MYQ KAPLAN

Boston's own last comic standing

By SAMEER NASEEM

del.ico.us | digg it! | reddit!

print | email | 0 Comments

Thousands of comedians try out for a chance to compete on Last Comic Standing, and about 40 of them make it to the semi-finals. Boston comic Myq Kaplan is more than halfway to winning the whole thing. We chatted about everything from tripping on mushrooms to the best places to eat vegan food in Boston, but we mostly discussed the competition. Vote for Myq Monday nights on NBC.

When I saw you at SXSW this year, in Velveeta Room, you knew everyone. It occurred to me right then, you must have known your competitors on LCS. What is it like to be friends with these people, but then have to compete knowing that one of you will have to go home?Competitions are an unnatural part of comedy, I think. Even though there can be only "one winner," everyone who is in the thing and does well comes out looking good. I've done many competitions and I've won several—which is obviously nice—but the goal is always to just do your best and have that be noteworthy. One of the first ones I did was the Seattle Comedy Competition, and I made it to the semi-finals but someone [who] saw me there worked for another festival in DC, and someone saw me and became my college booking agent. ... That's how I was able to quit my day job and just be a comedian. It wasn't winning, it was just doing.

Did your cellphone shit its pants when you got to stay on the show last week?I think more reactions came online.

Have any of the inanimate objects you own ever shat their pants?My Facebook wall filled up. Oh sure, let's say my computer twit its pants.

What's your strategy to win this?My strategy is the same as my life strategy: Be myself (except for the parts of myself that I want to change). Be funny (except when humor is not called for). Be positive (acknowledging that negativity exists, but aiming to ignore that).

What are you going to do with that cold hard cash when you inevitably win?Oh man, you have no idea. It's going to be ridiculous.

Will you put it all in a bathtub in $1 denominations?It's going to be so crazy. I'm going to invest it so hard and I'm going to live a reasonable and comfortable life and donate some of it to worthwhile charities. That shit is going to be off the hook.

When you win this, will you have a parade like the Celtics do in Boston?Of course. Parades everywhere. One parade leading all over the world, including the oceans, which will evaporate away someday, I'm sure ... or expand due to ice caps melting, something like Waterworld or Tank Girl.

LAST COMIC STANDINGNBC, WHDH CHANNEL 7MONDAYS, 9PMNBC.COM/LAST-COMIC-STANDINGMYQKAPLAN.COM