Demetri Martin explains his important things
Written by Adam Sprengeler Friday, 05 February 2010 08:00
The quirky comedian known as Demetri Martin returns to television sets across the nation with his show “Important Things with Demetri Martin.” Martin has been entertaining audiences across the country with his unusual style of comedy, including the use of palindromes, music, and sketches on giant pads of paper.
Martin returns to Comedy Central with his television show for his second season, but admits he does not watch much comedy during his downtime.
“I think I spend so much time doing comedy that I check out of it,” Martin said in a conference call with The Spectrum and other colleges across the nation. “I don’t watch that much of it.”
Martin is a native of New York City and has been working hard on more than just his television show. He is known for his stand-up, but currently is working on a screenplay and has done some acting, including the lead role in the 2008 film “Taking Woodstock.” Martin “gives an engaging performance” in the film, according to Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle.
“That experience (making “Taking Woodstock”) was a surprising opportunity to get,” Martin said. “The job was to portray a character based on text. Parts of that I didn’t like because I didn’t have control.”
Along with film and television, Martin has laid the foundation of his career with his stand up routine. A routine that he says does not stray far away from his own personal sense of humor.
“My jokes definitely reflect my sense of humor,” Martin said. “In the end, I can’t do anything beyond what I find to be funny.”
Martin did not grow up aspiring to be a comedian. According to his Wikipedia page, he graduated from Yale University in 1995 and dropped out of New York University School of Law one year before graduation. He says for a while he knew he never wanted to be a lawyer.
“When I was a kid there were certain things I liked doing, but I didn’t know why,” Martin said. “I realized that I didn’t like politics or law, but rather the public speaking involved in it.”
Growing up, Martin’s father always liked Bill Cosby. Inevitably, Cosby became a comedic influence to Martin, but even the great Bill Cosby did not resonate as Martin’s top influence. That award went to a comedian by the name of Steven Wright.
“I just loved that he had these really short jokes that didn’t require any kind of segue way,” Martin said.
Martin’s type of show is not new to Comedy Central and they stick behind him in his second season. Other comedians who have had success with a hybrid of stand-up plus sketched comedy include Carlos Mencia and Dave Chappell.
“Comedy Central had a lot of success with Chappell, so when you think of it from their point of view, you already have a formula that works, or at least works for some comedians,” Martin said. “My show has some stand-up, but I’m working on these connective tissues.”
Martin has been able to find success in the entertainment business and is always willing to give advice to aspiring comedians. People aspiring for their dreams can take most of Martin’s advice. Martin feels his explanation may be a little convoluted, but makes sense.
“I think when I started to understand success in relation to time, it really benefitted me,” Martin said. “When I was young I would try something, and if I was not good at it I would quit. Stand-up was the first thing I tried and liked, but wasn’t very good at. When do I judge success? After two shows, three shows or more? As long as learning is part of the process, it puts things into context that helps me grow.”
In short, individuals need to give themselves adequate amounts of time when judging success verses failure. In Martin’s eyes, failure is just part of the process because it helps the learning process.
“Important Things With Demetri Martin” airs every Thursday at 9 p.m. CST on Comedy Central.
