's the way I
always looked at it.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Great advice, really, and uh, great advice for anyone doing
anything in general, really, not just comedy right.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Right, and even bands, you know, if you know, of
course some people aren't gonna like that music, so they're
not going to get it. Like people always ask me,
you know, but what do you think about these new bands?
You know? Or even like a tail of Swift? They go,
I'm not supposed to like that, so I can't you
know what I mean, that's not even on my radar.
I'm not a teenage girl, so I'm not gonna you know,
or even like Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl half
time show. I go, I'm not supposed to like that.
(30:02):
So my kid understands that and likes that side of stuff,
so I can't trash it because it's not for me.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
That makes sense. That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Well, it's been such a pleasure getting to catch up
with you and talk with you. And where can people
find your latest travel so that they can catch you
besides television where you're going to be performing.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Do you have a website?
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Yeah, I got a website, Jim Florentine dot com. On
my tour dates are on there. My latest comedy special
is you Can't Please Them All. It's on Amazon Prime.
You can see it up there.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Jim Florentine, thank you for giving us all your healing
gift of comedy. It was again great chatting with you,
and I hope that I get to see you again
soon and I'm sure I'm going to see you on
TV very soon.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I appreciate that, mane. Yeah,
Comedy Saved Me.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Yeah, because I grew up a family of seven kat
like you know, so just you know, I just think
the whole ball bosting, and you know that's we're just
pulling pranks on each other, and just you know, you
had that tough scame hanging out in the neighborhood with
all the neighborhood kids and it was one big, like
big community and stuff. And that's just the way I
was raised as just being like a wise ass.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I'm Lynn Hoffman, the host of the Comedy Saved Me podcast,
the podcast that explores the world of comedy, the masters
behind the work, and the true power of comedy in
our life. Now, if you like this podcast, you might
like another one called Music Saved Me that I host
as well, and you can find that wherever.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
You get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Now Today, my special guest is a true original. His
name is Jim Florentine, and Jim is known for his
outrageous prank calls on The Howard Stern Show and his
hilarious work on one of my favorite shows, Crank Anchors.
But beyond all the laps, Jim's journey is a testament
to how comedy can be a really creative outlet and
(01:04):
a lifeline for many of us. From his early days
as a radio DJ to becoming a stand up comic,
Jim has used humor to tackle life's challenges. Jim share
stories of his career, talks about the therapeutic power of comedy,
and reveals how his unique blend of humor has helped
him through very tough times. Jim Florentine, Welcome to comedy
(01:25):
saved me. It's great to see you.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It's great to see you. And while I want an introduction,
I'm mdam.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I left out movies, television, all that. I mean, you've
done it all pretty much.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yeah, I got lucky here and there.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I don't think so, but we can discuss that what
insp Let's start with what inspired you to pursue a
career in comedy and how did your early experience shape
your Dare I say sarcastic style?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
You know, I was always a music guy. I was
always in the music and all my friends were in
bands growing up, and that's what I wanted to be
a rock star. I just didn't have the talent. I tried.
