The People Have Spoken and They Want More of Sommore

Chicks kick so much ass and when it comes to comedian Sommore, she's been kicking ass all in the name of funny with no need to take names for what seems like forever now. With a weekend run at the Ontario Improv (June 20th through 22nd), we jumped at the chance to finally talk to this little lady packed with big humor all about her new hosting gig on BET, to get her take on “apologies,” and to find out how she feels about her fans that are now both young and old.

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OC Weekly (Ali Lerman): I first saw you a long time ago and now you've attracted this younger generation as well. It's really cool, it must feel good for you.

Sommore: There is such an age mixture! It's crazy because during my show I now ask all of the 20 year-old's to make noise and then I ask all of the 60 year-old's to make noise. [Laughs.] There are people from all age demographics in the audience now and I love that. People come up to me and are like, “When I was young I couldn't watch you and now I get to come to your shows!” Creatively, it makes me feel like my work has really been working. Like it withstands all of these years. But then I feel old after a while like, oh wow! [Laughs.] It's like, I don't feel old until someone tells me that they've been watching me since they were a kid!

It's great to reach so many age ranges though. I come from that era when autographs were the shit! It seems like no one wants them anymore.

Yeah, I think it's all about pictures now. People don't care if you're coming from the gym, if your eyebrows are on, people just don't care. They can be all glammed up and you'll be coming from the gym and they still want that picture! [Laughs.] It's all love to me though so it's cool.

Obviously you prove this theory wrong but, do you have an opinion on people saying that women aren't funny?

You know, every time I step on that stage it is my mission to prove that women are funny. It's just my mission to do that. I think it's mostly men who say that too. Those men have insecurities that women are going to tell all of their dick jokes or something. Also maybe they're insecure that women are going to male bash. That's why I make it a point not to male bash because I don't want that cheap laugh.

I noticed that you don't talk a lot of shit on Twitter either. Have you felt any backlash or are you fearful about getting attacked for just joking on there?

With social media, I'm very careful with it. I don't do jokes on Twitter or Facebook because I want people to pay to hear my opinion! [Laughs.] I do! I talk about all of the issues that people are talking about on social media but I want people to come pay to hear them. I basically just give my tour dates, post what I'm wearing, or I may propose a question or something like that. Social media can be a blessing or it can be a curse. I've seen it work for a lot of people but I come from a different background where I need a little bit more privacy and discretion in my life. I just don't get into like that.

You are so right about it being good and bad though.

Yeah it's just crazy. And to each his own, whoever chooses to play the game I'll be with them. There are people on social media and their lives are changed! There are people that are now stars because of Twitter! My Twitter account isn't even verified but there are people with a whole bunch of followers and they are verified!
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It's also insane that we now live this world that hides behind computers lashing out like pussies. Do you think that comics will be criticized for their opinions on social media always?

As a comedian I don't think you should ever apologize. If you said it as a joke, you shouldn't apologize. Our job is to evoke thought. We give a thought or opinion about something and if it was meant to be funny, it's funny. If it provokes thought, it provokes thought. I don't think you should ever apologize for that. At the same time, I think you should use discretion as to where you are going to use your joke. It's like, I wouldn't show up to an all-women's conference and make a battered women joke. It's all about when are where you use it. When you tell a joke on Twitter, you have to know that everyone can see it! That's another reason I don't give my opinion on Twitter. If I want to give out my opinion, I'll do in front of people who paid to see me because they want to hear my opinion.

OK that battered women analogy will make me laugh all day just so you know. Not that I think it's funny it's…well you know. It's just a good theory. So what's going on with your Comic View hosting gig over at BET?

[Laughs.] Yeah I know what you meant! So yes, Comic View is brand new and we taped it in Atlanta. They played it for four weeks and we went on hiatus and it'll be back in September. I love it because it's exposing brand new comics to the world. For some of these comics, it's their first time being on TV and I'm excited for them. I'm excited to be the host and to introduce them to the world and I wish them the best because I can remember my first time on TV!

Very cool! When can we get some more Sommore with a new special? Urghh sorry, that was corny…

[Laughs.] I am working on new special and currently writing it right now. Hopefully I'll get to shoot it at the end of this year and if not then the beginning of next year. Right now I'm just touring and doing a lot of club dates. I was on tour at the beginning of the year with “The Standing Ovation Tour.” It was a thirty city tour and now I'm in the clubs. When I do clubs, that's when I'm able to write new jokes and then take them out on the big stage. I'm happy to be doing Ontario because it's not that far from L.A. but it gives you a whole other feel. The audiences are always supportive, we do really well there, and they're smart too! Right now I'm talking about this whole society that we are living in and analyzing it. The show is going to be really, really funny and really adult of course!

Catch Sommore at the Ontario Improv June 20th through 22nd, 4555 Mills Circle Ontario Mills Ontario, CA 91764, (909) 484-5411. For tickets go to www.Improv.com. For more info check out Sommore's website www.Sommore.com, friend her on Facebook, and follow her Instagram and on Twitter @SommoreSoFunny.

See also:
Steve-O Found a Way to Work Manginas Into His Stand-Up Comedy
10 Douchiest Guitarists of All Time
10 Douchiest Drummers of All Time

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