According to Ralphie May, he has a life that lends itself to comedy. Whether it be situations he puts himself in or the antics of his two children, the comedian can always find the humor in his own life.
“I have eternal bad luck, and because of that, good things have always happened to me. It sounds strange, but something will happen and I’ll make a joke out of it,” he said. “Like the time I forgot to take all the weed out of my bag at the airport and I pet a drug dog. You can’t make that up, you’ve got to live it.”
May and his unique brand of adult-only comedy will be appearing at The Renaissance Theatre on Tuesday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m., and he noted he was excited to come back to Mansfield.
“We’ve played the Renaissance a couple times. I love it. I sell out every time I’m there and we have an absolute blast,” he said.
Voted one of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch,” May has released a record-setting four one-hour comedy specials and will be releasing two more this year. In addition, he recently released a vintage comedy album recorded in Houston in 1998 and his new line of barbecue sauce called “Fat Baby Jesus.”
When he’s not on the road, May divides his time between Nashville and Los Angeles with his wife Lahna, their dog Hoochie Mama, and their two children, April June May and August James May. It is from his children and wife that May draws his inspiration.
“My wife is a comedian and my kids are hilarious,” said May. “Easily the worst part of the job is being away from my wife and kids. When I was single and I had a girlfriend in every town, drinking and partying and telling jokes, the rock-star lifestyle, that’s when comedy was awesome. Now that I’ve got the woman I love and my children, being away from all that makes comedy really hard.”
Being a father to a 6-year-old and a 4-year-old has opened May’s eyes to many new things, like the TV show “Dora the Explorer.”
“’Dora the Explorer’ for an adult that’s a father is one of the most horrific, scary things of all time,” said May with a laugh. “I was like, who are these people to let their baby just walk around in the woods? It should be ‘Dora the Amber Alert!’”
At age 42, May has perfected his relatable style of comedy through a 25-year career. After wanting to be a stand-up comedian since the age of 9, May’s first performance was at the age of 13, performing professionally by the age of 17. He said his comedic style works by making himself the brunt of the joke.
“Usually I’m the dummy that causes it all,” he said. “I’m usually the one that is the stupid one, and I let people laugh at me. They say they’re laughing with me but ask them, they’re really laughing at me.”
Still, May said his self-deprecating humor has made him somewhat of a role model for audience members who struggle with their own self-esteem. He said he has even acted as a catalyst for people to become healthier, or to get out more.
“There’s a freedom and a joy about it that’s really, really nice,” said May. “I’m up there on stage in front of thousands of people, and I’m being judged instantly. If I can do it, you can do it.”
May stated he really likes the Mansfield area and can’t wait to return on June 24. His favorite part of the job is the performance, which is easy when you have “the best audiences in the country.”
“My audiences are the best, they’re blue-collar with white-collar intelligence, they don’t have an uppity attitude, they work hard, they’re all sizes, and they’re not prejudiced or rude or mean,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing. You need laughter in your life.”
For tickets to see Ralphie May at the Renaissance, visit their website.