I went for singing lessons, I tried to play guitar,
I was a lefty. All my friends were like, well,
if you could play righty, I could teach you. I'm like,
I can't play righty. So and I was like, I
(02:09):
want to be on stage because I just loved that
whole thing. And then when I saw you know, like
Andrew Dice, Clay Sam Kinnison, and all of a sudden,
comedians started being like kind of like rock stars. And
I was always always into comedy. I used to watch
Richard Pryor, Rodney Danielfield and stuff. And then I just
went to an amateur night. One night, I was doing
radio and they would tell me, oh, you can't say this,
(02:30):
you can't say that, you know, just due to weather
and the time, and bring up the next song. So
I said, I got to get an outlet where I
could just go up on stage. So I went up
one night and the first night I didn't do well,
but I knew I got like one laugh and I
felt that energy from that laugh, that buzz, and I'm like, man,
it was amazing. I'm like, this is I never felt
something like that before. I'm like, this is what I
(02:52):
want to do, and I just dropped everything else. I
just went for it.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Now that's amazing to me because that was actually one
of my questions for you later in this interview was
are comedians like rock stars? But you sort of answered
that is it the vibe from the audience you get
or give, get back and forth.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I don't know if we're really rock stars. I mean,
you know, rock stars get all the girls. The comedians don't. True,
you know, rockstar they could be like a cover band
down the street, you know, playing this little bar, and
they can get girls. The comedian, you know, girls always
I want to I got it. Laughs makes me laugh
and then you make them laugh for an hour and
(03:28):
they come up to you, go, Hi, you were great,
here's my husband. I'm like that. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Well I read that you grew up in a very
strict Catholic family. Did that have any influence on your
sense of humor and comedic perspective?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
You suspect yes, yeah, because I grew up a family
of seven Catholic you know, so just you know, I
just think the whole the whole ball busting, you know,
that's we're just pulling pranks on each other, and just
you know, you had that tough skin hanging out in
the neighborhood with a neighborhood kids, and it was one big,
like big community and stuff. And that's just the way
I was raised as just being like a wise ass.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Where were you raised in New Jersey?
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (04:10):
And is that where you were in radio as well?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Yeah, give him a shout out. Come on.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
It was I don't even know if it's around. It
was w CNJ in Hazlin, New Jersey. It was one
hundred watch station. Basically, I mean, you know what I did.
I went to this community college, Brookdale Community College, and
they had a good communications program, so I was interning
on the radio there. I had a little radio show
that I was interning at the station in Keypoord, and
(04:38):
then they went up hire me. They let me at night.
They would let me play after like six o'clock. It
was an open format, so they let me have like
a three hour heavy metal show where I just bring
in my albums and play whatever I brought you, my
friends with me, we do it. They go, look, we
can't pay you. I'm like, that's I don't care. That's fine.
And then they liked my voice and stuff, and then
I wound up be in the morning guy for about
a year, I like twenty one years old.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Wait, you did mornings at twenty one, so most comedians
aren't up early in the morning, so that must have been.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I wasn't even doing comedy at that point. It was
really yeah, but I know it was a six six
am to nine am, so I had to go to
bed at like eight thirty at night. It was torture,
but I liked it, you know, And I was like,
I can't believe on the morning guy this. You know,
it was one hundred watts. So if you pulled that
at a station, went like a half mile down the road,
you couldn't get it.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
No, that's good though, it really I came from a
background of radio as well, up in Boston. As a
matter of fact, bringing that back to the DJ stuff,
you said you weren't a comedian yet. What made you
transition into the world of comedy from radio? And not
only that, did you need someone to affirm besides that
one person who laughed at you that first night you
(05:49):
went up at stand up, I mean that that's a
big deal to get up in front of an audience
and try to make them laugh.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Absolutely, And I was always afraid of public speaking, even
if I had it really do something high school of college,
I had to go out and talk. I was petrified
maybe I wouldn't even go to school that day. And
the DJ can hide behind the mic. And I was
also a DJ, like in a rock club and I
have my own DJ business or a DJ weddings. So
but you weren't really out of me. There was really
hardly any public speaking with that. But then when I
(06:17):
was on the radio and they were like, no, you
got thirty seconds to get to the next song. Don't
even crack a joke. People don't want to hear jokes,
and I'm like, I got to be creative somehow. So
I started writing stuff down, like topical stuff, and I go,
I should go up on stage and do this stuff.
And then the radio stuff was too too many restrictions.
You know. I went from playing heavy metal at night
(06:37):
till like it was an AO AO R station.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
I guess adult oriented rock.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, it was like I was playing like, you know,
Still Collins solo stuff. I'm like, I don't want to
play this.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Stuff, especially if you're a big and heavy metal.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I was also a rock chick in the eighties as well,
so I totally I think we've loved all the same bands.
