Chelsea Handler’s middle name is Joy — literally.
In a recent phone interview, the comedian, television host and six-time New York Times best-selling author explains why her middle name is also her personal mission.
Handler also pulls back the curtain on her childhood — the thesis of her current stand-up tour, “Little Big Bitch” which stops by Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre on Oct. 20.
Q The press release says this tour shows people how you turned into the person you are today. Have even diehard Handler fans learned something new from this set?
A Yes. It’s more like my childhood story and my coming-of-age story to explain to people that this didn’t just happen. I didn’t become this person. I was born this way, and it’s not my fault.
I was born into a family who made me realize I was going to have to get serious real quick, real fast, about my hustle because I was not into what they were throwing down. I wanted a big fancy life. I grew up watching “The Brady Bunch” with the six kids, the parents and Alice. I wanted to know where Alice was and why they were holding me back.
I wanted a different lifestyle, and I immediately just turned into a businesswoman at a very, very young age. So I tell all of my kind of coming-of-age stories from ages 3 to 13 and the outlandishness of the things that.
I mean, I had my own babysitting company when I was 10, posing as a 15-year-old, babysitting for children that were older than me.
Q What do you think about when people feel disappointed when some comedians only tell a half-true story on stage?
A Well, listen, there’s always an element of exaggeration, but … I mean, the stories I’ve told in my books and my stand-up are so outlandish because they’re true. Of course, everyone exaggerates for a punchline here or there. But I take issue with completely making up scenarios that never happened to you.
That’s not comedy. I mean, that’s just not the way it is. So, while we all take some liberties, clearly, I feel like I would never want people to not rely on me for the truth. That’s why I’ve become successful. That’s what I’m known for. So I take it pretty seriously, the stories I’m telling.
Q The promotional photo for this tour is a childhood photo of you. How old are you in that photo?
A I think that’s like 8 or 9. The whole show in the beginning, while people are being seated, is a slide show of all my childhood photos.
People understand what happened and how quickly it happened. By the time I was 7, I was like 35.
Q What would that little girl at 8 or 9 think about who you turned into today?
A Listen, I’m not going to pretend my life isn’t a dream because it is a dream. And I have all of the people who have given me a career to thank for that. I’m so incredibly grateful. I’m in a place in my life where that gratitude is ebullient, and it’s very obvious to anyone who’s around me and every show I do. So I’m pretty psyched about my life (laughs).
It is very important for me to have fun while I work and also to take time to myself to enjoy all of the riches that this life has given me and to share with all the people I love and many people that I’ll never meet.
But to always be generous and to be kind — that’s who I wanted to be when I was a little girl, and that is who I am today. To be able to go and perform for thousands of people in a live audience brings me so much joy.
Q At one point, you stepped away from stand-up for six years. Is stand-up something you think you’ll always return to, no matter what other projects you have going on?
A I hope so. I mean, I took a long break from it because I didn’t feel like I had that much to contribute. And I think I was scared, I guess.Once you get away for a while, you’re like, can I do this again? But this time around, it’s been even better than when I started. I’m just so excited to perform. I’m not annoyed. You know what I mean?
I set it up in a way where I’m never like, ‘Oh, no, I have a show tonight. It’s like, let’s get off stage. I can’t wait.’ I used to get off stage at exactly an hour. Now I’m on stage for an hour and a half, and I don’t want to get off. So my whole attitude has changed. I had a big attitude adjustment many years ago, and it works.
Everyone has a better time.
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Q What brought on that attitude adjustment, if you don’t mind my asking?
A Oh, therapy, the gift of self-awareness, the understanding of what vibes do you want to put out there? Do you want to put out happiness? Do you want people to feel better after they interact with you? Do you want them to feel worse? How can you spread joy and sunshine? My middle name is Joy. So I have to take that word very seriously.
Q You’re a large voice for child-free people. What kind of feedback do you get from fans who are also child-free?
A Listen, we’re not represented. So when people are like, “All right, we get it, You don’t like children.” It’s like, “No, I don’t dislike children. I’m just saying we have many choices as women, and they don’t all have to be these ideas of being married and having babies.”
There’s so much happiness to be found in other ways. And if (having children is) not for you, then there’s nothing to be ashamed about. So I’m celebrating the freedom that comes with making the decision to be childless and carefree and not feeling like I have to be married to have value. That doesn’t even occur to me. You know what I mean?
I’m not ever going to get married — I’m sure now that I said that, I will — but those are not my priorities. My priorities are to have a great time to make sure people that don’t feel seen and heard feel seen and heard when I come into contact with them and to bring laughter. There is no better feeling than having an audience sitting there and gut-laughing at your stories. And my stories are personal and real and true.
In this set, I share a very personal story about Andrew Cuomo. I share a very personal story about Woody Allen — my interactions with both of these men — and one with George W. Bush, the former president. And they’re all real, and they’re all absolutely ridiculous.
Q Does negative feedback from political pundits about your lifestyle ever get to you?
A It kind of motivates me more. Whenever anybody tells me not to do something, the child in me is like,’ OK, well, let me do it one more time then.’ So for people to be so upset and to have such an outcry and response to my videos when I do them and they go viral, it’s so laughable that anyone would take issue. Like all of the men that have an issue with women not procreating certainly don’t want someone like me procreating, so they should be grateful.
Q Have you found that the comedy landscape has changed since former President Donald Trump left office?
A Yeah, there’s just a lot more happiness around. It’s just lighter and freer, and it’s so not focused on that anymore.
Q So you don’t feel pressure to talk about him or to talk about that stuff anymore at this point?
A No, I want people to have a great experience at my show. So this tour isn’t political. This is very personal and fun. And there’s no troubles. I don’t even want to waste my breath discussing him any further.
Q Your personality allows you a certain level of honesty and realness with people. Why do you think it is that you’re able to get away with shooting straight with people while many people cannot pull it off?
A I like that. I mean, you know, I think that’s what makes me have success is my truthfulness. And I’m not ashamed about anything. I think it’s good to hang your dirty laundry out so other people know that they’re not the only ones that have it.
It’s very easy for me to be myself. So I don’t have any pretense — there’s no pretending. What you see is what you get. This is what I’m like on stage, on camera and in real life. It’s all very consistent.
Chelsea Handler
When: 8 p.m. Oct. 20.
Where: Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.
Tickets: $35.00-$125.
Info: 216-241-6000 or playhousesquare.org.
