Funnyman Bushart: Thick skins required

By John Benson

With a razor-sharp tongue and the inability not to offend, say, everyone in the room, comedian Bill Bushart is following in the comedic footsteps of the master insult funnyman Don Rickles.

“Definitely Don Rickles was an influence growing up,” said Bushart, calling from his Detroit home. “There is no doubt about it. I grew up in a Catholic house and we’d be warned by the nuns growing up not to watch Don Rickles because he was just so over the top.

“You look back at it now and it’s mild by today’s standards. It just shows you how things have evolved and the sensitivity is still there for some people. There’s no doubt about it.”

Considering feelings are hurt so easily, where’s the line? It’s for this reason an insult comic in a politically correct world seems out of place.

“People don’t think you can do it, and a lot of times you won’t see the things on television but when it comes to club comedy, I think people understand that that’s an act,” Bushart said. “Sure, there’s lot of political correctness now where you don’t think you can do the things that have been done in the past, but if you look at a comedian like Lisa Lampanelli and maybe a Dave Attell, it’s like no-holds-barred comedy.

“So they’re going to poke fun at what the crowd thinks is funny and if the crowd is laughing, it is funny.”

What Bushart thinks is funny is material ranging from politics to pop culture. The 42-year-old funnyman said he likes to talk about the lunacy of Britney Spears and Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), as well as the reality that attaining celebrity status no longer has any requirements.

XBill Bushart will be at The Funny Farm Comedy Club in Niles tonight through Saturday. Call (330) 759-4242 or visit www.funnyfarmcomedyclub.com