In fact, I read that when you were doing this
early comedy you were opening up for heavy metal bands.
What was that like, because you're opening up for Slayer
in front of an audience that's there to see a
rock show.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah, well that was later on. Yeah, it was when
that metal show was on.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
The air, So oh, okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yeah, it was later on, but it was. It was Slayer, Megadeth,
an Anthrax. I was doing arena is opening for them.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
So I had to do like three five minute sets
between each bands. Because the Jegermeister hired me. It was
like a Jaegermeister tour. So I promote Jega Meister and
then I do jokes. But I had to do three
different sets.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
In front of an arena arena.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Arena, that's yeah, I know. And I was like, man,
I go, you know, and I want to do it
as a challenge, you know, because I was like, I
see if I could pull this off. But it was
crazy because at the first set, you know, it's hardly
anybody in the venue. So it was great. You know,
there's probably a couple of thousand, and they listen the
second set, They're like okay, all right, and then by
the third set, by the time Slayer's coming on, they
(07:55):
don't want any party. You're all right enough, dude. You
know you know when you go to a show now,
you go to a concert and the local DJ goes
on stage and does all these announcements. Yeah, you know.
I was always a drunk guy or a high guy
in an audience. Go shut up already, come on, we're
going to miss a song. We don't care. So I
know I'm that guy in the audience going, man, they
don't want to hear this stuff.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
No, I totally agree with you. You're always showing up like, Okay,
who has number twenty six under their seat? You won
the prize in the raffle before you came in the show,
and no one's listening at.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
All, nobody, And by the time Slayer was on, they
were just chant Slayers, Layer Slay or over my set,
And I said, listen, I got to do five minutes here,
so Flayer's not coming on for another ten minutes. I'm
not wasting any of their time. I'm not taking away
a song by me being up here. So I don't
want you to think that. So if you don't like it,
go to the bathroom, go get a beer. I got
(08:48):
five minutes and do some quick jokes and I'm getting
out of here too bad. So I tried to do
it like that and it was tough, you know, but
I did it for a month. But I just I
wanted to challenge myself with that.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
That's pretty cool. I mean, that's quite a big challenge. Now,
going back to your radio career, prank calls led to
appearances on The Howard Stern Show, and eventually that show
I mentioned up front, Crank Anchors that was on Comedy Central, right.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, yeah, it was on Comedy Central. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Can you share some memorable experiences from that time? Just
as a radio brethren here, we used to do something
called Nutcrackers with one of my favorite radio hosts of
all time, John Lander, up in Boston years.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Ago, and we got in a lot of trouble.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
So I can only imagine the stories that you have
to tell about phony phone calls.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, well, you know, I originally started doing it. I
was messing with telemarketers. They would call my house and
I would just see how long I could keep them
on the phone because I was you know, I didn't
have a day job. I was just working at night
doing comedy, so I didn't have to go to work
till like eight o'clock at night. So I'm like, let
me just see how long and keep them on. And
then I started recording them and I put I just
(09:53):
made up a CD of them, like I produced to myself.
I brought it to a local place I made up.
I just figured I'd get my name out there with
some prank calls after a show, I can hand them
out or sell them. And then I gave it to
the Howard Stern show I knew to produce over there.
Gary Dellabate. He goes, all right, man, if it's funny,
well he'll play it. I'm like, yeah, right, whatever, he
ain't gonna play it, you know, he's just being nice.
(10:13):
And the next day he started playing all the telemarketer calls.
He's like, oh my god, this is amazing. And within
like a month, there's all of a sudden, there's a
show called Crank Anchors where they're looking for guys to
do prank calls, so they hurt Jimmy, Kimmeerlen and Corolla.
It was their show. They used to listen to Howard
starn Out in La. They heard the good calls, they
go they tracked me down, like we've got this guy
on the show. So it was crazy, like it all
(10:35):
happened within like a month.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Isn't it amazing how that all comes full circle now
that we could never do that again. No, because you
have to let people know that you're about to brank them.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well, it depends on the radio, yes you have to,
but not in real life. We first of all, it's
got to be like a one party consent state. So
as long as one person there to record in the conversation,
you could do it. So we went to Nevada and
they were already would do them in California, New York.
