McKAY: Our next guest is without a doubt one of my favorite comedians working today. He has completed two world tours, won three Primetime Emmy Awards, and starred in seven stand-up comedy specials. His latest special, I Don’t Care, Cancel Me, is in theaters now, featuring a sold-out show at Boston’s TD Garden in front of twenty-thousand fans. Without further ado, Ray Scully!
(Applause. Music. Scully enters, shakes McKay’s hand, and sits down.)
McKAY: I just want to say straight away that I loved I Don’t Care, Cancel Me. It’s really one of the best comedy specials I’ve seen in a long time, and I mean that.
SCULLY: That means a lot, Jerry. Thank you. I’m pretty proud of it myself.
McKAY: Obviously you’re always hilarious. That’s a given. But what I found most impressive about this special was your bravery. I mean, you pull off some jokes in there that most other comics wouldn’t dare to try.
SCULLY: Yeah, I guess so. When I come up with jokes, I just go with whatever comes to mind. Maybe my mind is just an awful place.
(Laughter.)
McKAY: For example, you take shots at just about everyone. Let me consult my index card here. You go after racial minorities, Jews, the LGBT community, the elderly, organized religion, single mothers, mailmen, puppies, cancer research, the practice of donating to charity, and much, much more. Tell us, is nothing sacred to you?
(Laughter.)
SCULLY: Nothing at all. I was raised in a broken home.
McKAY: It shows!
(Maniacal laughter.)
McKAY: But seriously. I know everyone else has already said this to you, but you are truly, truly brave. So brave. It takes so much bravery, so much heart to stand in front of tens of thousands of people and openly disparage multiple groups and institutions that countless Americans hold dear. I think that’s worthy of applause, no?
(Raucous applause.)
McKAY: And the title! Oh man, that title. “I Don’t Care, Cancel Me.” You already knew how so many people would respond to the material. You knew how many feathers you’d ruffle, how many people you’d hurt, and how much fear you’d strike into the hearts of some of the country’s most vulnerable classes. And you simply don’t care! Now, I love the sentiment, but do you really not care at all whether your career takes a hit after saying some of these things?
SCULLY: Not even a little. You see Jerry, I’m just a genuinely spiteful person. Everything I write and say comes from the heart, and somehow I’ve been lucky enough to make a career out of expressing all of my most harmful opinions. I used to only be able to share these thoughts with a few friends. If I took them anywhere else, I’d get called a bigot or a terrorist or some other word overly sensitive people like to use. But now I can share them with a sold-out crowd without consequence.
(Rapturous, deafening applause. McKay is moved to tears.)
Featured image/photo by Michel Grolet on Unsplash.