From 'Soup' to nuttiness

Jul 04, 2009 (Cape Cod Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- ZZATN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- After changing the time twice, comedian Joel McHale calls an hour late for his telephone interview. What's the deal?

Was he out having breakfast with Ryan Seacrest? Improvising for his new highly touted NBC sitcom "Community" with cast mate Chevy Chase? Watching reality TV shows while sharpening his rapier?

No, McHale, who spends a half-hour each week skewering celebrities and otherwise mocking pop culture as host of E! network's "The Soup," was spending a rare day off cleaning out his garage so he could paint the floor.

When he finally calls, McHale is apologetic and a little scattered. Although he has to stop occasionally to call directions to people carting castoffs from his garage, he's ready to talk. Let's listen in ...

Q: Let's start with a little free association: What five words would you use to describe yourself?

A: I feel I'm really a ...

Darn.

I've been had.

I grumble.

McHale chuckles.

We move on.

Q: You were born in Rome (Nov. 20, 1971). Do you remember the city?

A: I do remember Rome. My dad was dean of students at Loyola Chicago University in Rome. My mom was a student. They fell in love and got married and had us. (He's the middle of three boys born within four years.)

Q: Were you the funny one

growing up?

A: I was as much a smartass as my dad. It's genetic, especially in the McHale men. (There are a lot of McHale men: Joel and his wife of nearly 13 years, Sarah Williams, have sons Eddie, 4, and Isaac, 1. Each of McHale's brothers has a son.) My sister-in-law is having a girl, the doctor says, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Q: Do you change diapers?

A: I change diapers -- on my grandparents -- all the time. No, seriously, I change diapers. I'm not a 1950s dad.

(McHale is hoping to get by with fewer crashed cars than he and his brothers accumulated when the three of them were driving at 16, 17 and 19. But he's a big fan of his parents' approach to parenting, and he hopes to emulate it. As a teen, McHale remembers, he told his dad he was smoking.)

I expected him to forbid it and make this big deal. But he just said, "I smoked and I wouldn't recommend it." ... I thought, what an interesting tack. I think my parents did a good job of taking the grips of discipline off us slowly as we got older, as opposed to clamping down, (a good job of) giving me back the power. ... I think with my kids I'll be strict when they're young and, as they mature as people, make the rules more mature. I feel it's like teaching.

McHale's been talking for 15 minutes and he sounds ... normal, genuine. Is the mockery so subtle I missed it? I search our conversation like an earthquake scientist mapping a fault line or a prospector going for the gold. Let's ratchet up the questions ...

Q: Do you ever Google yourself? What is the weirdest mention you've found?

A: I usually just look at the photographs and wince and think "Joel the vampire" was out that night. I just want a photo that makes me look half-normal.

Q: Do you really hate Ryan Seacrest or are you off-camera buddies?

A: I love him. We need him desperately. He is our scapegoat. I tease him about his size and how much money he has. But we're friends. If you listen to our jab, it's nothing egregious ... He's been really good to us. I've been on his radio show. But he doesn't have any time to hang out. He truly is the busiest person I know.

Q: Who is a good sport and who is a bad sport? Who can take the teasing best?

A: Literally every reality contestant I've ever met wants to be made fun of. They all encouraged it no matter what I've said. We've had contestants from "Rock of Love" call us and say, 'Get me on that show!' Taken it badly? Tyra Banks is not a big fan ...

Q: Whose side are you on -- Jon or Kate (the couple in "Jon & Kate Plus 8" recently announced their plans to divorce)?

A: Neither -- and both. I don't take sides. We make fun of them because those people chose to be on TV. It's like a morality tale playing out on TV.

Q: Anyone off-limits, such as your serious farewell to actor Heath Ledger, who died at age 28 last year?

A: It's case-by-case. He's someone who did not call attention to himself and the jackals started moving in after he died. That's why we handled it like we did ... I don't make fun of the show "Intervention" because it's quite serious and quite a good show. But when I hear people saying we tease "The Bachelorette" too much, I mean, come on.

Q: Is there reality TV you like?

A: "Deadliest Catch," "Dirty Jobs," "Top Chef," Anthony Bourdain's show ("No Reservations"), "Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmerman." And I like "American Idol" because it's basically a talent show.

Q: What's the difference between a show that's so bad it's good and a show that's just bad?

A: ... It's case-by-case. There's no doubt things like "Rock of Love" are put together in a way that's engaging to watch and that's why it's so popular. It's not like "I Love Toy Trains." Some people may not like it because the production values are so low, but we love it on "The Soup." We just think they're terrific.

Q: You've done stand-up, TV, movies. What's the future hold?

A: I would like to do TV and movies. I would like to be in watchable, decent productions. I'm very excited about "Community" (premiering this fall), because I always wanted to do a good series. And we have 12 episodes shooting ... right down the street from my house. It's great. It's a single-camera half-hour comedy. It's not shot in front of an audience. It will look like "30 Rock" or "Arrested Development" because it's directed by the same guy.

Q: Do you and Chase, with your improv backgrounds, ad-lib much?

A: It's fully scripted, but the head writer encourages us to rewrite on the spot. You never know exactly how it will play out once you're in front of the camera.

(McHale plays a shallow lawyer who thinks he's a hotshot and is in for a shock when he has to start over in community college -- with a bunch of characters including Chase -- because the bar association discovers his college degree is not valid. A trailer is available at www.hulu.com.)

Q: Do you worry at all about offending community college types?

A: In one word, nope. I think it's (the time) ripe to set something there. It's not a show making fun of community college. It's just set there, like "Cheers": There were a few comments about the bar but it wasn't about the bar.

Q: How has your undergraduate history degree helped advance your career?

A: I don't know. I don't bring up the Battle of Hastings very much. I got that (degree) because it was one of the only things I was interested in in college. (He later completed the University of Washington's master's program in acting.)

Q: "The Soup" is like modern history.

A: I suppose. Will people look at it and study it years from now? It might make a sad commentary on our time.

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