Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2008 > March > 08 > Entry
A conversation with Eugene Mirman, host
If you only know Eugene Mirman, the comedian, for his very brief appearances on “Flight of the Conchords,” get thee to some of his hilarious Web videos where you can see him strut his stuff.
Then go see some of his Space Talk videos. Good stuff, man. Seriously.
Eugene is hosting the SXSW Web Awards Sunday night. Who knows what stars will show up, but in our book, Mirman is plenty of wattage for us. Here’s an interview with the host with the most:
Austin American-Statesman: It’s what, noon over there?
Eugene Mirman: Yes, it is. It is exactly noon. You did a fantastic job.
I try to be punctual. You’ve been here several times? What do you think of the festival?
I have. I love it. I’ve come back maybe the last five or six years. I stay for the whole thing. For the last several years I do a show during interactive before the music starts at Emo’s. This year I’m doing it with Mike Birbigliaand Michael Showalter (10 p.m. Monday).
How is that different from doing the awards show? Is the material different?
Some of the material might be different. It’s different because one is a stand-up show. No one in our stand-up show is going to stand up and go, like, “Best blog is…”
There won’t be awards at Emo’s?
You never know. There might be awards but they will be significantly less than at the awards show. Some material will be similar, some will be different. I’ll do a lot more material at the stand-up show and things that aren’t related to Interactive world or technology. The reason I’m probably hosting this is I have things that relate to Web stuff and technology or whatever. But I also have things about the government.
Do you do a lot of awards shows?
It’s the first one I’m probably hosting.
With Invite Them Up (a New York-based comedy showcase) are you considered a host?
It’s not that I’ve never introduced things. I hosted a comedy show just last night. It’s the first time I’m hosting an awards show.
Do you have a strategy of some sort?
A strategy? To make it enjoyable and fun for the audience as a comedian would. I’m not competing in it. I have funny things I’ve prepared that I think people will laugh at.
In addition to being on stage are you going to be showing videos and such?
Yeah, I’ll probably play a few videos and a few comedic bits. Yes. I will in fact do that. I will try to entertain people throughout the boring hour of awards. That’s what award shows are. Someone trying to distract people who are excited to win a thing to put on their Web site about how their company is very good at something.
So there’s no physical award like a plaque or something?
There probably is a plaque. But it’s not like they’ll go to meetings with the plaque. They’ll probably just put a thing on their Web site that says, ‘We’re the best at new ways to sell… junk.”
Or make a video of the plaque and put it online?
They’re welcome to put a video of their plaque on YouTube. If they believe that will drive business to them.
Are you preparing material geared to a geekier audience than you would for Emo’s?
I’m preparing tech jokes but they’re not for a geeky audience. I have jokes that will involve the Internet or a Web site I found that you can do funny things with. All the stuff I do I would do at a show, it’s just that they happen to relate to the Internet. If somebody asked me to host love awards show, which I find unlikely, I would probably do more things centered around love and dating.
All your love material.
My two love-based jokes. I think stuff will relate. That’s my intent. But I’m not like adding a lot of technical mumbo jumbo to my jokes.
Like HTML code jokes?
Yeah, there isn’t like, “a=href” as a joke or whatever it is a a href equals. People would correct me.
People would —
What?
Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to —
I was just correcting my own HTML in case someone was gonna write me an angry letter about my misspeaking HTML code.
You were correcting on the fly.
I’m correcting my jokey code. But you were going to ask something more important than me correcting my jokey code.
No, probably not, no. I was going to ask if you’ve visited any of the Web sites nominated. Do you do research so you can make specific jokes?
I might. I’ve looked a little, but mostly… I’m not trying to come up with a perfect joke about a specific Web site. The stuff I do is generally related. As people win them I’ll try to knock them down by making fun of them. That part is not true. I will congratulate them. I’m not mad at the sites. I will look at them.
They haven’t done anything specific to you?
Not that I’m aware of.
If, say, the Oscars are the pinnacle of awards shows, where would this rank?
Probably below them. You want me to say how far below? Is that what you’re looking for?
I don’t want to get you fired from this gig.
I find it unlikely that I would be fired from the gig. I think it’ll be a fun event.
With all the videos you produce, it seems like you spend a lot of time online. What are your favorite sites?
I do spend a lot of time online. I will reveal my favorite Web sites at the awards show.
A lot of people now know you from “Flight of the Conchords,” but they really haven’t featured your character that prominently. Shouldn’t they get rid of those New Zealanders and put an American front and center?
I would hate to be the star of their TV show. That wouldn’t be great for me because of all the singing and faking an accent. I don’t sing. I like doing sort of a smaller role.
What are you working on today?
I have done a show every single night for the last 7 days. I have a book that I’m working on so I’ll be editing that. It’s called “The Will to Whatev.” Sort of a fake self-help book.
Are you working on that alone?
I am writing it alone, but I have a publisher who will print copies and sell them to people. I’m the king of all media like what’s his name.
Stern?
Howard Stern, yes.
Or Simon Cowell.
Simon Cowell. I am like a super-duper low-rent Simon Cowell.
What will the book show you how to do?
Anything from go to school well to how to start a manufacturing plant to how to die.
How to die well?
How to die well and maximize stuff in Heaven.
How long is this book?
Six pages. No, it’s just super dense and really accurate. I don’t know, 200 pages, plus or minus. It’s mostly dull jokes so don’t do anything you see in it. That’s how it can be so all-encompassing and shorter than the Bible. (It will be published) a little less than a year from now.
And there you have it. If you see Eugene at the fest, tell him we said hi.
Permalink | | Categories: Austin, Internet, SXSW
