Writing Jokes with Chris Millhouse (Hot Action Comedy)
Online dating is pretty terrible, pretty sure people just use it to get laid for the most part.
[@ChrisMillhouse on Twitter]
Why did you first want to start performing comedy? What was the first joke or bit you tried on stage?
I was always the kid joking around in class, trying hard to make people laugh. Right out of college I was working in radio, and when I got my first on air DJ gig I would try jokes on the air (late at night). When the phone lines would light up with people telling me whatever I said was hilarious I knew I had to try stand up (plus I always loved watching Comedy Central).
My first jokes were horrendous, I started with all short jokes. First one I think was about how on St Patricks Day all my friends paid me to run around yelling “you’ll never get me lucky charms.” So dumb.
What’s your name and where did you grow up?
Chris Millhouse, I’m from Trumbull Connecticut.
What’s interesting or uninteresting about Connecticut?
Nothing, Connecticut is boring as shit. Nice place to raise a family, but not much else. My town had a mall, lake, & was home to the Little League World Series Champs in 89. Those 3 things are our claims to fame.
What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?
My mom was a single mom, she worked a full time job as a receptionist/assistant and went to school at night.
Do you prefer forming jokes on paper or on stage?
Both, on stage is where you find the footing of a joke and work on the presentation.
When and where did you become a regular? What is the process of transitioning from open mics into paid sets like?
First place that passed me was my home club, The Comedy Store in La Jolla. I can’t remember the first paid club gig I got, but I think it was at the Improv in Irvine.
NYC & LA comedy scenes are completely different. In my personal opinion, its way harder to become a paid regular in NYC. NYC makes you earn it and grind it out hard to prove yourself, and in LA there’s only a little of that cause most shows in LA don’t pay. I think my first paid spots in NYC were at Broadway Comedy Club six or seven years ago, I’m still a paid regular there today.
What’s the Hot Action Comedy origin story?
When I first moved to LA almost eightyears ago, it was very hard to get stage time. I was good at getting people out to shows, and didn’t want to do bringer shows.
So I reached out to the Improvs in Hollywood & Irvine and somehow convinced them to give me a chance. And back then the economy was in a recession, so the Improvs let me give away free tickets which was key to getting audiences in the room. Eight years later, the show is still featured monthly at the Hollywood Improv, even when I’m not there. I host it when I’m in town, and its great to have that stage time still to this day.
I love being able to showcase big names on that show, as well as funny up-and-coming comics you might not have heard of.
Online dating can often be tough to navigate, and you’ve talked about in your act. How do you think it can be improved?
Online dating is pretty terrible, pretty sure people just use it to get laid for the most part. But hey, it provides great material for a million comedians in their acts. Not much you can do to improve it I dont think.
How does the comedy scene in New York compare with that in LA?
Well I mentioned this in an earlier answer, but NYC really makes you earn paid spots & grind out the scene here. You can also perform multiple clubs, bars, & mics in one night because the city is so big and there’s so many clubs & bars here. In LA, having fourshows in a week is considered a good week…in NYC thats the average you do in a night if you grind it out.
Chris Millhouse discusses his dating life
NYC is the best stand up comedy scene thats true to the art form. Audiences here are amazing, most of the clubs have small rooms with low ceilings that provide a more intimate experience.
In LA, there are some very funny comedians, however there’s also a lot of actors trying to be stand ups because their agents want them to do it.
There’s also a lot of what I call “gimmicky comedy” meaning I theres a lot of comedians that use things on stage like beat boxing, singing, etc and don’t stay true to the actual stand up art form.
I’m not saying that stuff isn’t funny, it’s just not true stand up. NYC has true stand up, and those other type of comedians don’t really exist here.
What’s the dumbest superhero name you can think of?
Marvel once had a “Squirrel Girl” featured in their comics; and there was also this terrible superhero that I’m sure was created by some stoner nerd that watched too much porn named “Codpiece” who had Cannon Pants that had weapons shoot out of his dick.
How often do you think about Millhouse from The Simpsons?
I mean, I relate to him on so many levels obviously. Plus every time I orgasm I scream “Everything’s Coming Up Millhouse!”
Who is the funnist person you know?
I mean, I know so many comedians so thats a long list. Favorite comic to watch is definitely Bill Burr, I don’t know him that well but it doesn’t get much better than him.
Why are jokes funny?
Jokes are funniest when they’re relatable, in my opinion. Or if they are well told, so you paint a great picture for the audience. There are some great story telling comics out there that are brilliant.
Chris is a Comedian || Professional Idiot || IG/TW: @ChrisMillhouse
Interview by Zuri Irvin (@withzuri)
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