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How Roy Wood Jr. Honed His Comedy Chops Waiting Tables at Golden Corral

BBG News

Towards the end of 2023, Roy Wood Jr. chose to step down from his role at The Daily Show due to uncertainty surrounding who would take over as host on Comedy Central. It wasn’t until then that he truly understood the demanding nature of his work as a correspondent for the series. “I had forgotten just how tough that job was,” he admits. “The prospect of exploring various projects became incredibly appealing.

Wood Jr. has immersed himself in numerous ventures. Currently, he is the host of a CNN news comedy show titled “Have I Got News For You”. Additionally, he is penning a memoir, co-hosts an NPR podcast centered around civil rights and baseball in his hometown, Birmingham, Alabama, acts in two upcoming films for 2025 release, hosts the All-MLB Awards, and recently filmed a new comedy special titled “Lonely Flowers”, available on Hulu starting January 17.

Amidst his numerous duties, Wood Jr. recently had a chat with TIME about his experiences in the food service sector, the influence of President Trump’s election on satire, and whether the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was a more challenging audience than the Apollo Theater. Here are some highlights from the discussion.

TIME: Why is your new comedy special on Hulu called Lonely Flowers?

Just like how a collection of flowers can be lovely, but a single flower growing alone might make one wonder what happened, society has found itself resembling these isolated blooms. Places where we once interacted, such as stores, queues, and chats with cashiers, have been replaced by touch screens, self-service ordering, and delivery services like DoorDash.

You worked at the chain restaurant Golden Corral in college. What did you learn from that experience?

I advocate for a shared experience that I believe every American should undertake: either spending a year in military service or two years working in food service. Both paths offer distinct vantage points of society, instilling empathy and gratitude for our daily blessings. In my own experience at Golden Corral, I’ve served customers ranging from young children to the elderly, from boisterous college students to individuals with varied beliefs and backgrounds, even unknowingly serving a white supremacist on occasion. It wasn’t until I noticed his white power tattoo on his knuckles while refilling his sweet tea for the third time that I realized it.

Initially, when I embarked on stand-up comedy, many of my jokes were brief, two or three-sentence anecdotes from earlier in the day at work. With a bit of improvisation, these light-hearted, observational jokes would be refined during my shift to suit any audience demographic. This process made me realize that there are indeed many commonalities among us. That period was incredibly significant and memorable in my life.

Speaking of your early career—have you noticed that some of your prank calls, from when you were on the radio in Birmingham, have been going viral on TikTok?

It appears that I’ve observed something interesting. A group of individuals have created their own videos, and I applaud them for doing so. Even though I once resorted to piracy when I was financially strapped, this is my way of contributing positively to the community. It’s quite intriguing to witness such creativity.

This period in my life finds me moving away from creating a new prank call album. My last prank CD was released back in 2007, and it’s hard to believe how time has flown since then! Most of the pranks I did were specifically for radio broadcast, so it’s intriguing to see how TikTok is unearthing content that was never available for purchase.

How has TikTok changed prank culture?

Modern pranks today can be likened to brief performances lacking depth and careful planning. Instead of aiming to embarrass themselves, they intentionally humiliate strangers for their amusement. If a response other than laughter is elicited or there’s no attempt at humor, then it amounts to rudeness towards the recipient.

In a different scenario from “Punk’d”, where the humor was light-hearted and playful, “Jackass” typically avoids pranking or embarrassing strangers.

Was the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which you hosted in 2023, the toughest room you’ve ever played?

The meal might be challenging due to the fact that only a portion of the attendees are likely to join in, either because they disagree with the political slant of the humor or they happen to be the target of your jest.

Performing at Amateur Night at the Apollo is arguably the toughest experience any comedian could face. When you step onto that stage, you possess virtually no audience support. However, if you pull it off successfully, you can win over the entire room. I attempted an Amateur Night at the Apollo in ’02, but unfortunately, I was met with boos instead of applause. Sandman didn’t appear, and I failed to progress. It wasn’t a successful performance.

Instead of booing, they simply watched at the Correspondents’ Dinner. However, during the next four years, we can expect a constant stream of Trump merchandise being peddled on C-SPAN, much like a never-ending yard sale.

Does Trump winning make you happier or sadder that you weren’t tapped to host The Daily Show?

As a cinema enthusiast, I’d rephrase it this way: Regardless of whether Trump wins or loses, our role as political satirists remains unchanged – to scrutinize and critique the actions of those in power. The challenge lies in captivating the attention of people who are ardent supporters of Trump yet tend to overlook facts. If we can manage to do that effectively, great! However, it’s crucial to remember that there’s been a blurred line between entertainment and news, and the public no longer seems to care about this distinction as long as they find it entertaining. But if after analyzing the facts, someone still chooses to support Trump, that’s their prerogative.

You’re in Outcome, an upcoming film starring Keanu Reeves. What did you learn from him on set?

He’s an exceptionally strategic actor I’ve collaborated with; it was awe-inspiring to observe him pose questions. Sometimes you might assume that those who excel in their craft have nothing more to learn. However, he was open to guidance from his co-star and director, Jonah Hill, at every turn.

I’m concerned that if I inquire about something from the director, he might perceive me as unintelligent. However, it’s important to clarify that this is not accurate at all.

You recently hosted the All-MLB Awards. What can baseball do to increase its cultural relevancy?

Encourage players to add some style to their gameplay. The World Baseball Classic attracts high ratings due to its energetic, lively ambiance. Japanese baseball is reminiscent of a college football matchup. Allow players to perform bat flips. Enable them to show off after striking out with a ‘pimp walk’.

Do you have any thoughts on Juan Soto’s $765 million deal with the Mets?

It’s possible the New York Mets are exceptionally astute in their baseball decisions, or they could find themselves appearing rather unintelligent for quite some time. Interestingly, this is a squad that’s still shelling out money to Bobby Bonilla.

At present, I’m unsure of our current location. It’s peculiar to observe that professional baseball players are being compensated with over half a billion dollars, while college football players are opting to stay an additional year in school due to earning more from Name, Image, and Likeness deals than they would as NFL rookies. This certainly creates a strange sequence of events.

In your special, you talk about the importance of understanding cycles of progress and backlash. What do you mean?

Understanding history broadens our perspective on current events, enabling us to anticipate future trends better. By doing so, when we achieve progress, we become adept at setting aside resources in advance to withstand any potential repercussions.

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2025-01-16 16:11

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