Geoffrey Asmus

WORDS BY PATRICK STRAIT

Geoffrey Asmus is the only funny white man. Or at least, that’s what he’s calling his new stand-up special.
Asmus, a born-and-raised-Minnesotan who now lives in New York, is making his triumphant hometown return this weekend to film his first comedy special at Sisyphus Brewing.
“The thing I like about it is that it’s a very intimate venue,” he says. “I like being able to touch the fans. You know, cure them of leprosy. That’s one thing I want people to know: if you’re at the show, you will be touched. I will touch them.”
Asmus has one of the most intelligent and terrifying voices in comedy today. Unlike other comics, who choose to take down touchy subjects like politics, body-shaming, or religion, Asmus comes straight at the audience, taking down the people who relate to those topics.
“I like performing in Minnesota because they’re pretty liberal but not like, fucking stupid about it,” he says.
Last year, Asmus released his very first comedy album, Prodigal Little Bitch, which was met with rave reviews from comedy fans. But comments on his video clips have focused almost solely on his appearance.
“Every comment is talking about my looks,” he says. “I have these two moles on my face and I never really thought about them. But now that I’m posting clips on YouTube I am definitely very aware of them. Everyone is like, ‘Does he know he has two giant moles on his face?’ I always thought they were incredibly small and never thought about them but now I’m very conscious of them, thanks to YouTube. Basically, I’m trying to earn enough money to get them chopped off. That’s my goal of this special.”
Moles notwithstanding, Asmus’ shows never disappoint—he’ll be sure to point out just how good he’s doing throughout his set. He’s truly the funniest gaslighter you’ll ever meet, walking a fine line of making you feel like he’s on your side while simultaneously making you question all of your beliefs.
“I have a dream about doing a tour of small cities,” he says. “I think that might be an interesting thing to do. Seeing if I can do comedy in a really blue city and then a really conservative city to see if I can make everyone laugh.”
As for the special, Asmus, along with a stacked team of directors and filmmakers, will do their best to make something that entertains, offends, and fulfills his need to create.
“It’s good to make things,” he explains. “It’s good to just make something in this crazy world just to be like, oh OK, I’m doing something.”

WHEN YOU GO:
Geoffrey Asmus special taping
Sisyphus Brewing
Nov. 18 & 19
8 PM, $15