OREGON S LESBIAN/GAY/BI/TRANS/QUEER NEWSMAGAZINE
JANUARY 7 2011
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Hey. Hey Paula
A fan of stand-up Poundstone considers her
unique brand of funny
B Y A IM E E G E N T E R
35
PORTLAND, OREGON
MARCH 18-20, 2011
www.KinkFcst.org
Sex Toys & Advice from
Brilliant Babes
www.itsmypleasurepdx.com
Before you say anything, yeah... I’m an art In another, she sat by a fireplace, snuggled up,
director, not a writer. Let’s just get that out of listening to Sam Donaldson as he read Where
the way right now. When a press release for the Wild Things Are. I looked forward to every
Paula Poundstone’s January 29 show at the show. It lasted two episodes.
Aladdin Theater showed up in my inbox, I
So she went back to what she knew. And
had a mission. I immediately ran over to the she hit a few snags along the way. An incident
editor, begging, pleading for her to let me in 2001 led to charges of child endangerment
write something about this historic occasion. and a lewd act on a child. The lascivious part
“Go get that interview,” she said. And be of the charges was dropped, and after going
lieve me, I tried. But you try to get in contact through alcohol treatment she got custody of
with anyone the week between Christmas and her children back and moved on with her life.
New Year’s and tell me how it goes, okay?
Now 51, she’s spent the last 10 years touring
To say I’m a fan is an understatement. As a as a stand-up, lending her voice to various
baby dykeling, I was obsessed with my holy animated series, acting as a panelist on NPR’s
trinity of stand-up royalty: Rosie O ’Donnell, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, writing and even
Ellen DeGcneres and Pau
more touring.
la Poundstone. Now, you
Needless to say, Pound-
may see Ms. Poundstone in
stone’s upcoming Portland
my holy trinity and jump
gig is sure to be a laugh-
to an assumption or two.
inducing
rollercoaster.
And who would hlame
Sure, you’ve got the old
you? Those ties. Those gau
stand-up standbys: the
dy suits. Her liberal politi
stool, the mic, the can of
cal humor. They all point to
Diet Pepsi. She muses on
one conclusion.
her life as the mother of 3
But you know what hap
kids and 13 cats, her frus
pens when you assume,
tration at getting older and
right?
a bag of neuroses, includ
“I’m totally an asexual
ing her famous inability to
human being. I haven’t “Th e id e a that I'd
ever shut up. In a way, she
dated anyone,” Poundstone
is a bridge between all
get
to
my
b
ed
an
d
told the Dallas Voice in
people—heterosexual, ho
2007. In her memoir, There there'd b e som eone in
mosexual, asexual... we all
is Nothing In This Book That
deal with this stuff. And
there
with
whom
I
was
I Meant to Say, she wrote,
unlike most stand-up co
“The idea that I’d get to my su p p o sed to hove on
medians of her caliber, she
spends more time riffing
bed and there’d be someone
activity
is
horrifying
to
with—and ripping on—the
in there with whom I was
audience than she does
supposed to have an activi me. It's o safe bet that
with pre-written, time-
ty is horrifying to me. It’s a
I'm
not
g
o
o
d
at
sex.
tested material. As a long
safe bet that I’m not good
at sex, that I do it wrong.” that I do it w rong.“
time stand-up consumer, I
appreciate this work ethic.
How, then, did she be
-PAULA
POUNDSTONE
There’s nothing that makes
come a gay icon?
Most likely it is her masculine fashion me feel more uncomfortable at a comedy
sense, mixed with a sardonic sense of humor. show than laughing at a joke I’ve already
I, personally, pick my gay icons based on who heard.
makes me tingle. It’s not scientific, but it’s
Perhaps that is why Paula Poundstone has
right 9 out of 10 times. Paula Poundstone is staying power as an “old guard” stand-up.
the anomaly—the woman who lives her life While others have moved on to acting or fad
as she wants to, not as she thinks people want ing into smaller nightclub acts, Poundstone
her to be.
continues to fill large venues with fresh offer
This is most likely proven by the “success” ings of funny.
I, for one, salute her for keeping the art
of The Paula Poundstone Show in 1993. An in
sane television producer gave her a series to form alive. JW
do whatever she wanted, in the hopes it would
entertain others. In one segment, she sent a P aula P oundstone performs January 29, 7
group of economists to the Santa Cruz p.m., at the Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Mil-
boardwalk and asked them business questions waukie. Tickets, $30, are available at aladdin-
while they were spinning in the teacup ride. theater.com.
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