by MICHAEL CITROME

Atlanta. No wait, Hotlanta. Home of Ludacris, Outkast, Jermaine Dupri, CNN and ’80s sitcom Designing Women. And Bruce Bruce, one of the biggest talents in comedy today, and not just in sheer girth.

In a purple suit, standing a pimped-out six feet tall with a jheri curl ponytail and a Sumo physique, Georgia native Bruce Bruce is one of the most recognizable figures in African-American comedy. He’s been the host of Black Entertainment Television’s daily comedy showcase ComicView for two years running and he’s appeared on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and Showtime at the Apollo. But when he’s out in public, he’s usually mistaken for... himself.

“People can’t believe it’s me. They come up to me and say, ‘Do you know you look just like Bruce Bruce?’ and I’m like, ‘People tell me that all the time,’ says Bruce.

Most of these fans tend to be of the female persuasion.

“I always get ‘I love big men’—like if I was small I’d be ugly as hell. I also get ‘I love the way you dress.’ And ‘Let’s have a baby.’ That’s the kind of attention I get from groupies: anything I want.”

The snazzy dressing, he says, is part of the act. “All of my suits are designed by me. That’s why you see the five buttons, the long jackets, the colours—’cause when you wear colours like me, brother, you can’t be scared. Honestly, I would love to come on stage with some jeans on, but I messed up—I started dressing nice and now I have to keep it up.”

But even though he hosts the biggest black comedy showcase on television, don’t label Bruce one thing or the other. “My comedy has no colour,” he says. “I don’t have a black show or an urban show or a pro-black show. If it’s funny, it’s funny. White people know who I am. For white people, if it’s funny, they’re going to laugh. I do everything that you can relate to.”

Big man, big appetite

Bruce has been a professional comedian for about 15 years, but he says he’s been doing comedy all his life. This would include a stint straight out of high school as a wisecracking barbecue chef, and later when he was stocking shelves and performing his act for his bosses at potato chip giant Frito-Lay.

“I drove a Frito-Lay truck for years. I sell a bag and I eat a bag—that’s what made me a great salesman,” says Bruce, who loves to talk about his appetite. “I cannot discriminate, I like everything, but my specialty is Popeye’s Fried Chicken. Popeye’s has the best chicken. I did a commercial for them, but I’d love to be their spokesman. I can show people how it’s done with Popeye’s chicken.”

Another Bruce Bruce favourite is Krispy Kreme donuts, a novelty here in Montreal. “It’s old school! Krispy Kreme’s been around for years. It started in the south, now it’s spread everywhere—Dunkin’ Donuts can’t compare. It’s the best—when they’re hot, they will melt in your mouth, and in your hand, jack!”

All in the family

Besides food and women, a lot of Bruce’s comedic inspiration comes from his family and his hometown. “There’s nothing like Atlanta,” he says. “I could be a movie star, but Atlanta is the place I’m always about. You can’t beat southern hospitality.

“I talk about my uncle. My uncle is the type of person that will be at a family reunion and hit on his own niece, without knowing he’s at a family reunion. He drinks and he don’t remember nothing. He says, ‘I ain’t remember nothing.’ I got another uncle that laughs out loud and don’t crack a smile. I got an uncle, he dance twice a year—on his birthday and on Christmas, but only for three seconds.”

So what can people expect from Bruce’s performances at Just for Laughs? “Hey man, I’m going to tell you right now,” says Bruce with his trademark hypeman delivery. “Expect a good time from when I get on stage till the time I get off. Even when I’m off, I’m funny.”

Bruce Bruce hosts Just for Laughs’ Best of the Uptown Comics at the Spectrum, Saturday, July 19, 8pm and 11pm, $24.50. He’ll also appear at Bubbling with Laughter at Club Soda on Thursday, July 15, 9:30pm, $24.50