Editor's Note: We partnered with the critically acclaimed international comedy festival series, Just For Laughs, to highlight some of the more digitally friendly and cutting edge performers at this July's Montreal festival.
John Mulaney, a new leader of whip smart and irreverant humor is headlining two late night shows at this year's Just For Laughs festival. Under the title, Making Fun, the shows will follow Mulaney's all-encompassing comedic mockery. Sure, there might be some jokes about transportation or even Law and Order. Now a several year veteran of the Saturday Night Live writing staff and numerous television appearances under his belt, Mulaney is a comedian at ease with his craft, comfortable with delivering no matter the audience or situation - on stage, television and even the digital intimacy of podcasts.
I recently spoke with John Mulaney over the phone. Despite a few technical difficulties and my perpetual awkwardness, we managed to discuss his JFL show, his experience balancing both a stand-up and television writing and his give-it-a-whirl plan for ambien-induced performances at the fest. The conversation with the funny, kind and overly patient Mulaney was truly a pleasure.
KYLE MIZONO: This year you have your own show – Making Fun.
JOHN MULANEY: In Montreal.
KM: Yes. I don’t want you to give anything away but if you could tell me or share a little bit about what you will be discussing or doing – stand-up-wise.
JM: Oh. Well it’s a brand new hour that I’ve been working on this summer and it’s a bunch of new stories, some new thoughts on law and order…
KM: [laughs]
JM: …SUV and making fun of different things including myself. So, I called it that because I tend to get asked in interviews what my comedic sensibility is. And I was at a point where I was like I don’t know. I think I just make fun of people. [laughs]
KM: [laughs] I think it’s a little limiting – I am sure when you are asked that it’s like why would you want to give a certain - identify your personality because then almost you are limiting yourself. Kind of seems…
JM: Yeah why would you want to be – oh I do ethic one-liners… If you put your name into Pandora, the Internet radio, it’ll be like – it’ll give you a description of your comedy because it breaks down albums to find characteristics to come up with a playlist so it will breakdown your comedy into bits and descriptives and I think one of mine was self-satisfied delivery and jokes about transportation.
KM: [laughs]
JM: So…that is just the worst thing I have ever heard of.
KM: [laughs] It’s kinda cool though because you do so many jokes about Law and Order that I think I did read somewhere “this comic is know for his Law and Order comedy.” So that’s another topic. You’re not just transportation.
JM: No, thank you. I also make jokes about one TV Show.
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Friday, July 29, 2011 at 8:24AM 
