Alicia Adejobi chats to Marc Maron, who thinks it's OK to date his stalkers...
There aren't many comedians who've had as colourful a past as Marc Maron, but lucky for him he's able to turn those downs into a career. The 45-year-old usually bases his shows on his personal experiences. So has anything dramatic happened to Maron recently? “Well there was a divorce not so long ago, some aggressiveness, dating, new relationships, career changes, the pod-cast...” Anything else, I wonder? “Trying to get out of my head seems to be an everyday occurrence, so that's formed part of my comedy lately”.
The American comic and radio show host has been doing a new show at the Soho Theatre, which he says is “filled with the normal themes of a Marc Maron show”. What does that include? “Obsession, love, politics, technology. Just a buffet of my recent stand-up work.” You wouldn't be wrong in thinking that it doesn't sound like the most cheerful show, but there are many people who appreciate Maron's stories. He reveals that he sometimes has stalkers visit him backstage to express how much they liked his show: “the best thing to do with a stalker is to take them for lunch or a cup of coffee.” Yes, that does seem like the most logical and sure-fire way to get rid of a stalker...
Maron's rantings about his personal life have turned him into one of the most popular comics on the American stand-up circuit. How was it that such a seemingly down-trodden man was able to make the nation laugh? Maron, who had been trawling the circuit since 1995, finally broke into commercial radio in 2004, when he bagged a show on Air America Radio (AAR). Only this was short-lived, as Maron faced a series of knock-backs from the network. It seems his continual attempts to try and “derail the Bush administration” started to wear thin on the radio network and they decided to let him go. “They must have fired me three or four times before they actually got rid of me properly,” he laughs.
The saying that “when a door closes, another one opens”, must be true as another door did open for Maron...the door to his garage. Once the satirist left AAR, he started a pod-cast which he named WTF. “Well actually, AAR stupidly forgot to take away my security key so the first few WTFs were recorded after hours in their studios,” he recalls. Soon after, he decided to take up residence in his garage, which he calls the “cat ranch”. WTF provides an opportunity for Maron to talk to up-and-coming comedians, and he even had movie star Ben Stiller on the show.
Maron may have the freedom to talk about any topic he likes on WTF, but when he's doing stand-up he's more careful that his outspoken nature doesn't offend the audience. “I offended someone the other night, but I don't intentionally drive people away. When people come to my show, they usually know what to expect and I just tell my opinion.” What about Maron's opinion that marriage is a capitalist conspiracy? “It is certainly, without a doubt a capitalist conspiracy,” bellows Maron. “It's just an impossible thing to do from my point of view”. After going through a divorce twice, it's understandable that Maron is against the institution. “They say the third one's the charm. I just have to find her. Actually I'm dating one of my stalkers now, so maybe that'll work out,” he says jokingly.
Until he finds the right time to marry his stalker, Maron is enjoying his current stint at the Soho Theatre. “The audience have given me a great reception and I'm really enjoying performing here,” enthuses the comic. This is Maron's first time visiting London since his youth, and he admits that he gets stage fright performing in new places. “I feel lonely and alienated when I travel outside of the US. In fact, I feel like that when I leave the house to go to the store,” he laughs.
What can we expect from Maron in the future? “I hope something. For now, it's just me in my garage among the clutter that is my life doing my radio show.”
Marc Maron will be at the Soho Theatre until August 7th.
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