Interviews

Carolla: Why Safe Spaces Will Backfire on the Left

Adam Carolla built his own “pirate ship” that spans film, TV, stand-up comedy and, of course, podcasting.

Carolla kicked off his radio career co-hosting “Loveline” alongside Dr. Drew Pinsky. The funny man established himself as a no-nonsense counterpoint to the advice Pinsky dished out about drugs and relationships.

From there, Carolla teamed with a young Jimmy Kimmel to co-host Comedy Central’s “The Man Show.” The duo’s outrageous pranks took aim at all things involving men in pop culture and society. They also created another hit, “Crank Yankers,” for the network before Kimmel transitioned to late night TV.

Carolla blazed a different path. He created his own podcasting, building a studio complex in Glendale to house Carolla Digital. The company cranks out an array of podcasts each week that draw millions of listeners on the Podcast One platform.

The podcaster shared his rise to fame – with his trademark sardonic wit – in the bestselling memoir “Not Taco Bell Material.” Now, he’s released his first standup special using the same name.

Not Taco Bell Material Trailer

HIT: Tell us about the special. How’d you decide to finally do one now?

Carolla: It’s an hour-plus standup special, a mix of straight standup with my autobiographical tale. Beginning, middle and end with some visuals so it’s a combo of a one-man show and stand up. The book was a good template as a “This is your life” kind of thing. But at some point, when people ask “Why’d you call it this or that?”, well, you have to call it something.

HIT: You shot it in Portland at the Aladdin Theatre. Since Portland is known to be overrun with young liberal activists, wasn’t that a weird choice for you since you rail against the so-called “snowflake” generation?

Carolla: There’s guys with kilts and knives if you get a little out of the city. My biggest cities are Seattle and Portland even though I don’t come across as a Seattle/Portland guy. We’re in this weird no mans land these days of me expressing my opinion and some people saying ‘Think about what that sounds like coming from you.” I say, why should I have to? Do what I say to do and have a better life.

There were some suggestions of things I should remove from the special and I said no. I don’t think enough of myself to edit myself. That’s not courageous, it’s just low self-esteem. I’m making jokes, so how can I offend anybody? If it’s funny, it’s in. If there’s no laugh, it’s out. I don’t care about the topic.

RELATED: Carolla Says the Obvious (So Why Can’t Others Do the Same?)

I don’t want to sound like Oprah, saying “You’ve gotta become your best you.” Look at Howard Stern— everyone clutched their pearls when he started, then he got big and everyone expects him to be outspoken without complaining anymore. Snoop Dogg can now smoke pot in a police station. If you hang out long enough, you can be you, no matter what.

HIT: Jimmy Kimmel recently said he thinks “The Man Show” would be bigger than ever if done today. Do you believe that considering we’re in the #MeToo era with men expected to watch what they say everywhere?

Carolla: The pendulum swings and as it swings, look at hair bands in the 1980s, which I never enjoyed. A bunch of dudes who looked like chicks with spandex and eyeliner, like Cinderella and Motley Crue, you had all that huge for a few years and what’s the very next musical genre that’s ushered in

Grunge.

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Official Music Video)

We went from nothing but makeup, Aquanet and teased hair to Kurt Cobain with a wrinkled shirt everywhere. Those guys probably wouldn’t go onstage without wrinkling their shirts on purpose. Did the Cinderella guys care? Did the Soundgarden guys not care?

The answer is one’s a reaction to the other. The more safe spaces we create, the more octagons will spring up. When you have enough of this, this other stuff will spring up. I feel like the more you try to push people into this world of use the right pronoun [regarding gender identity issues], the more you’ll create crazy fringe comics.

HIT: You’re known as a libertarian, and not a fan of big government and so-called “handouts.” What inspires that viewpoint?

Carolla: Whatever situation you find in life, will become the standard mark for you. We’re all wired to get used to wherever we are fast. When you climb into a jacuzzi, you put your foot in and say “this is hot!” But five minutes later, you’re drinking a pina colada in it. We’re built to acclimate. If any of us went to prison, it’s horrific sounding, but at some point you would acclimate.

So my kids are acclimated to a different place than we ever were. My kids are even living in a $7 million house, but for them that’s treading water and surviving. I lived way poorer growing up and well into adulthood, and that was my base. But once you have a base, you want more. If you say free health care, housing, et cetera is my base, then you want a free foot massage. And we can’t afford it at some point.

You don’t wake up thankful for your base. Every single morning, I jump in a freezing cold swimming pool and say I’m awake. I’m way off my base, I’m under a freezing body of water, and I try to find ways to kick my butt a little bit. I perform at the Ice House Thursdays for free, and another club on Sundays.

I’m trying to shake up my baseline a little bit. In a world of perfect heating and air, you have to shake your baseline a little bit.


“Not Taco Bell Material” is available at chassy.com as well as iTunes and other streaming services. To hear the complete interview with Carolla, from the radio show “Man Up” that Kozlowski co-hosts from 8-9 p.m. Saturdays on KRLA 870 AM, visit manupshow.net/episodes.

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