Blogger-turned-comedian Aaron Karo gave up a life of suits and class warfare on Wall Street to pursue funny stuff. On April 12, the comedian will stop by Martini Ranch to entertain a live audience, but we caught up with him over the weekend to talk about the release of his new book, Lexapros and Cons, and the recording of his third comedy album I Need to Tell You Something? .
When did you first realize you were funny?
I think I sort of always knew, there was never really a defining moment. I wasn't really a class clown, I was more of the polite class comedian, quick to crack jokes but it wasn't until I was a year out of college that I really tried to do anything with it. I guess I'm still realizing it right now.
Was there any hesitation before you left your 13 month stint at Wall Street?
I actually left Wall Street when I got my first book deal so I knew that I had some potential to do something with my writing it wasn't just kind of blind leap of faith. I also don't like waking up early, shaving, or putting on my shirt, so Wall Street wouldn't have been good for me anyway.
Where'd you come up with the idea for your comedy social networking website, Ruminations?
Ruminations is an extension of my column, but basically after 11 years of writing an email forward I decided to open it up and enable my fans to write their own concepts. So ruminations is really a forum for my fans, or anybody, to write their own ruminations and share them with the world. It's kind of a way to generate more content without me having to do all of it.
You use "gourmet" as the equivalent of Facebook's "like" on Ruminations, where'd that come from?
I came up with gourmet in college with just me and my buddies when we were trying to figure out a new slang term for cool or dope. I mentioned it briefly in ruminations and my books and people got a kick out of it so we just used it as the point system for the site.
How much of your new book, Lexapros and Cons, is autobiographical?
All of the symptoms that Chuck Taylor, the main character, suffers from in the book are also something that I've suffered from as well. He chronically masturbates, something I did in 9th grade, obsessed with checking the stove, that's something that I do well so he's fictional but the character and his OCD is inspired by me.
Lexapros and Cons is my fourth book but my first novel, it's also a young adult novel so I'm trying to chase that Hunger Games money it's really dry so I think young adult is a misnomer because the book is a high school coming of age love story and my [stand-up] act is drinking, dating, and fucking so I guess it's the same theme.
What should we be most excited about for your tour?
This tour is sort of the last shows I'm doing before I release my new album which is called I need to Tell You Something coming out April 30th [and just listening to the album] is kind of deceiving because the material is perfected at the end of the tour so the material has been honed and perfected by months of slogging across the country so I get to have fun with it and the stuff I do this week I'll never do again.
Are you still having More Fun than I am?
Well, I don't know you personally but probably. Generally speaking yes I'm more having more fun than you.
You can find more information about Aaron via his Facebook or Twitter pages, or stop by his live performance on April 12th at Martini Ranch for gourmet comedy.
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