Expect a high time with comic Doug Benson at this 4/20 celebration
Stand-up comic Doug Benson knows his purpose in life, and it comes with a pipe in his hand. He is the host of “Getting Doug With High,” a self-explanatory interview show where his guests smoke generous helpings of marijuana and then discuss random issues of the day or nothing at all.
His guests on the podcast have included Cheech and Chong (naturally) and Jack Black, Kevin Smith, Sarah Silverman and David Cross, who indulge in the herb on-camera and answer questions about their “high history” and other matters of comedy, cannabis and culture. On April 20 (aka the ganja holy day “4/20”), Benson will broadcast live from the Alex Theatre in Glendale. His guests that night remain a close secret, but there’s no mystery about how they will end up: coughing, giggling and bewildered.
Benson, who didn’t begin smoking marijuana regularly until he was 28, answered questions in an email interview with Marquee about the show and the ongoing theme of his career.
As to the unprecedented spectacle of Benson and his guests smoking pot onstage on Brand Boulevard, it’s allowable in part because the performers hold California medical marijuana cards. And like other entertainment venues that otherwise don’t allow the smoking of anything, entertainers are able to indulge onstage at the Alex as long as it is part of the show, said Elissa Glickman, CEO of Glendale Arts.
Marquee: How did “Getting Doug With High” happen?
Doug Benson: Daniel Kellison, a longtime TV producer who worked with both David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel, started a video network called JASH with Sarah Silverman and some others, and he asked me if I’d like to do a show with him. He even added that it could be anything that I want to do. So I said that I want to do a talk show where I get high with the guests and without batting an eye he said yes.
How does the live show differ from the video podcast?
Every episode of the show is live, but some are in the studio and some are in front of a live audience. In the “spacement,” as we like to call it, we generally have one to three guests smoking live on YouTube. With the audience shows I’m joined by five people on stage. As you can imagine, the spacement shows are pretty chill and the audience ones get kind of crazy.
Are there places where you can’t tour with this show?
Most places, actually. We haven’t done it outside of California yet, but we’re looking into doing it in states where weed is legal, like Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Colorado. And don’t forget Washington D.C., even though it isn’t a state.
Different guests have different kinds of reactions?
Yes, some are better at handling it than others. The heavy smokers generally don’t have a problem, but lightweights, for lack of a better term, can get really quiet or even downright catatonic. Which is pretty fun to watch.
What is the high point and low point of your personal “High history?”
Ha, it’s been all high points. Not only do I enjoy weed, I’ve managed to make it a big part of my career. I’m one of the few people who gets to say, “I gotta go to work and get high now.”
Are you high right now? Or do you save that for performances?
I’m not high right now because you caught me early in the day. But in a few hours I will probably spark up. Once it’s 4:20pm, it’s pretty much on for the rest of the night. I really like to go to bed high, because it helps me to sleep and eliminates dreams. I just realized that the kids in “Nightmare on Elm Street” should’ve smoked weed before going to sleep!
You first started smoking at age 28? What kept you from trying it earlier?
I tried it with some hippie kids who lived next door when I was in high school, but it just didn’t appeal to me. Maybe it was dirt weed. I tried some good stuff with other comedians on the road when I was 28.
What was that first experience like?
I don’t have any specific memories of it, but it must’ve been pretty good, because I’ve been doing it ever since!
Is it best to watch the show straight or high?
People tell me they watch it not high all the time. The show even has fans who never smoke. The bottom line is that it’s a comedy show, so you don’t necessarily have to be high to enjoy it.
Have any guests ever smoked too much and zoned out completely?
Not completely, but pretty close. Jack Black had taken a break from smoking for a couple years, so when he took a big rip at the beginning of a show, he got too high immediately and remained so for the whole hour. He was really cool about it after, even apologizing because he thought he let me down. But it has ended up being the most popular episode in our archives.
What have you learned about your fellow comedians by talking to them after they’ve been smoking?
That they are fun people who become even more fun. I’ve never had an argument or gotten angry with a comic on the show. One comedian came on and then decided not to smoke, so I wasn’t happy with him, but it still ended up being an entertaining installment. But now I make sure the casting guy is very clear with each guest that they are expected to smoke on the show. People can go on my other podcasts if they don’t want to smoke.
What are some of the differences between this show and “Doug Loves Movies”?
“Doug Loves Movies” is an audio-only podcast that is always taped in front of a live audience, both in L.A. and out on the road. I’m generally high when I host it, but the format is very different, with movie talk followed by movie trivia games. I’ve also got a food podcast called “Dining with Doug & Karen.” I have shows about weed, movies and food because I love them all!
4/20 is the most wonderful day of the year for pot enthusiasts. Is it difficult to choose how you will spend that day?
For about eight years I recorded a new comedy album on that day, but now that I have “Getting Doug With High” it seemed appropriate to do that on 4/20. If it goes well this year, it could become an annual event.
Who will you have with you at the Alex Theater in Glendale?
The guests are always a secret. That way no one is disappointed if someone cancels. When people hit me up on Twitter about who is going to be on, I always quote the dude at the end of “Raiders of The Lost Ark” and say “Top ... men.” Even though ladies come on the show too.
The Alex Theater is in Glendale. Do you have much of an impression of the city?
I don’t. In fact the only times I’ve ever been to Glendale were to do shows at the Alex during “Last Comic Standing.” It’s a lovely facility!
What’s it like when you have someone who is famously a stoner icon of pop culture — like a Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson or Cheech and Chong?
Well, we haven’t been able to nail down Snoop or Willie, but when C. and C. came on I had to pinch myself. I mean, if someone had told me when I was a kid watching “Up In Smoke” that I’d be smoking on stage with those guys someday, I would’ve said, “What are you, high?”
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What: “Getting Doug With High,” Doug Benson with guests
When: Wednesday, April 20; 8 p.m.
Where: Alex Theatre, 216 North Brand Boulevard, Glendale.
Tickets: $30, plus fees; 18 and older only.
More info: (818) 243-2539, boxoffice@alextheatre.org
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Steve Appleford, steve.appleford@latimes.com
Twitter: @SteveAppleford
