The ‘Queen of Mean’ takes the throne at Borgata Sunday, Feb. 19.
The 'Queen of Mean'
You never know what Lisa Lampanelli is going to say, but you can bet that it’ll probably be provocative, off-color and funny. Lampanelli is a prickly pear, who is an ace put-down artist. No wonder Lampanelli is arguably the most popular of Comedy Central’s roasters. Lamps has delivered devastating one-liners at the expense of Chevy Chase, Pam Anderson and Jeff Foxworthy. Lampanelli, who will perform a sold-out show on Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Borgata Event Center, has jumped levels over recent years. The female Don Rickles has moved from clubs to theaters and is loving it. Lampanelli is a favorite in the New Jersey area and routinely packs Garden State venues. Lampanelli talks to Atlantic City Weekly about her rise, roasts and relationships.
What was it like playing Carnegie Hall, the most hallowed venue in the world?
It’s a big deal playing where Jap cello players play their boring crap. I could joke about it, but it was awesome. It’s nice playing theaters. What’s great is that people are actually listening to you. It’s a huge difference from playing clubs where I started.
Why do you do so well at roasts?
I over-prepare for the roasts and I don’t pull any punches. I know the roasts are why I’m at this level. I’ve always loved doing the roasts.
You were the only comic who killed during the Chevy Chase roast.
That was huge for me. Everybody else bombed. I got the right manager and agent because of that. I can’t tell you how significant that was.
You ripped Pam Anderson apart. If her life were a VH1 show what would it be called?
“I Fucked the ’80s.”
Where is your favorite place to play?
I really enjoy playing Atlantic City and all around New Jersey. The people there support me. The shows are always sold out. The Jersey audiences get me. But there’s nothing like playing Las Vegas. I love going there because all of the money I make and I get to see some of my favorite homo fag singers like Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond, who have yet to come out of the closet.
Two years ago, the mere suggestion that she would simultaneously be executive producing network sitcoms — and starring in one of them — would have probably gotten a bigger laugh than any of Whitney Cummings’ stand-up material.
Lisa Lampanelli, who says her jabs at Chevy Chase during a recent roast of the comedian-actor helped her career immensely, may be one of today's greatest roasters, but if you've seen any of the Comedy Central roasts (Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen, Pam Anderson, etc.) over the past few years, you're probably aware ...
'Usually people know that they will have that opportunity at the end of the show to yell out a thing or two. I don’t like to do it in the main body of my show because I feel like I have the right to say things I’ve thought of without people shooting at my feet like I’m in a saloon.'
'He called me the night before and said there was a 6am flight to Philly and I could make it to A.C.,' says Ross. 'And I said I need to know that I can say whatever I want. [Sheen said 'OK'] and that’s what I did. And I got on the plane from L.A. and I wrote jokes all night. It was pretty crazy; it was an adventure. '
The Atlantic City stop was full of surprises, including a guest spot by comedian and celebrity roaster Jeffrey Ross, who treated the crowd to an unscheduled, and pretty harsh live roast of Sheen.
It’s show time for Bruce Springsteen. An audience of about 20,000 fans, already worked into a lather because they’re going to share the same air as The Boss, explodes in cheers as the lights come down. Screams of “Br-u-u-u-u-u-u-ce” bounce off the walls of the venue as the crowd listens closely hoping to identify the opening song with just one note. Will it be “Badlands,” which he used to open shows on his tour earlier this year? Or “Radio Nowhere”? Nope. To open his show, Springsteen has chosen ... comedian Dom Irrera. Not! “I met [Springsteen] one night when we were doing (Late Night with) Conan O’Brien and Bruce asked me if I ever open for rockers,” Irrera says....
Kelly Clarkson just dropped her new album Stronger, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album charts and has announced dates for the first leg of her North American Stronger Tour. That tour will be at the Trump Taj Mahal for its second date on January 15.
Don Rickles with a hangover and Lisa Lampanelli suffering from raging PMS would be tame by comparison.
Bill Engvall will always give props to Jeff Foxworthy for catapulting him to a new level by tabbing him as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy troupe in 2000. After a six-year run, the mega-successful...
Insult comedian Lisa Lampanelli was, by her own admission, having a grouchy day. Actually, she used a far more colorful word to describe her mood, but "grouchy" is about as far as I can go in a fami...
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