JOIN THE TEAM

These days, is there really anything better for you then a good laugh?  No, there isn't!  That's why we're very happy to share our latest interview with Comedians of Chelsea Lately roundtable regular, Comedian John Caparulo. 

Andy:  How did you end up becoming a professional comedian?

John:  I never really saw myself doing anything else, at least after about age 13.  Up until that point, the only thing I ever wanted to be was a professional athlete.  Football was my first love, but I was a very small kid, so my mom would somehow conveniently forget to fill out the registration forms every fall.  My parents knew they hadn't provided me the genetic necessities to follow my dreams of athletic greatness, so they would drop subtle hints in the form of terrible birthday presents, like kicking tees and books.  But they did notice that I had a talent for telling stories and making people laugh, and I seemed to enjoy it a lot more than riding the bench or having my shot blocked.  So, from about the time I finished middle school, I pretty much knew this is what I'd be doing someday.

Andy:  Well, we're happy it turned out the way it did (kicking tees..brutal)!  You seem so natural & comfortable in your delivery on stage and on TV.  I think most folks take for granted how hard that is to pull off.  Was there ever a time when you just got scared s***less while on stage/TV?  How do you overcome the fear (imagine everybody naked in the audience)?

John:  I don't think the nervousness ever completely goes away.  If anybody tells you he's 100 percent comfortable telling his life story to a group of drunk total strangers, there's something wrong with him.  But that's part of what makes stand-up comedy so much fun.  We all feel a little awkward at first-- the comedian, the crowd-- but that first moment when we all laugh together is pretty cool, and well-worth all the anxiety.

Laughing with the crowd pretty cool....

Andy:  That kind of answers my next question, but I'll ask anyway.  What do you love most about being a comedian?

John:  What I love about being a comedian is getting paid for something that I would do for free.

Andy:  Great answer.  You kill it on Chelsea Lately.  How'd that gig come your way?

John:  Chelsea Handler and I used to do shows together upstairs in The Belly Room at The Comedy Store.  They were all-female line-ups, but Mitzi Shore (Comedy Store owner) made them put me on because I was a door man.  I remember Chelsea stuck out right away for me because her comedy was so honest and unapologetic, and I think she remembered me for the same reason.  I think that's the type of comic she wants for the roundtable, people who can weave comedy into normal conversation instead of breaking off onto some shticky tangent.  Even though I know pretty much nothing about the Kardashians or Lindsay Lohan, I seem to be able to grab a few laughs without pulling out a guitar or a puppet, so I guess I fit in.

No shtick needed.

Andy:  No shtick is good shtick.  We're pumped and honored that you wear plenty of Original Retro Brand gear when you're on the show and when you perform.  What got you hooked?

John:  I actually got hooked on Original Retro Brand at the mall in Columbus a couple years ago.  I bought a Chevron shirt and an Indy 500 shirt, and the only reason I stopped there was because those were the only 2 XXL's I could find.  Less than a week later, my friend Josh Wolf (another regular CL comedian) saw me wearing the Chevron one and said his buddy Marc owned the company (Owner/CEO Marc Herman).  The next thing I knew I had a box of T-shirts on my front porch.  So, I guess wearing ORB is similar to doing comedy;  I love getting shirts for free that I was gonna buy anyway!  I actually feel like kind of a mooch asking for freebees of all the T-shirts I want, so I still place orders in addition to those little care packages I receive.  I love the Minor League teams, like the Durham Bulls and Springfield Cardinals, but lately I've been especially hooked on all the automotive shirts.  I'm a bit of a muscle car enthusiast and grew up the son of a gear head, so I can't resist buying every Trans Am and Corvette shirt I can find.

Connecting with his audience (His first ORB shirt!).

Andy:  Knowing you shoot Chelsea Lately in LA and that you graduated from Kent State University, which are you more excited about - The Kings winning the Stanley Cup, or the Kent State Golden Flashes making their first College World Series appearance (and eliminating the # 1 seeded Florida Gators in the process!)?

John:  I'm excited any time Kent State gets recognition for anything besides dead hippies.  I've never been a big hockey fan, but I've been wearing LA Kings stuff ever since I saw Chuck D do it in about 1989.  And it's really cool to see a team win that has that kind of fan base.  Kings fans don't go to those games because they wanna look cool-- they go because they love that team and that sport.  I look at sports like fine art, and I like when other people can appreciate them the same way.  Half the people with floor seats to the Lakers don't even understand what they're watching-- they're too busy ordering sushi and tweeting.  So I'm really glad some genuinely great sports fans were rewarded with a genuinely great season.  However, like I said before, Kent State winning anything trumps everything.  Go Flashes!

We'd like to thank John for brightening up our day, and hope he did the same for you!  You can stay updated on when & where John will be performing by visiting his website at www.johncaparulo.com  One more thing - Good Luck to your Golden Flashes against South Carolina tonight!

FOR UPDATES ON CONTESTS, FASHION, AND FUN FROM THE ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND,  LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER.  CHECK US OUT ON PINTEREST AND INSTAGRAM TOO!