Sebastian Maniscalco Asks ‘Aren’t You Embarrassed?’

‘100 Funniest Comedy Albums’ Book Excerpt

Frank Mastropolo

Shout Factory

Sebastian Maniscalco recorded 2014’s Aren’t You Embarrassed? at Chicago’s Harris Theater. Maniscalco told MSN that he makes a conscious effort to avoid politics in his shows.

“Comedy is something people are yearning and thirsting for, especially with a political campaign on the horizon and people so divided,” Maniscalco said.

“My comedy is rooted in family and observation, and I’ve always believed that if people are coming to a comedy show, they want an escape from the world news, the killings, the politics — this, that, and the other thing. That’s what I pride myself on.”

The core of Maniscalco’s comedy is growing up with immigrant parents. “I think being Italian and the way we communicate, there’s such a personality there,” Maniscalco told the Sons of Italy blog.

“There’s an inherent funniness about the way Italians express themselves and behave that lends itself to a very humorous environment. Being Italian lends itself to standup comedy in the sense that the physicality and the facial expressions come with the culture. My first stage was the kitchen table.”

They instilled work ethic into me at a young age. Young. If you come from immigrants, they don’t play around with the work. Okay?

I’ve been working since I’ve been eight. Eight years old, these people put me to work. I didn’t know what was going on.

I was watching cartoons on a Saturday; my father walked in the living room. He was like, “Hey. Go start a business.” Now?

They never bought us anything. I come from a middle-class upbringing. They never bought us a damn thing. They told us who had what we wanted in the neighborhood.

I’m like, “Dad, could we get a dog?” “Dog, yeah. Two houses down, they got a dog. You want to pet an animal? You walk two houses down, you pet their dog, and then you come back here and cut my lawn.” What? What does the lawn have to do with a puppy? What are you talking about?

Father been living up my ass my entire life. Constantly on me, questioning me. I was an altar boy; he questioned that. Right? He was like, “Do they pay you for this shit at the church? You makin’ any scratch?” I had to ask the priest for a raise.

The guy never pays full price for anything. My father, constantly looking for a deal, went to the dentist. Sitting down at the dentist, the dentist told him, “Listen, you need a crown. It’s gonna be about $800.”

My father was like, “Crown? I could get the crown. I got a crown guy.” “Crown guy?” “Yeah, I’ll bring in the part, and I’ll pay you for the labor. I’ll pay cash.” “What? It’s not a body shop!”

“Comedy is therapeutic,” Maniscalco explained in Pollstar. “I walk around with these thoughts in my head all day. Then, to get onstage and dispose of them? It’s surreal what that feels like.

“To just laugh about life, it’s one thing people really enjoy doing. You need to forget what’s going on, let go, and feel good. That’s everything, and it’s everything I’m trying to do.”

Frank Mastropolo is the author of 100 Funniest Comedy Albums, part of the Greatest Performances series. For more on our latest projects, visit Edgar Street Books.