That's what we record because we knew they were recording them.
(11:06):
But with a prank call and outgoing, you have to
get permission afterwards to air to call, so someone has
to call back. Hey, you would just prank you. People
will get mad. No, I'm not doing that, Like, come on,
we'll call you back in a couple of days, let's
think about it, and then they would probably most of
the time they would sign off on the release.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
They were amazing. I had I had CDs. I listened
to them relentlessly. They were just so fun. Do you
I mean, did you ever get in trouble?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:34):
I mean, can you give us one experience? Experience?
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And so one it was a you know, the telemarketer stuff.
This woman called me trying to sell me a credit
card or she wanted to transfer some money into my
I forget what it was, but it was some kind
of scam. But she had my address right in front
of me. So she's like, maybe you know you need
some money, you know, maybe something. I go, yeah, I go,
(12:00):
I just hit this old lady in my car and
I got to pay her medical bills. They just make
up stuff. And then I'm going through all this stuff.
I go, I just visited the hospital and you know
this and that. And then finally she's like, okay, so
give me a bank account number, so I a transfer
of money. So now I have to get out of
the call. I I'm not giving me. So I just go,
I just blurted, I go, you know, I'm just going
to go to the hospital where she said. I'm going
(12:21):
to go some other with a pillow and put her
out of her misery and then call me back in
like an hour. And she's like, oh, my god, I'm
going to go, yeah, call me back in an hour
because I had to get at him not giving away.
So next thing I know, a half hour later, I
got two detectives at my door because she had my
address in front of me. So she thought that something
that she believed. Yes, so she called the local police
in my town and they go, you know, you've made
(12:44):
a prank call. You're pretending you're going to go down
to the hospital. A yeah, I go, look, it's just
a joke. I showed him. I go, look, I have
a recorder off to my phone. I got work on
this show called Crank Anchors. I go, we just made
prank calls. And they're just staring at me. I'm going
to go give me your ID, and I look at
go at the because you're thirty seven years old, that's
what you do all day. Like they were scolding me.
I'm like, yeah, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Will Juvenile. I love it.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That's pretty scary stuff, though, when you think about it,
you know, you're just trying to entertain people, and then
you realize, oh, I've kind of crossed the line here.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Well I crossed it way more about three weeks later.
If you want to hear that story.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Oh yeah, please bring it.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
So they just said, hey, listen, we can do the pranks,
just don't threaten anyone. We don't want to come back
here to your house. I go, yeah, I promise, and
I realized I go yeah. I probably went over the
line with that cut to a few weeks later. I
don't know why I came up with that idea where
I had my friend over and when when the telemark
with a call, I pretend I've given my girlfriend a
home abortion.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Oh no, no.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
I don't know. You know, you think that I wouldn't think,
and that we had a vacuum going on, and she's
screaming in the background. I know it's horrible. I'm going
to hell for it. So the woman's like, what's going on?
Told I go, my friends, just give my girlfriend a
home abortion. I'm just trying to save a few dollars, so.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Just keep going.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Don't worry about it. I know that a loud, but
it'll be all right. She got She was on the
punt for like three minutes. I was horrified and hung up.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
So we started laughing about it. My girlfriend's like, you're
going to hell, Like I go, yeah, I know whatever.
So I leave the house. We go get coffee or
something like that. I come back like a half hour later.
My door is busted in, broken down. The cops came
to my house because she had my address too. They
thought someone was upstairs in my apartment bleeding, so they
kicked the door down, kick the door in, They go
upstairs and see. So I come back. All my neighbors
(14:30):
are out and outside in the street, but in front
of my house. I go, what's going on? They go
to cops were here, ems ambulance. I go for what?
