Ralphie May – Tastes Good, In My Mouth

Welcome back to The Expressionist Magazine

It’s been a little over a year since Ralphie May came to Tampa. Last time he was here he sold out three days at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa and left to a standing ovation. He came back again this March, selling out four days Thursday to Sunday, with the 9:00 PM show over sold by 41 seats.

If you ever have seen his show you’d understand why he sells out. Ralphie May is a master of turning obvious,everyday occurrences into a “pee your pants” laugh. He’s tons of fun, literally, at almost 400 pounds.  May incorporates his appetite and love of food into a hilarious act.

He is also known for his over the top rendition of sexual comedy.  May can make a porn star blush and he does it with almost no shame in his face. Only a true comedian can do that because the rest of us have a hard enough time repeating those kinds of jokes without getting embarrassed. Politically correct is something May is not and that makes the other half of his routine just as shocking. While your drink spews out your nose you might shout out, “Oh no he didn’t!”

May is a long time veteran of comedy, but the world really got their chance to know this amazing comedian only a few years ago. It was then that May appeared on the hit TV show on Comedy Central called “Last Comic Standing.” May was the second runner up in the very first season of the show (2003), and from that day on he never looked back.

Since his television victory, he has appeared on HBO and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, in addition to Comedy Central. May also has a few DVDs out called Ralphie May-Girth Of A Nation, Ralphie May-Prime Cut and Ralphie May-Just Correct, and he is about to release his new album/DVD, Austin-Tatious.   All of his DVDs and CDs have become best sellers and I can easily predict Austin-Tatious will follow in the tradition.

May has seen both sides of the success pendulum. He started out in clubs traveling across the nation, playing in front of 25 people or less and doing shows in sold out theaters in front of 21,000 people. I got a chance to spend some time with the comedian while he was at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa and I asked him what his most memorable show was. Without a flinch, May was quick to reply, “I have played shows in front of thousands and in front of a handful, but either way my shows are memorable. Just because it’s not a large crowd doesn’t mean it’s a bad show; some of my best shows were in front of small crowds. My best show, however, is always my last show.”

May also took the time to lend some advice to aspiring comedians; advice that anyone can apply to their dreams of success. This advice comes from a man who worked hard to get himself where he is today, and it’s a proven formula for success. “ To succeed in comedy you must write material, go to all open mic nights you can, and practice, practice, practice. You won’t be good at first, but the more practice you get, the better you are. Nobody gets on a bike and rides it perfectly the first time. Nobody does anything perfect the first time, so don’t be afraid to have a bad show; comedy is no different. You will never get anywhere in life if you sit around waiting for things to fall in your lap; everything you do takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Success comes with time and the more effort, the sweeter the success.”

In addition to putting on a great show, May loves his fans. He credits them for his success and says he would be nowhere without them. He always brings merchandise to his shows, but stresses that if it comes down to buying something from him or tipping the wait staff well, do the latter of the two. He always has some free stuff available for his fans such as a handshake, a photo opportunity, an autograph or even a hug after the show. May will please his fans at all costs which is refreshing coming from a popular television personality. Instead of charging for the simple things, he gladly gives them to you for a smile.

I had a blast watching him perform live, and getting a one on one interview (which is also a podcast on our magazine) with him. I learned a lot, I laughed a lot, and can honestly say he is well worth the night out. If you want to see if May coming to your town, go to www.ralphiemay.com/myspace. You can also visit the comedian, buy his merchandise or see his schedule on www.raphiemay.com. If you want to see some of the free stuff, visit him on YouTube by  just searching Ralphie May!