Anzzia: That makes sense. As a comedian what do you feel is your strongest characteristic? What sets you apart from others?
Carmen: From other comedians? That's actually a great question. Which I think every comedian needs to figure out what separates them from every other comedian that makes them stand out. For myself, I don't know. Part of me say's nobody can tell your story. Your story, your act and what you've been through and the things you talk about with your family and stuff like that. That alone separates you. But, there's also something bigger that would have to separate you. When you think about someone, for instance, Jim Carrey or even like a Carrot Top, again Robin Williams. These are major things that separated people from other comedians that made them really big. Chris Rock, you know, Dave Chapelle. But, some comedians I think it takes a while to beat that out, you know? One, you're trying to learn how to do stand up and do it well. Then you have to figure out what separates you from everybody. Like I said, this goes back to the online stuff. Now, there are so many things to follow online you really have to figure out what separates you from everybody, you know?
Anzzia: Yes! Very true.
Carmen: I don't know, I'm me. I guess you could say I'm me, you know? Nobody can tell my story. I guess besides me.
Anzzia: Very true. What is one of the worst things to happen to you as a performer or even during a performance? Do you have any of those for me?
Carmen: Yeah, I've got my go-to story. Every comedian got their like, Hell gigs. I've played some Hell gigs where you're in the middle of nowhere, an entire nights drive from home and I've played a gig like that. It was in the middle of nowheresville Florida and it was like a Pizza Hut that was gutted and transformed into a Chinese buffet restaurant. Then gutted and changed into a Spanish nightclub.
Anzzia: Oh wow.
Carmen: When you're there you can see all of the layers of like, everything here failed, you know? I did a show there one time. If you want to even call it a show.
Me and my roommate and another friend, we drove out there, we were making barely a hundred bucks but, it was enough for us to be like, "Ehh, we can use it for groceries." We go out there and we do this horrible show for like, one Spanish family who didn't know a show was about to go on. I don't even know if they spoke English, they just stared at us the whole time.
Anzzia: /laughs
Carmen: Then on the drive home we got into a car accident and we rolled the car and it was like the worst night of my life, ever. Worst night of stand up. People want to talk about their Hell gigs, the gig went bad and then we got into a car accident. That's how bad the gig went.
Anzzia: Oh, no! Wow, I don't know what I was expecting but, I was NOT expecting that! /laughs
Carmen: Oh my gosh! But, then your still so happy to have your little hundred dollar check. At least you made a hundred bucks.