I go, I don't know. They came because of some
prank call or something. I'm like, oh, man, yeah, so yeah,
I know.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Did you get arrested?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
No, I went there. I made the mistake of going
down the police states. I wanted to tell them, and
it was the same two cops. When I walked in,
they go, what is wrong with you? I go, look, man,
They go, we just told you. I go, I know,
I wasn't thinking. He goes, So they had like ambulance,
MS workers, cops. They spread down there because they didn't know.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Wow, And I got to take.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Up a disorderly conduct and I had to go to court.
And I got fined and the judge yelled at me
in front of everybody. It was a packed courtroom. I
remember that. He goes, you did a prank call where
you pretended you were giving your girlfriend a home abortion.
You had a vacuum going on our background, and you
thought that's funny. And you work for Comedy Central. Is
that where they pass off as funny? Yeah? I don't
know what I was thinking. I'm biting and I lived
(15:25):
because I wanted to laugh like a child.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
I was going to say, how did you not laugh the.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Whole because you know front and the judges scolded and
the whole courtroom is packed just here people going oh like,
what a what a jerk? What an evil guy? Like that?
I'm like, what it refined me is like, don't ever
do it again. I had and I had to do
like the walk of shame through the whole court, like
walk right through the aisland. Were just staring at me
like they want to stone me to death.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
You did a purp walk and your girlfriend says, you're
going to help, but she participated.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
She participated it so funny.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
We never got close to that, but we did do
one where someone was dumpster diving for his kids science
project and they had to back up the truck and
he was stuck in there and he called, I'm going
to get dumped, and then the cops were calling from Florida.
Wait thing, We're looking at all the dumpsters to find
where the person was dumped. But the sound effects we
(16:18):
were playing it was nobody was dumped. So I feel
your pain on that too, But super super fun stuff.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
We'll be right back with more of the Comedy Saved
Me Podcast. Welcome back to the Comedy Saved Me Podcast.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Do you think that comedy serves as a therapeutic outlet,
you know, for both the comedians and the audiences that
they're performing to.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I think so. A lot of people tell me after
our show, thanks, I appreciate it. It was a great show.
I needed this. I got some stuff going on in
my life. I just needed to come out and laugh.
You know. People that are you know, got to you know,
it was sick. You know, people that a lot of
cancer patients, you know, come out like I just need
to get out of the house and laugh for an
hour and a half forget all whatever's going on. So
(17:10):
I really think it is and for a comic for
me to make the people laugh too. It's a it's
a great a general rush, you know, it really is,
you know, and I love that too, just making people
making people laugh.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
I was going to ask you that question right after,
but but but following it up, when you walk out
on a stage, do you feel that comedians are in
way empathic and paths because you know, you sort of
vibe off the audience. Can you tell if you've got
to change the audience's mind or if they're going to
(17:43):
be a receptive right away.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Can you feel that in the audience.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yeah, Well, one good thing about comedy is you can't
mail it in because every set is different, every night
is different. You could do I could do a show
at eight o'clock and they're amazing. I could have filmed
it for a Netflix special, and then the next show
an hour and a half later, they're staring at me
with the same exact jokes. So you always so I
love that about it, where I just can't go okay,
(18:06):
I'm just going to go up there. I get this
is easy. It's never easy, and I love that because
sometimes you have to figure it out. All of a
sudden it's not working, so you have to feel the Okay,
this crowd's really not going for this kind of material,
so let me switch it up. You're always thinking up there,
which I like, you're almost like a quarterback at the
line before the play calls. You're looking okay, maybe I
have to change the play here and stuff. So I
(18:28):
love that about it. Sometimes you just don't connect with
the audience. They're just not buying it. They're not into it,
and there's nothing you could do. You could try, but so,
you know, so you have those sites. I just chalk
it up as a bad day of work. Everyone has
a bad day of work, so for me, that was
a bad day of work.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Well, speaking of that, when you have a bad day,
who makes you laugh?
