FUNNY FARM The Wiener is back, no joking (but he will)

Wiener will merge comedy and music for his show next year.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
The wiener is back. Comedian Charlie Wiener, that is, returns to Youngstown on Friday and Nov. 26 at the Funny Farm in Liberty, and he's bringing his sharp-witted tongue with him.
"I get a little outspoken on some things, but that's the idea," said Wiener, calling from his home in Brunswick, Ohio. "What the heck, you're supposed to say whatever you want up there. I don't do a lot of political stuff just because I love good political humor and not just somebody who is standing on a stage preaching at me. My problem is, I take politics way too seriously to try to do it as comedy. I'll get too preachy. So I keep politics pretty much out of the show and stay with daily life."
For more than three decades, Wiener has been performing in one fashion or another. This includes appearances on the Arts and Entertainment Channel, hosting his own television shows, "Wienervision" and "Off the Wall," as well as headlining in comedy clubs throughout the United States and Canada.
While his two loves are comedy and music, the former is what puts the food on the table while the latter helps him keep his sanity. However, the Ohio native is planning on merging the two in his upcoming one-man show "Autobiography of a Lesser Mind" due to debut at Cleveland's Playhouse Square Center next spring. He's also working on his third comedy album and is keeping busy touring his homegrown brand of comedy across the States.
Proud of it
As for his comedy club material, Charlie Wiener takes pride in something that seemingly belies his job description.
"I've never written a joke in my life," Wiener said. "I don't think I ever will. It's just all stuff that I notice that goes on everyday. I'm 52, been married a couple of times and have two kids, and really, that's my routine. It's kind of wondering what the hell happened to the young guy that I used to hang around with. I don't know where he went."
He added, "I'm just dealing with life as we go along, still avoiding work. Still avoiding a job. Although I work very hard to avoid work, it seems kind of crazy at times."
If there's a common denominator of Wiener's comedy across the years, it's his never-ending hippie ranting. So, how are the hippies dealing with the new millennium?
"As far as I know, we're still kind of hanging out in the old one by tooth and claw, and we're not letting go," Wiener said. "We have a new war to protest against so that helps to ease us into the new millennium. We're still protesting. We're still out there on the streets. It gives us something to rail against, the man. Even though we are the man, we're still railing against him."