How rude, Danny Tanner!

Bob Saget brings his raunchy stand-up to the Valley

 by Claudia Koerner
 published on Sunday, September 9, 2007

MCT

AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME STAND-UP: Bob Saget, the ’90s sitcom star dad turned comedian, brings his raunchy stand-up act to the Valley this weekend.

"Bob Saget is awesome."

Junior Randy Cote's words speak for a powerful segment of college students whose support has brought the former "Full House" star and comedian new levels of success.

Saget's tour promoting his new HBO comedy special stops at Celebrity Theatre Sept. 14.

Saget says he is "very, very appreciative" of his college following, not only for furthering his career, but also for making him look cool in front of his three daughters.

"I'm 51 years old, and I've got a 20-year-old following," Saget said. "It's very cool. I've found my audience. These are the people I love performing to the most."

Many students, like Cote, who grew up watching Saget on shows like "Full House" and "America's Funniest Home Videos," are surprised to see Saget's very adult stand-up routines. Cote said he watched videos of Saget on the Internet and plans on attending the show at Celebrity Theatre.

"I really enjoyed it, but it was quite a change of pace for somebody who'd only seen him on 'Full House,' " Cote said. "People don't expect to see Danny Tanner doing stand-up."

Saget said he plays off of people's expectations of him based on his wholesome resume during his stand-up, which he describes as "silly-dirty" and "immature."

"People just show up because they're intrigued," Saget said. "They've seen me do a bunch of other things. It's not really a comeback, because I've never been here before."

Alycia Klein, general manager at Celebrity Theatre, said theater officials expect a great turnout, including ASU students, due to Saget's recent work for HBO. Klein said Saget's new popularity is "well-deserved. It shows how versatile of a comedian he is."

Comedy is nothing new for Saget, who began making movies when he was 9 years old on 8mm film. At 17, he was already doing stand-up, which he loved for its "immediate feedback."

"It's one of the most comfortable things I do," Saget said. "It's as stimulating as any art form can be. To me it's about being free. I just let it out like any artist would."

Saget attributes his relationship with comedy to his "biggest influence," his father, to whom the HBO special is dedicated.

"We just laughed at sick stuff," Saget said about his father, who shared his dirty sense of humor.

The family also used humor to cope with hardship, such as his parents' loss of four children.

"The way we responded to it is crazy gallows humor," Saget said.

In his stand-up today, Saget talks about various parts of his life, including family and relationships. According to Cote, this real-life quality about Saget, in spite of his "big star" status, is what makes his comedy appealing.

"He's really down-to-earth. He seemed like a regular guy," Cote said.

In spite of his recent rise of fame, including a Web site titled "Bob Saget is God," Saget says he is simply glad that people have been coming to his shows and says he avoids the "weird show-bizzy stuff."

"It's an honor," Saget said about his popularity. "I just don't buy into it. I've got work to do. I choose to just live my life and think the best of it."

While he prefers working for an adult audience, Saget said he expects to keep seeing reruns of "Full House" and "America's Funniest Home Videos."

"Those shows will run forever," Saget said. "They're universal, like eating meatloaf. They're home-cooked meals."

Reach the reporter at claudia.koerner@asu.edu.