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, I think if I'm having a down thet I'm
necessarily have to put on comedy. Maybe I'll just I'll
just watch something that's dumb, like a Netflix here just
his own out, mindless, mindless. Or I'll watch sports, just mindless,
because sports is really mindless, especially if you're not really
cheering for the other team, or like watch Sports Center,
like sports Highlights or something like that, just something really dumb.
(19:13):
I always had it for years. I had to go
to bed I had to have the TV on. I
just for some reason, I couldn't sleep without it. And
I'd always put like Sports Center on because it's just
dumb sports highlights where I don't get into. I can't
watch a movie. I'm like, oh my god, what's going
to happen next. I still have that adrenaline stuff. So
I just the dumbest the better. So if I'm going
(19:34):
through a bad day, not necessarily comedy, but I'll put
on some kind of series and watch that's cool.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Well, what would you say would be the defining moments
for your career, both both positive and negative and how
have they shaped you today as a comedian.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Well, just Howard Stern discovered me through those brank calls
and then have me on the show. Yeah, you know this,
it's like two thousand and one, Jack joke Man Martling.
He was one of the sidekicks on the show. He
left the show and they had an open share now
for and then he started having all these young and
unknown comics come in and sitting on the show, and
(20:10):
it was just perfect timing with all of that. And
I was one of those guys. I would sit in
and he would have me on the show. As a regular.
This is when he was on regular radio. He had
twenty million people listening. You know, I was doing all
the clubs, no one really knew who I was. And
then all of a sudden, he say, Jim's going to
be in Pittsburgh at the Improv this weekend. I would
sell out five shows automatically just from him with that
(20:30):
one plug, just like that, So that took my career off.
Then I got the crank anchors from being on Stern
and everything else helped through that show because it was
so big and massive at that time.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Are you addicted to making people laugh or the good
that it creates? Would you say?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I don't? You know? It's weird with comics. You know,
usually the guy that tries to be the life of
a party, he's a terrible comedian. The guy who sits
back and is kind of starcastic and quiet doesn't need to,
you know, have the whole room, you know, the attention
putt the lampshater's head. That guy, that guy's not going
to be funny. But the other but the other comics
(21:09):
just sit back and observe and watch. That's how they
come up with their stuff. So I don't need to
be funny all the time. Uh, sometimes I do, you know,
like I coach my kids wreck basketball team, and you know,
all the guys that he's like, I don't crack any
of your inappropriate SUPs, saying, oh no, I'm not. And
when I have his parent teacher meeting, I go, I'm
not going to do that. I know when I have to.
And well, I remember, one of the moms goes, I
(21:30):
never knew you were comedian because it's never really that funny. Yeah,
because I go, yeah, because I'm hanging out, we're watching
our kids, you know, play basketball. We're talking about this
the referee and that shot or whatever. I go, I
don't need to command the whole room here. When I'm
on stage. That's the only time they need to do.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
You think laughter is the best medicine.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Oh yeah, I mean it is for a lot of people. Yeah. Really, Uh,
you know, it gets people in a better mood. You know, absolutely,
it definitely does. And there's nothing like a live comedy
show because you never know what happens at a live show.
You can watch it on TV, it's not the same thing.
It's almost like watching a concert on TV. Yes, when
you're there, it's special and when you're in a people
(22:10):
come to show. Go this my first comedy show. I
used to watch it on TV. It was amazing just
being in the room because at tension with and you
saying that is picking on the crowd and working the
crowd and this guy and not I go, yeah, because
you never know on a live show what's going to happen.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Why do you think comedians are what? I've interviewed quite
a few in my lifetime, and I've noticed the one
thing that always surprises me is how down to earth
all comedians are. Do you think it's the line of
work or do you think it's how hard you work
versus you know, actors, musicians. It seems like comedians are
the hardest working people in show business.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Yeah, And you know, I guess maybe if you get
to a certain point, your ego gets in the way.
