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Funny girl
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Jason Stuart headlines the Queer Comics night
by MATTHEW HAYS
Just For Laughs schedule
Jason Stuart has nothing against closeted celebrities. Really. The standup comic and actor, who first graced the Just for Laughs Queer Comics stage three years ago to rave reviews, has been invited back.
And unlike some out comics, who trash those in Hollywood who remain safely behind closet doors, Stuart, who came out as gay publicly seven years ago, preaches understanding, not outing.
"I find it more sad than annoying when people can't just be honest," he says. "Really, for me the whole thing was so liberating. I was scared. But now, I feel like we've come so far, we're too powerful. I'm surprised when someone's in the closet today."
Lately, Stuart has been steadily climbing upward in his bid for comedy world domination. His string of appearances on The Drew Carrey Show were a hit, he has completed an MTV pilot, The Sausage Factory, and, Stuart informs me enthusiastically, his self-esteem has improved since his body measurements improved thanks to a personal trainer. "I always had a weight problem. When I write my memoirs, it's going to be called 20 Pounds."
The ongoing success appears to prove Stuart's optimistic thesis: that his being gay, even in the notoriously straight standup circuit, isn't hurting him one bit.
Stuart's schtick is a careful combo of self-deprecation and bitchy confidence. His routine, which was warmly received by the crowd at Queer Comics three years ago, was easily one of the best gay standup acts I've seen, ever. Punctuated by jabs at hets, Stuart never forgets to include a few barbs about gays in the mix. Of L.A.'s gay body-fascist culture, he has said, "If you have more than 10 per cent body fat, they put you in a cage and you cannot come out until you get there."
And though he's bringing entirely new material to this year's gig, Stuart reports that he will end his act as he did three years ago: by belting out a warbling, screechy--and utterly hilarious--rendition of "Over the Rainbow."
Finally, scanning Stuart's C.V., I come across his stint in the movie Kindergarten Cop. Okay, I've gotta ask: what was the rumoured-to-be-fascist Arnold Schwarzenegger like? "Oh, he was very nice. But boring. That's unforgivable. Being both gay and Jewish, being boring is like a capital crime." :
Jason Stuart performs as part of the Queer Comics event on July 16 at Club Soda
Yet more yuks!
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