On a recent episode of WTF, a popular podcast hosted by stand-up comic Marc Maron, filmmaker and comedian Bobcat Goldthwait was discussing his sex life when he, long story short, outed his love for
PopEater. We wanted to know more.
If the only thing you remember about Goldthwait is his trademark screech in films like the 'Police Academy' franchise, there's a lot to catch up on. In recent years, Goldthwait has gone behind the camera to write and direct for 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' 'Chappelle's Show' and his own films, 'World's Greatest Dad,' 'Shakes the Clown' and 'Sleeping Dogs Lie.'
Far removed from his zany 1980s persona, Goldthwait's films explore the most uncomfortable and taboo sides of human behavior, but always remain darkly hilarious. While prepping for 'God Bless America,' his upcoming film about a man who drives 400 miles to murder a reality TV teen before engaging in a series of cross-country murders with a high school girl, Goldthwait called from his LA home to talk trashy entertainment, making people uncomfortable and why he'll never do reality television.
Would you consider yourself a pop culture junkie? It's funny, at this point in history, you pick your own news. It's like, "I'm conservative, so I'm only going to watch FOX," or "I'm liberal, so I'm only going to listen to NPR." You pick your own reality. I'd love to tell you that I go to the BBC News page daily, but the reality is I end up on
PopEater more than a middle-aged man probably should.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I dive right in. I watch I.D., the 24-hour true crime channel from Discovery, constantly. It's like the "murder network," so I watch that all the time now. But I'll DVR Lifetime movies like 'Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy.' And this house is certainly not above 'Real Housewives' of any region.
That's for your wife or both of you?
Oh no, man. I'm right there, too.
It's hard to imagine you with popcorn watching a 'Real Housewives' marathon on your couch.
Oh sure. And with the popcorn. You couldn't have nailed it harder.
Is it hard to divorce yourself from who you were in the 1980s?
I'll put it like this: The other day, I saw this guy at Staples [and] said to myself, "Why would some fat guy dress as Andrew 'Dice' Clay in 2011?" And I look over and go, "Oh, it is 'Dice' Clay." So I took out my cell phone and wanted to take a picture of him because I thought it was funny that he was in the whole regalia. It was weird that he was actually doing the voice.
Did you feel like you were on the other end of the paparazzi?
I'm not above taking out my camera and snapping a picture. I was once on Hollywood Boulevard and this limo rolls up and the window goes down and it's Simon Cowell. So I take my camera out and I flash a picture right in his face.
'World's Greatest Dad' Trailer:
Why did you decide to move from in front of the camera to behind it? About seven years ago, I just said, "I'm not going to do anything else that I wouldn't watch." I just changed. That was a great thing. I'm really happy behind the scenes. This is really the happiest I've been in show business. I know that I'm not interested in making the same kind of movies I used to be in.
Was there an epiphany or was it a gradual transformation?
I kind of got off the wheel and said, "I'm not interested in getting on a sitcom or anything like that." I stopped playing that lottery thing that people in show business play. I always joke that I retired from acting the same time they stopped hiring me. So that worked out really well [laughs]. When I look back on my life, I realize I never really found [acting] too fulfilling. I do believe it's hard work, but I don't necessarily think that's what I'm good at. I just hope to develop as a guy who makes movies.
So let's say you're home watching TV and come across one of your movies from the '80s. Do you stop and watch it?
No. No. No. I turn it off immediately. My wife hasn't seen most of the movies I was in. She's not allowed to watch it.
It's a special TiVo filter.
[Laughs] You know the V-chip? We have a S***-Chip in our house. The worst is falling asleep with the television on and all of a sudden something comes on and you wake up and see yourself from the '80s.
Wikipedia will enshrine your filmography forever.
I know. It doesn't really matter what I do. My obituary photo is going to be me in a police uniform. "He later went on to cure AIDS, but he also played Cadet Zed in 'Police Academy 2,' '3' and '4.'"
You love to deal with the awkward and uncomfortable in your movies. What's the line between what's funny and when it's time to pull back?
That's the thing: I don't know. Every time I make these films, it's not like I hope I can make people squirm. It's just the way I explore how I feel about these things. I don't feel like the comedy that I make has no sacred cows. I think my goal is not to make people laugh first; it is to make people awkward.
Has that evolved over the years?
That's where it's always been. My early stand-up was just me cleaning fish on stage or being this guy who'd be crying and reading a Dear John letter and saying after, "You want to hear jokes?" My heroes were people like Andy Kaufman. That always interested me more. I wasn't concerned with people liking me so much. I'm more interested in making people feel uncomfortable. It's not a very lucrative path of entertainment to pursue, but it's the one I'm happiest with.
As someone who gets by on actual talent, is it strange to see people who are famous for being famous or have you learned to just go with it?
That kind of helped my decision with getting out and not being in front of the camera. I was offered a lot of reality things. As soon as Howie Mandel was a success doing 'Deal or No Deal,' I was one of the next names on the Rolodex.
Bobcat's '80s stand-up:
So the phone calls for 'Comic Relief'-era stand-ups began? Yeah, they must have gone, "Who's another annoying '80s comedian? Oh yeah. Bobcat." I got calls to host those kinds of shows all the time. And it's not like I'm above it, but I just said I didn't want to do that kind of work anymore. Even if I did make a lot of money, I would be miserable. I've been asked to do 'Celebrity Fear Factor,' 'Celebracadabra,' 'Circus of the Stars,' you name it.
What goes through your head when those producers pitch you?
I think they think I'm Gary Busey or something, that I'll show up and give them good TV. They'd be very disappointed in the fact that I'm just this schlubby 48-year-old guy who mumbles a lot and says sarcastic things under his breath. They look at me and think that if you follow me around, I'd be a train wreck.
If you could design your own reality TV show that you had full control over, what would it be?
I think it would definitely be a show based on people who think chimps are a good pet.
And each episode doesn't end well.
Not even each episode. It's just once a season and you're just waiting, going, "Is this it? Is this the episode where someone gets mauled?"
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