But we just know, like we're just every day we
think that this at some point we're not going to
have a career anymore. Something's going to happen. So we
always had that fear, I do, you know, and I
think a lot of comics do so. And we're not flashy,
you know, actors, that's a whole other thing with the
(23:08):
ego and the narcissism and stuff like that. I mean,
I guess some of the comics, but you know general,
we're just happy that we're making a live and we're
making people laugh, and we get we're our own boss,
which is huge. We could we could dress the way
we want, say whatever we want, and we don't have
a boss to listen to.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Pretty awesome.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
This is one of those questions that I just always
love to hear the answer to, if you had your choice,
living or dead, who would you love to headline with,
and what would that show be or look like if
you could perform with anyone.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Rodney Dangerfield he never gets like his catchphrase, he never
gets respect. Yet like a lot of people don't say
he was an influence on him, Like when they talk
about comedy communiz I was a Richard pryor George Carlin,
Reddy Murphy. They never put Rodney in there. To me,
Rodney was a huge influence.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
You know. I just love to set up punch, set
up quick quick one liners. I love that, just self deprecating,
and I would have you know, I met him a
couple of times. Obviously I never did a show with them.
But I would have loved to do to do shows
with Rodney.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I would have loved to have seen that and.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Just watch him and watch him every night, Like if
I was on tour with them and just watch him
every night. It would be amazing.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Do you do you find that people come up to
you and say, hey, Jim, meet my friend so and SOO.
Go ahead, be funny, say something funny. Yeah, how does
that work?
Speaker 2 (24:35):
I just I'm like, look, man, I'm not at work.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
And then they laughed because you're sarcastic when you're funny, too.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Right, I just go, I go. You know, I guess
it's not I hate when people do this. When I
have like family members or people that know me, Hey,
you know, introducing me to strange people. Hey, and he's
a comedian. I'm like, you don't have to say that.
I go, please, I go. I didn't say, hey, he's
he does construction when I introduced you, Hey, he's a
law here, you know, so why you don't I leave
(25:03):
that out?
Speaker 1 (25:03):
That's a good way to do it. That's that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
That's creative, right, because what then what happens is oh,
really a comedian? Oh you know so, uh, you know,
you write your own jokes? Where do you perform? Just
a million dumb questions? And it's like, I'm not at work, right,
I don't want to answer these. When I'm at a party.
Where do you get your material from? I go, I
get it from you because you bother me and you'll
(25:26):
be in.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
My act tune in tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Well I could see, I could. I'm sure. Like a
doctor goes to a party, I'm sure he's like, hey, doc,
oh you're a doctor. I got a lump right here?
Is this anything to worry about?
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Does this looking affected?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Right? Or is this the root canal? You think I'm
missing a cap here? You know? So I guess they
get that too. But it's so I always tell people
if I'm in a plane, they go, what do you
do for a living? Because you tell me you're a comic.
You're talking that person for two hours, right, right? So
I just go, Yeah, I do landscaping. So there's no
they're not going to ask anything about landscape. And yeah,
(26:01):
I cut lawns, I mow lawns, and I do landscape,
and no one's going to go, really, what kind of
mower do you have?
Speaker 1 (26:07):
That's great? I never even thought of that.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
When anyone asked me, I would always say I sell shoes.
That's a good one too, because no one cares about
that either.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
No one's going to be like, really, what kind of shoes?
I just work at a store or whatever the shoes
they want with the landscape, and nobody's ever going to
I don't even say I own the business, because then
they go, you own the business? How does that work?
I go, No, I just work for a guy.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Yeah, yeah, even better. What is my last question for you?
What I mean?
Speaker 3 (26:35):
You've done it really all movies, television voiceovers.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
You're a comedian.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
What does it feel like when you really connect with
an audience or even just a one on one, when
when you've really made somebody's day and you can really
tell that they're having a great day because of your comedy.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
How does that feel to you?
