LOL WITH IT: Q&A with the new Philly's Phunniest champ

A post-win interview with the newly crowned Philly's Phunniest comedian Tommy Pope.

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LOL WITH IT: Q&A with the new Philly's Phunniest champ

POSTED: Friday, September 2, 2011, 3:00 PM

Every Friday, Ryan Carey takes a look at who and what’s giving Philly the giggles. Today, he chats with Tommy Pope, who was named Philly's Phunniest at Helium Comedy Club on Wednesday.

City Paper: Congrats on winning Philly’s Phunniest! How long have you been doing comedy?

Tommy Pope: I started comedy at the end of 2008. My brother always tried to talk me into it [and] he finally got me down to Helium’s open mike. Back then, it was one of the only public open mics. At that time, you just signed up and hoped to get on. I got on once in the first three months, and then another quarter year went by before I got on again.

CP: How did it go? Was it immediately gratifying, or did you bomb at first?

TP: It was immediately gratifying for me. Maybe not so much for the crowd. Looking back, the set was pretty brutal but I didn’t know at the time what a good set was. The high of getting even one giggle, you can’t really explain it unless you experience it once. The worst part is — regardless of how the set goes — coming down afterward. You can’t match that feeling. The release of endorphins, the excitement of being on stage — then all the sudden you’re in the back of the Raven Lounge with a PBR. If I have a really good show, I can’t even go to bed that night, I can’t slow down my mind.

CP: Have you been in the finals before?

TP: My first and second year I got to the semi-finals, and then last year I got to the finals. And I ate it. The two semi-final years were great for me, but last year I really did bad. [This week] I was preparing for my set, and [I looked on Facebook and noticed] "what you posted on Facebook [this time] last year" was “Philly’s Funniest Finals Tonight!” It was such a unique reminder, but it was the LAST THING I needed. It was like that little prick you feel when you’re like, “I feel good in this shirt” and your mother’s like, “You’re really gonna wear that?”

CP: Why didn’t it go well last year?

TP: I think nerves. There was an elevated state of expectations in the finals. And also, I went first. Everything was just a hair off. Like when you watch a bad Schwarzenegger movie on TV and the dialog is just a tad off.

CP: Do you have a day job?

TP: I have a part-time job as a cook. I quit the corporate world to pursue comedy. I used to be a director of marketing at an advertising agency. It was a little less brutal than where I originally came from in the finance world. [But] I finally figured out what I really enjoy, and that’s drinking at comedy clubs. I wanted to go to college for art. I enjoy oil painting and I’m learning the guitar, but my dad talked me out of it in words I probably can’t repeat here. He’s a real blue-collar type guy. He and my Mom were both one of many children and they worked really hard to be able to send me to college.

CP: How have they reacted to your comedy?

TP: Ever since I started comedy, no matter what success has come, my passive aggressive mother’s like, “oh, you’re still doing that?” It’s not that she’s malicious, but she has so much distance from what standup is and that it can be a career and stuff.

CP: What have been your memorable comedy milestones so far?

TP: I’ve gotten really lucky with the comedians I’ve worked with. I’ve had a lot of sold-out shows. Opening for Eddie Gossling was fun, he’s such a great guy, and Christian Finnegan and JB Smooth... Every time I work a week at Helium, it’s a milestone experience. And I’ve gotten a lot of experience from running the Bird Text [Comedy] Show, where we have tier-two next-generation headliners: the guys that real comedy junkies really wanna see.

CP: How are you enjoying earthquake season? Are all these natural disasters a harbinger of end times?

TP: I was on my laptop on my couch when the earthquake hit, and I ran into the archway. I have very high anxiety, and at first I thought my body was having a reaction to a late night and booze. As for the world ending, I think I had a stronger opinion on Tuesday, but after winning Philly’s Phunniest, I don’t care if the world ends!

Follow Ryan's tweets @slackerDIYtoday

Follow Tommy Pope's tweets @TommyJPope

Tommy Pope and runners up John McKeever and Darryl Charles are members of the Bird Text Comedy Show every first Tuesday of the month at Helium. They just released a sequel to their popular Househusbands of Philadelphia video (posted below).

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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