Liberalism's no joke for comics Garofalo, Durst (Barf Alert)

The actress/comedian once lived in Boston as a struggling comic. Saturday and Sunday, she'll be back doing stand-up comedy at Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway in Somerville.

Garofalo's appearances are part of the theater's monthlong ``Un-Conventional Comedy Convention'' that has already featured Mort Sahl and Barry Crimmins and will include shows by Lewis Black (also on Sunday), Will Durst (Thursday) and Tingle (Monday to July 31).

But Garofalo is quick to admit stand-up comedy wasn't her original reason for returning to the area.

``I wasn't going to do stand-up at all while I was in Boston,'' she said. ``But the only reason I am is because Jimmy asked me, and I like his theater.''

Garofalo is the nighttime host on the Air America radio network. She's going to be covering the Democratic National Convention next week and broadcasting live.

Garofalo has put both her comedy and movie career on the back burner since she joined the Air America airstaff, a transition she says wasn't all that difficult.

``I was watching CNN one day,'' she said, ``and it was doing a segment on the idea of a liberal talk radio network, so I got in touch with the people and said I wanted to be a part of it.

``I just couldn't stand the direction the country has been going in over the last 30 years,'' she said, ``with the rise of the right and the right-wing media's rhetoric, and the dumbing down of our culture because of it.

``How is it that we're moving backward to anti-intellectualism and nationalism and xenophobia,'' she said. ``I just thought it was all a complete rip-off, so I wanted to know if there was any way I could participate - either on the air or behind the scenes - in a liberal talk radio network.''

Will Durst also will be at Tingle's theater this week, though, like Garofalo, he's really in Boston to cover the Democratic National Convention . . . in his case for MSNBC, working assets.com and Mother Jones magazine.

A longtime political satirist, Durst knows this is his prime season. ``We're a lot like Olympic athletes,'' he said as he geared up for the conventions and election. ``We have quadrennial careers.''

But Durst also knows a political comic's wild popularity during a major election year can carry a heavy hangover: If Kerry gets elected, most of Durst's best material will become instantly obsolete.

``In a way,'' he said, ``the circus remains the same, it's just the names of the clowns that change.

``In an average two-year period, my act will change by about 85 percent,'' he said. ``But if a new guy gets in, it's like trying to turn the Titanic. I've got to change 45 minutes of material immediately.

``But that's also the beauty being a political comic,'' he added, ``the fragility of your material. It just lasts a couple of days, and you have to stay right on top of things, and you understand that. It's the name of the game.''

( Janeane Garofalo and Will Durst are part of the monthlong ``Unconventional Comedy Convention'' at Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway in Somerville. Durst will perform Thursday with A. Whitney Brown and Jim Morris. Garofalo will perform Saturday and Sunday with S )

I got her bio from imdb.com

Biography for
Janeane Garofalo

Height
5' 1" (1.55 m)

Mini biography
Janeane, the petite woman with the acerbic wit, was born in Newton, New Jersey, in 1964, and had many jobs before breaking into show biz. She worked as a bike messenger, a shoe salesperson (no doubt with Al Bundy's disposition), waitress and temp secretary. Watching David Letterman on TV inspired her to write comedy, and by 1985 she was doing standup comedy. As such, Janeane has become a cult figure, giving a voice to a generation, venting her frustration at TV, dating, relationships, life in general and anything that ticks her off in particular. Janeane did sketches on the Ben Stiller show in 1992 (an Emmy winning, but canceled show). She would continue to collaborate with Ben Stiller in future projects. Janeane received 2 Emmy nominations for her work on the Larry Sanders show (1992), developing her signature character: a smart, cynical woman with a razor wit. She was not happy with her Saturday Night Live (1994) stint, and was vocal about it (of course). Transferring her persona from TV to the big screen, she moved on to movies, basically playing the character she had defined for herself. In "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" (1997) she portrayed a smart, cynical, successful businesswomen with a razor wit, and this time with swear words (in the movie she had developed a brand of cigarettes with fast-burning paper, for the gal on the go; in real life it is alleged she smokes Marlboros). Janeane continues to work in TV and movies, often collaborating with Ben Stiller in a number of movies like "Mystery Men" (1999), his easygoing style being a counterpoint to her caustic nature. Fans love Janeane.

IMDb mini-biography by
kdhaisch@aol.com

Spouse
Rob Cohen (16 August 1991 - present)

Trivia
She is a vegetarian.

Was offered the role of Gale Weathers in the movie Scream (1996), but turned it down to do the movie Sweethearts (1996). Courteney Cox then got the role and Scream (1996) which went on to gross more than $100 million, whereas Sweethearts (1996) went straight to video.

She has 7 tattoos.

Her production company is: I Hate Myself Productions.

Attended Madison High School in Madison, New Jersey.

Wrote a book with Ben Stiller: Feel This Book : An Essential Guide to Self-Empowerment, Spiritual Supremacy, and Sexual Satisfaction (1999).

Has a tattoo on her arm which reads "think".

Attended Providence College.

Garofalo, barely five feet tall, sometimes had to stand on a box just to be in the same frame with 6-foot co-star Uma Thurman in Truth About Cats & Dogs, The (1996).

Briefly lived in Minnesota at the beginning of her stand-up career

Is of Italian and Irish descent.

Admitted in 2003 interviews that she had overcome a sobriety problem with alcohol.

Married boyfriend Rob Cohen in 1992 at a Las Vegas drive-in chapel as a joke. They had gone to Vegas with the rest of the cast of "Ben Stiller Show, The" (1990) and decided to get married along with some of the other crew members. After their relationship ended they never officially got divorced.

In March 2003, she made an appearance on CNN's Cross Fire to discuss the international situation involving Iraq.

At one point or another, has worked with every member of the Kids in the Hall.

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