"Ultimately the jokes do come back on me a lot of the time, because I am ridiculous. But also incredibly fabulous."
As Australia's 2017 comedy fest season kicks off in earnest, Joel Creasey is adamant he doesn't want to be another comedian vying to tell their best Donald Trump joke. But he's not afraid to dispel some "fake news" (about himself) and dish the dirt about the mortifying experience of accidentally sleeping with some of old mate Donald's supporters.
"Some comics do great political comedy and some really thought-provoking comedy, and they're just martyrs to me, I can't do that," the 26-year-old comedian shared ahead of the debut his new hour of stand-up, Poser, premiering at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. "I'm just going to tell you some embarrassing stories I've gotten up to, some celebrities I've had run-ins with, and some terrible people I've had sex with — and you can laugh at all of my misfortunes and you can feel better about yourself!"
"I'm just going to tell you some embarrassing stories I've gotten up to, some celebrities I've had run-ins with, and some terrible people I've had sex with."
The last year hasn't been totally taken over with misfortunes for Creasey, however. In addition to whoring himself (in the best possible way) across Aussie TV screens, he's been packing out comedy venues as far-flung as New York and Montreal, rounding out the year by taking home the coveted award for GQ's Comedian of the Year.
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Creasey says that with newfound recognition comes newfound confidence, something no one would have ever accused him of lacking: "I feel like this exposure has given me the confidence to go, 'you know what, people think I'm funny'. And I'm not going to try to change the face of comedy, I'm just gonna do what I can do. And that's telling funny, silly pop culture stories."
A decade on from his first appearances on comedy line-ups as a 16-year-old wearing "terrible, cute cartoony-type like shirts on stage", his wit only seems to gets riper with age. While his knack for insult humour has earned Creasey a reputation as a card-carrying bitch, he also isn't hesitant to make himself, his identity or his place within the frivolous world of celebrity, the punchline. "Ultimately the jokes do come back on me a lot of the time, because I am ridiculous. But also incredibly fabulous." He reassures his audiences that they'll be safe: "If you buy a ticket to come see my show, you are so safe. Anyone outside of the theatre, they're in trouble."
"Pumped" to get back on the road and perform some stand-up, the Perth boy looks forward to visiting Adelaide for the first time in years: "I find Adelaide audiences really appreciative and we love that as comedians, they're big laughers and they love a drink too, which is perfect for us."