Kathleen McGee's bio describes her as "the girl your parents warned you about," which is code for the girl who makes you laugh the hardest. The comedian, formerly of Edmonton, has an act that's on the dark and dirty side, but McGee prefers to call it honest. More and more, that's what people want to hear.
The StarPhoenix chatted with the quotable comic before her show at the Capitol Music Club.
On how Wynyard became a part of her set: "I have a joke about Wynyard, Saskatchewan. It's not a positive one. It was probably one of the worst shows of my life. One of the audience members was this old guy who didn't have any front teeth. I asked how he lost them and he said he was herding cattle in the winter and the cow had frozen poop on its tail that hit him in the face. That's a bit that I tell all the time now and it kills. And people come up to me and they're like 'That happened to my uncle.' "
On the best club sandwich she's ever eaten: "The best club sandwich I've ever had was at the Broadway Cafe. And I eat a lot of club sandwiches. When I was in Saskatoon for two weeks I think I ate it six times."
On younger women at her last Saskatoon show: "They were really cute because some of the stuff I said they were like 'What? That happens?' I just said 'Listen to me. I am your leader.' "
On being considered shocking or vulgar: "It's becoming more acceptable for a woman to talk the way she talks to her girlfriends. It's guys that think we don't talk like this. I really love that girls are talking more about their truthful lives and not hiding stuff and not thinking that they're not a lady because they have sex or they drink."
On why she never gives up even though a comedy career can be frustrating: "I just love it too much, and all the skills I learned in business school are gone. I'm proficient in Office '97. I've put too much into this to quit."
On how she's still a baby in comedy even after a decade: "When I get frustrated that I'm not getting things, comics older than me will be like 'Shut up, you've got a long time to go, don't worry.' And the ones that stick it out in comedy are the ones that make it."
On knowing she would make comedy a career after her first time on stage: "It's a total rush. You get up there and you get a laugh and it's like a drug."
On women in comedy: "All over more and more girls are getting into it and I don't think it's going to be such an uneven playing field anymore. But I also don't like women that say it's hard. It's not difficult to be a woman in comedy if you're funny. I know that sounds bitchy, but I don't ever want to be put on a show because I'm a woman. I hate when they say 'We'll put on an all-women show.' Let's just do comedy. Why does it have to be a gimmick? I'm not a gimmick."
On her life becoming part of her act: "My act, mostly because I've had a shady summer, has become a little bit anti-male. But it's not that I think all men are bad, but my experiences lately are what I'm writing about and what I've had lately has been garbage. I think so many girls can relate to that."
