Jim Gaffigan is currently on tour for his latest special, The Skinny, which debuted on Hulu in late November 2024 and incorporates a lot of self-depreciating jokes about his weight-loss journey over the past few years. Fall 2024 was big for Jim because in the run up to The Skinny’s release, he participated in politics and political comedy more than he usually does in his professional life. (He did speak out against Trump in 2020 and stands by his comments.) Jim played Gov. Tim Walz during SNL’s election season coverage and hosted the Al Smith dinner, which is a fundraising gala to support Catholic charities in New York City that’s historically attended by presidential candidates. Last year’s dinner was notable because Trump attended but VP Harris sent in a video instead.

Jim was presented with Variety’s inaugural Comedy Vanguard Award earlier this month at the New York Comedy Festival. As such, he also sat down with Variety for a lengthy interview to talk about everything from his early career, how his stand-up has evolved over the years, his thoughts on politics in comedy, and more. Here are some of the highlights:

On how his humor has changed over time: [I]t’s definitely evolved…When you’re 19 or 21, the excitement around irreverence is so much more appealing than nuance. You appreciate nuance later on. When I was in college, I worked as a doorman at a comedy club, and I remember thinking, “Oh, these boring comedians.” I liked the edgy guys. I would have disliked my own comedy back then.

The role physical appearance plays for a comedian: Comedians get a lot of credit or criticism for the comedy they do, but the reality is, they do exactly what they’re kind of allowed to do. I’m a big, lumbering white guy. If I was angry, I don’t think that would be appealing. Louis Black can be angry, even Bill Burr can be angry. But if I’m angry, it just makes the audience uncomfortable. If I’m silly and self-effacing, that’s palatable to the audience.

He doesn’t want to punch down: It sounds corny, but being a comedy nerd and having studied stand-up, I do think there’s an aftertaste to stand-up that people don’t realize. I don’t want my stand-up to leave people with that icky feeling. I don’t want to punch down. We all have friends who are super bitchy and gossipy, and they’re great to hang out with. But an hour after that, you’re like, “I feel kind of bad. We were making fun of Melissa forever.” I’m not saying I’m not guilty of this, because there is a lot of anger, and I have a very dark heart. But it’s better to bring insight and make a joke as a commentary on all humans.

Why his joke about Pat Sajak retiring from ‘playing hangman’ isn’t punching down: I wouldn’t want Pat Sajak to be like, “Why is he picking on me?” That’s where it’s imperfect. I tried to set it up where he seems like a loving guy. But the point of that joke is he was making $17 million per year — for playing hangman! The meat of that joke is more a commentary on how our priorities in our society are all over the place. Pat Sajak was compensated because people had an affinity for him. He was efficient, he was likable, he was charming. But maybe a teacher should make more than him!

His foray into political comedy: I’ve always liked the fact that at my shows, a lesbian couple could sit next to a Mormon family and enjoy the stand-up I’m doing. But I do find politics fascinating. We live in an age where you can’t really articulate anything [without it being misconstrued]. My best friend from childhood was furious that I did the Al Smith Dinner. He said, “I can’t believe you didn’t destroy Trump.” And I’m like, “I know it’s not going to change anything.” And the task was to attack both sides — in a setting where you’re surrounded by billionaires. The Tim Walz thing, I was within the environment of “SNL,” and there’s a cultural interpretation of every sketch. I intellectually know this: No one is going to listen to me. At the same time, I want to be able to look my children in the eyes and say I didn’t allow some horrible thing to happen. I also feel comfortable that people know my views.

[From Variety]

I think a lot of what Jim says here is very well thought out, but it definitely applies to his own personal, lived experience. He also has a very good handle on what his audience wants. I like that he doesn’t want to punch down. It has never been his brand, and his fanbase doesn’t expect that from him. It’s wild that he has to clarify a joke about Pat Sajak making a bajillion dollars for hosting what is essentially an ELA-based (beloved) game show while teachers make next to nothing for doing the same. That is where comedy comes in. It brings awareness in a relatable way without making people feel like they need to go on the defense.

This is why I think Jim is a little naive about how blurred the lines have become between comedy and politics. People listen because their guard is down. It comes back to his earlier musings about how you don’t appreciate nuance when you’re younger. When politicians, especially Republican politicians, show up on these comedian bro podcasts and spread their message while joking around, it makes them more relatable but also makes their dangerous views “make sense.” Maybe politics don’t belong in his comedy, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not powerful.

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