Alex Edelman His worst ever gig

3:07 That bombs so what's been the worst gig what's been the the biggest time where you bombed um my worst gig I Chinese restaurants that didn't go. Well there have been ones in pubs where they've uh interrupted the show to ask the uh to ask the like compare to put the hockey. Game back on and stuff like that get him off we want the YY there was a uh there was a holocaust benefit a Ben not for like an act not a benefit. For a holocaust but a benefit for Holocaust Survivors where the guy went on before me did a 20- minute story about his time in the camps. The concentration camps well and well straight guy talking about just sharing about a past experience sh P experience to fellow people had also experience what he went through.

4:01 And then and you followed that with what Nazi jokes what did you do no but I I did I did okay I did okay considering. I think and then at the end I said to him hey. Now we both survive something horrible uhhuh cuz I've just survived this and you survived now we're both survivors so you compared uh an experience. Of surviving a con concentration camp to you just doing a well it seemed to add the time uhhuh I think you should eat a lemon for that I think that's. No why are you trying to get me to eat a lemon cuz it's funny I just want see your face F you want me to eat a lemon. Yeah it's to me here's the thing if I eat a lemon uhuh I'm not going to let you see my pain I will be in pain.

4:47 Because that's how science works but I'm not going to let you enjoy it yeah do you still want me to eat a lemon yeah a little bit. F Jesus yeah eat that you Bast you can enjoy that now aren't you yeah it's really good. Bastard that's a good lemon there you go your eyes watering a bit no it's not no it's not that was delicious oh so tell us about you show. That's been the best part of this whole trip over is previewing and hanging out with other acts and seeing how everyone gets ready for Edinburgh. Uhuh it's hard getting ready for it because it's a lot of work so I've done stand up for an hour loads of times but doing. Stand up in a show form uh is pretty difficult because you want to besides like making people laugh you also want to sort of have some sort of like other.

5:42 Thing MH I don't know what the other thing is what is the other thing I don't know probably probably emotionality uhhuh I don't know something. Something uh something intangible so how how do you get yourself in that mind space where you are getting ready for the show um uh uh did you just sewn. Out another comedian that I admire New York Comic named Modi he also he writes something down on a piece of paper and looks at it like a like one sentence. Before every show and reminds himself what he's about to go up on stage to do so uh it seems like a little like crunchy granola. For me to like have a pre-show ritual but like I do try crunch granola like kind of like new AG oh okay but like I I think. Like I try to be mindful of like what I want to accomplish when I'm on stage it's hard a goal a Target that kind of thing.

6:35 Yeah but it is difficult to talk seriously about doing standup comedy because it's like the ultimate don't take yourself seriously art form so it's uh I think eating. Lemon could really work for you this is just the crappiest prank show of all time Ashley Kutcher's hiding in a closet like make him eat the third lemon. That he did you but was of this was me to eat is this Impractical Jokers am I on Impractical Jokers you could which is a really cast. Okay fine we'll get away from the lemon but tell us about Millennial did I pronounce it right Millennial you did uh Millennial is the term. That people use to refer to anyone born in Generation Y which is my generation people so it's like between the ages of 17 and 33. Years old and so the show is about how I sort of rank as a member of that generation because it's not like the youngest generation.

7:25 Anymore there's a younger now and so this is just sort. Of uh my definition of what it means to be sort of part of this group of people this group of young people it's a real hot button. Word in the US press it doesn't seem to be as like I see it a lot on the guardian mhm so either people are pretending. To read the guardian or no one reads the guardian I never heard of the word until I picked up your press release heard of it a lot of people come up to me they're like isn't that a Robbie will Robbie. Williams song I'm like no that's Millennium I think and sometimes be like isn't that the Millennium and I'm like it's not the Millennium but yeah it's. It's kind of cool that people don't know it here to be honest I feel like I can actually say something because in the US people are like sick of hearing it already.

8:10 They hear the word they're just like oh God more of this so what is it about that certain generation what what annoys you about it uh nothing annoys. Me about it I'm quite proud to be part of uh that generation but I think a lot of people have misconception about it because it's the largest. Generation of all time and it's the most diverse generation it's the most well educated generation it's got the most student debt of any generation so there are a lot of things that sort of set it apart from all the generations. That have come before it and I think um we're still finding our feet because it's really difficult to be young now like that's not just a that sounds like such a cliche. But it isn't like it's really really tough to be between the ages of 18 and 33 you're like less likely to own a house than people.

8:53 Were 10 years ago you're less likely to have a job than people were like if in some countries you're like five times more likely to be unemployed. So it's really really tough to be a young person and so I think um a show kind of exploring that because it does even in like a even if you're in like a good. Middle class situation it still does touch your life in like a pretty significant way well your favorite bit from the show what's your favorite thing I've got a bit about meeting Neil Armstrong. Which is pretty which is pretty fun uh because I think it's sort of uh reveals a lot about both me and Neil Armstrong how'd you meet Neil Armstrong. He was giving a talk at this boat in the US called USS Intrepid it's in New York City it's this big aircraft carrier that's right in the Hudson.

9:33 And uh I went and I ended up in the same elevator as him I'm sorry lift I did up the same lift as him we knew you what you meant. Yeah we all the words anyway so you just kind of sometimes I do the J with lift and you do the joke with elevator. Do you still spell uh realized with with a said uh no I spell realized with a z the way that you should a c a z. Not a zed all the other letters they just it's a q is in spell the quit or whatever it's the it's a z z that's it people are just like XY. Z there's no such like not like not like we invented the language or anything and it's called English yeah you invented the language we revolutionized. He just screwed it up um now Alex if you were to sell your show in three lines to the camera for someone who had never heard of you before.

10:22 Never seen your stuff what would you say I'll make it easier one line one line make it easier again one word no I'll take I'll take the three. Lines but it is just it's an hour of standup comedy about it's an hour of very good standup comedy about wait no I can't even. I can't say that that is so arrogant most of the shows of the Ed Fringe um except for like Jimmy cars will be very hours of break I'm kidding. Okay I'm ready let's do it let's do it action a young American talking about what it's like to be a young American when being young American. Actually means something perfect well done you yeah yeah so if you like Al and you're into your lemons check him out all right there we go I was waiting for that there we go there's the third.

11:05 One and the skin no I'm not a [ __ ] mad. Man Alex thank you so much man that was bitter that was great but the interview was great thank you so much for having appre cheers man.