CARROT TOP | A profile Spontaneity breeds fun for purveyor of props

The Ohio native says he's steering clear of Iraq-war jokes for now.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
It has happened to you, too. You plunk down good money to be entertained by someone who, it turns out, is such a control freak that every second of the performance is scripted, rehearsed and polished to a glitzy finish. You're either annoyed or bored -- that is, if you can overcome those feelings of d & eacute;j & agrave; vu.
That's why Carrot Top, the comedian who's equal parts prop man and punster, likes a few moments of spontaneity every time he's onstage.
"It wouldn't be any fun if I didn't go up there and take a risk and have fun," Carrot Top, a k a Ohio native Scott Thompson, said earlier this week from a stop in Cincinnati. "I can always fall back on things that I know will work."
Carrot Top performs Saturday night in Edward W. Powers Auditorium, Youngstown.
Familiar, yet new
The red-haired comic has been to Youngstown several times. He knows that familiarity brings audiences back. "People will yell out, "Wendy!'" he said, referring to his imitation of a famous fast-food restaurant icon. They enjoyed his show the first time and grab their friends the next time he's around, telling them "'Hey, you have to check this out.' ... I don't want to disappoint them," he said.
With every performance, however, he'll squeeze in one or two new features, many of which are inspired by current events. Because the headlines are constantly changing, some of these gags have very short life spans. Thus, "there's no real trying-it-out period," Carrot Top said. "I just go for it."
"I'm not one of these guys who sits down and writes. I just watch life and go, 'That's funny; I'm going to put that in the show,' and if it works, great."
It doesn't always work. Amused by presidential candidate Howard Dean's now-famous "I Have a Scream" speech last week in Iowa, Carrot Top worked it into one of his recent shows in Canada. He substituted Canadian provinces for the campaign-trail states that Dean had named. People "didn't get it," he said.
He got better feedback about his rant regarding sports teams and domed stadiums, he added.
Notable props
The bulk of Carrot Top's act remains his sight gags. He has 35 trunks full of his absurdities -- a boot with a kickstand for liquored-up cowboys, a cup for frozen ice drinks that comes with a heater to fight "brain freeze," and so on. He's the idea man; a guy he knows brings his thoughts to life. Among their more recent collaborations is the Michael Jackson witness stand. Its key features are a highchair and a microphone.
"My whole show is just about poking fun in a sense," Carrot Top said.
He does tread carefully, however, when it comes to politics. He's decided that people are sensitive about the ongoing war in Iraq and President Bush. "That's just the way we are, the way our world thinks right now," he said.
"Clinton was a gold mine," he noted, referring to the former president and his dalliance with a White House intern. "With Bush, everything was fine up until the war."
It doesn't bother Carrot Top because, he said, "I'm not a big political comedian anyway. In my personal life I am ... I don't want to alienate the crowd. It's more fun for me to be silly up there, anyway."
Future ventures
Besides a demanding touring schedule, Carrot Top and a friend are trying to sell a movie idea to a studio. There may be more TV commercials in his future (he's been a pitchman for 1-800-CALL ATT).
Soon, you may plunk your money into a Carrot Top slot machine. After many performances in Las Vegas -- even his DVD that was released last summer was filmed at the MGM Grand -- Carrot Top is ready to join the ranks of other comedians who have been memorialized in casinos. Carrot Top props will replace the game's standard cherries and gold bars. Winners may receive one of his videos as well as cash, he said.
shaulis@vindy.com