Between working on sketches for E!, hilarious prank phone calls to phone sex operators, a recurring "Untopical Man on the Street" video segment (Sample question: "Do you use Ask Jeeves or Altavista to search the Internet?") and writing and performing his one-man show at Upright Citizens Brigade, local comedian Gil Ozeri has had a busy year. His show, "Buzzy Shore's Master Class in Comedy," sees Ozeri take on the role of a racist, misogynistic D-level comic teaching the masses how to break into comedy. We spoke to the rising star before his upcoming shows in New York and Los Angeles.
You've gotten phone sex operators to indulge your fake fetishes for early 90s slang, Jewish moms and Clippy from Microsoft Word. What is their usual reaction?
Most of the girls are super into it and have a fun time with it. I get a lot of emails and comments on my calls from other phone sex girls saying that their calls are usually boring and they wish I'd call in to them with a crazy request.
What's the single biggest piece of wisdom Buzzy Shore would give to aspiring comics?
Sell out the second you get a chance to.
How about yourself?
I would say find what you're good at and focus on that. Once you know what that is, eat, sleep and breath it. Or do a ton of fart jokes. Either way.
("Buzzy Shore's Master Class in Comedy" ends its New York run at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater this Friday, October 2 at 7 p.m. Ozeri can also be seen in the sketch show "Death by Roo Roo" most Saturdays at the UCB. For more info, check out www.iknowgil.com or newyork.ucbtheatre.com)
