When Vanity Fair columnist Christopher Hitchens penned his January 2007 column on “why women aren’t funny,” he had clearly never heard of Chelsea Handler.

Handler refutes Hitchens’s premise with ease. The stand-up comedienne and author is notorious for her consistently biting wit, which is brilliantly showcased on E!’s Chelsea Lately. From snarking on celebrities to expounding on her love for booze and her best friend Chuy, Handler is a no-holds-barred performer.     

The New Jersey-born comedienne was born to a Jewish father and Mormon mother, a mix she frequently acknowledges provided no shortage of material for her stand-up performances. Handler went on to star in the Oxygen series Girls Behaving Badly for four years before taking up residence on E! with Chelsea Lately in 2007.

This year, Handler hit the road to deliver her often-vicious quips to audiences nationwide. Las Vegas comedy fans can expect anecdotes akin to those delivered in her books, 2005’s My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands and 2008’s Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea, which recently landed at No. 3 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Handler may share tales of awkward sexual encounters and drunken antics, but don’t be fooled by the sorority girl-esque set ups. The comedienne’s comic timing and wickedly hilarious punchlines position her squarely in the new comedy wave, a group that includes Saturday Night Live alumnae Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
 
Handler recently spoke to Casino Connection about her tour, TV show and latest book.

Chelsea Handler comes to the Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort October 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $55 and $65.

Your show Chelsea Lately deals with pop culture and your books contain personal anecdotes—are your live performances a combination of both?
I talk a lot more about my personal life than I do about celebrities when I do stand-up.

Some performers say Las Vegas audiences can be a little wilder than those in other cities. Have you found that to be true?
I think the people are wasted and they’re gambling and it makes for a really good weekend. People are there on vacation usually. The last time I performed was at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. This time, it’s going to be a little bit rowdier because it’s a bigger venue.

You started your career in stand-up. Do you prefer having a routine or improvising?
I like improvising a lot. The show’s great because I get to think of stuff on my feet and act in the moment. I never wanted to read other people’s lines. As long as it’s my material, I don’t have a problem saying it.

There has been a lot of controversy within the past few years about whether women are funny. As a female comic, do you feel like you have to prove yourself?
I think there’s more opportunity. There’s less female comics. It’s an advantage to be a woman.

You’ve published two books, your most recent reaching No. 3 on the New York Times bestseller list. What inspired you to write about your life?
It was just another thing to do. My friends would say, “Your stories are so stupid about sleeping with different guys and hooking up with a little person. You should write them down.” So I put together 10 chapters. It was the easiest thing in the world. I had a book deal within a couple days. That’s a real author’s worst nightmare to hear my story, but that’s really how it was.

You’ve written books, starred in your own television show and appeared in movies. What’s next?
I’m going to sit tight and do this for awhile. We’re talking about doing In the Motherhood [an internet comedy show starring Handler, Leah Remini and Jenny McCarthy] as a sitcom for ABC. Right now I’m pretty busy with the show, so after this tour I’m going to relax until the next book comes out.

Have you already written the new book?
I’m going to work on the book this weekend. But I’ve been saying that for two months.

Do you know what you’re going to write about?
There will be a lot of stories about my boyfriend. I’ll be talking a lot more about my personal life than I do on the show. It’s very observational; it makes fun of my friends who are having babies and my friends who are getting married and act surprised when they receive gifts from their registry. I’m like, ‘You picked it out, bitch, that’s how you got the gift.’

Describe the process of putting together Chelsea Lately.
We get here every day at 9:30 and we read all the gossip sites… it’s important for me to be really invested in the show. And we drink heavily.

Are there any tabloid rumors about yourself that you’d like to clear up?
I’m not pregnant!

By Caitlin McGarry

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