Speaker 2 (26:57):
It's amazing, It's the best feeling in the world. It's
like it's equivalent to having an orgasm. Really yeah, that
you can connect with a crowd and they like you.
And then also if like new jokes work, Like if
you have new material, you just can't wait to get
on stage and do it. And if it works, it's
an unbelievable feeling. And any comic will tell you the
(27:18):
same thing, like, oh my god, I can't believe because
you could come up with ten ideas, ten jokes, and
maybe four you are going to work six I'm just
not going to work. You have to try them in
front of that crab. But once they do work, it's
it's unbelievable. It's the best feeling in the world.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
I told you that was the last question, but I
had one more. Is that? Okay?
Speaker 2 (27:37):
That's right? All right? Yeah? Sure?
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Upcoming projects and themes that inspire you right now? Personally,
how do you see yourself moving forward from here?
Speaker 2 (27:46):
You know, I don't you know. I think as a
comic you could just keep working until you know. There's
no set age. So I'm just going to keep doing
it until I feel like I don't want to do
it anymore. But you know, you don't have to retire
at certain age or any of that stuff. So I
still love doing it. Who knows at some point. But
you know, my sons now he's fourteen, so he'll come
to a lot of my shows. He's getting into comedy,
(28:08):
just not on stage, but watching. He loves all the
comics and stuff. He loves being at the shows and
all lot. So it's good that he could see that.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
That must make you feel so proud.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
It's great, yeah, that he's like, oh man, next time
you go to Austin, I want to go to Joe
Rogan's club with you. I go, yeah, no problem, you know,
stuff like that. So it's great that I could show
him that. You know so, but yeah, just could you know,
continue doing a stand up. That's one thing. It doesn't
matter how old you get, what you look like, you
can always still be funny. You can make fun of
(28:38):
the way you look, how old you are, whatever it is.
And as long as you can connect with an audience,
you could do it forever.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
And he's laughing at yourself. Pretty much the price of admission.
You have to be able to laugh at yourself.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Absolutely. Yeah, Like if someone comes back with something funny
in the crowd, Like if you're picking on and the
guy says, I'm back there, that's a good way you
got me. You know, I get it, you know, so yeah,
you got to laugh for yourself too. A lot of
comedians are sensitive too, you know, they don't like to
get critiqued. But that's just the way it is, you don't,
you know, I don't worry about that. Like if people
don't like my stuff, I understand it. You're not gonna
(29:14):
appeel everybody. As soon as you try to appeal to everyone,
you're just you're never gonna make it. You're just gonna
be middle of the road trying to make everybody happy.
Just everyone's not going to get your comedy no matter
what kind of comedy you do. And don't take a
personally of four to ten people don't get it. Just
focus on the sixth that do. That's the way I
always looked at it.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Great advice, really, and uh, great advice for anyone doing
anything in general, really, not just comedy right.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Right, and even bands, you know, if you know, of
course some people aren't gonna like that music, so they're
not going to get it. Like people always ask me,
you know, but what do you think about these new bands?
You know? Or even like a tail of Swift? They go,
I'm not supposed to like that, so I can't you
know what I mean, that's not even on my radar.
I'm not a teenage girl, so I'm not gonna you know,
or even like Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl half
time show. I go, I'm not supposed to like that.
(30:02):
So my kid understands that and likes that side of stuff,
so I can't trash it because it's not for me.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
That makes sense. That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Well, it's been such a pleasure getting to catch up
with you and talk with you. And where can people
find your latest travel so that they can catch you
besides television where you're going to be performing.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Do you have a website?
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Yeah, I got a website, Jim Florentine dot com. On
my tour dates are on there. My latest comedy special
is you Can't Please Them All. It's on Amazon Prime.
You can see it up there.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Jim Florentine, thank you for giving us all your healing
gift of comedy. It was again great chatting with you,
and I hope that I get to see you again
soon and I'm sure I'm going to see you on
TV very soon.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I appreciate that, mane. Yeah,
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