Posted Friday, November 3, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.om on his AJC Radio & TV Talk subscriber-based blog
Jim Gaffigan is the stand-up model of the baffled dad, perplexed and annoyed by society as a whole. He's a more self-aware, self-deprecating version of Homer Simpson with an equal love for donuts.
Over the course of two-plus decades, the 51-year-old author and actor has steadily built his stand-up fan base to the point where he is now headlining arenas. He comes to Atlanta's Philips Arena for the first time November 11, a rarefied achievement matched by the likes of Amy Schumer and Kevin Hart in recent years.
His busy schedule belies how he portrays himself on stage as someone who prefers to sit and binge-watch shows and eat chips than, um, move.
"Laziness is a romanticism of what I want to be," Gaffigan said in a recent interview with me. "But that being said, I do feel like there are plenty of things I am lazy about. So when I talk about watching TV and not being able to find the remote so I just watch whatever is on, that's based on truth."
He now has five Netflix specials, including his most recent 2017 "Cinco." He intersperses his usual mix of jokes about his girth, his parenting fails and (of course) food. And as a devoted Catholic, he doesn't mind touching religion.
"I wouldn't mind being in shape," he said during his 2017 special. "You know who was in really good shape? Jesus." After some uncomfortable laughter, he said, "Nothing like the topic of Jesus to take the air out of the room! That's what he would have wanted: 'When you bring up my name, I want them to be really uncomfortable!' "
After a few more riffs on Jesus making bread, he pretended to be someone in the audience uttering, "Get back to your regular food jokes!" So he talked steak. "If eating steak is manly, it is the only manly attribute I have. I know nothing about cars. I'm not handy. I can't fix things. If something breaks, I say to my wife, 'You should call someone!' "
CONCERT PREVIEW
Jim Gaffigan
8 p.m. Saturday, November 11
Philips Arena
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