On the heels of the release of his new video, “Please Use This Song,” comedian and long-time personal crush of mine, Jon Lajoie, participated in a Reddit AMA to discuss The League, football, how to pronounce his last name and, of course, vinegar strokes. Seems as good a place as any to start!
What does your vinegar strokes look like?
Gilbert Godfrey getting stung by a bee is the best way to describe it.
On Snoop Dog’s alluring musk:
Who’s been your favorite guest star to work with on The League?
When Snoop guest starred, I was the most nervous I’ve been in years. I grew up listening to his music, I had the Chronic and Doggystyle on cassette. I wasn’t sure how he was going to be, you never know. He was so cool… He also smelled like he got sprayed by a skunk, in a good way. JJ Watt was awesome. Having him charge us in a hotel room was incredibly frightening. Also, I love Sarah Silverman, so it was so fun having her on set.
To be fair, most kids are huge jerks:
Do you have any pets? If so what kind and what are their names?
I don’t right now, but the little black dog in some of my early videos was Lucky. He was the best. He sometimes bit kids, but they mostly deserved it. RIP Lucky.
Rest assured that Jason Mantzoukas isn’t out there like eating babies or whatever Rafi does:
Who is most like their character on the League?
Hmmm… We’re all very different from our characters, although there are often similarities. I can say pretty dumb things sometimes on set and people think that I’m joking around in character. I was given the line “Ice Cold 3 penis wine, Al Fresco” last year, and I kept messing it up. The excuse I gave was that I didn’t speak Spanish. For real. I wasn’t joking. I can tell you who is the most UNlike their character on The League. Jason Mantzoukas (Rafi). Thank God.
It’s safe to say that Jon Lajoie knows more about football than Taco:
Are you a big football fan in real life?
Yes. I used to play Joe Montana football on Sega Genesis. I know the names of at least 3 teams, and a few players, I think. How awesome is it that Ocho is playing for the Montreal Alouettes!! That is straight out of a League episode.
Hmm. I’d go with Justin Bieber with a beard drawn on in Sharpie, just because he has nicer hair:
If they made a movie about your life, who would play you (other than yourself)?
Robert Patrick, the guy who played the T1000 in Terminator 2. That guy is badass. Or Wayne Brady.
(I got nothin’):
How many people outside of Canada can properly pronounce your name?
Your mom pronounced it just fine last night! (That’s why they pay me the big bucks!)
I’m kind of surprised Jon LaJoie isn’t already somehow responsible for this commercial:
Which commercial do you want your song to be in the most?
Farmers Only.
Have you ever tried to find a match on that site? Some of those people can get pretty freaky.
City folk just don’t get it!
Jon Lajoie will totally high five you if you see him in public:
How to people react to seeing you in passing? Do you feel like a celebrity or is it more casual?
Super casual, people are great. They usually just want to tell me that they like the videos, or The League, and that’s pretty much it. Once in a while a drunk dude will puke on my crotch, but it’s rare. Don’t be shy if you see me, seriously.
He also has very strong opinions on which Batman is best:
Is Michael Keaton still your favourite Batman?
No one will ever be a better Batman. Ever. Even if in a dystopian future, crime is rampant, and the police force is failing to keep the rule of law, and a real vigilante rises up, and starts dressing up as a bat and bringing criminals to justice with the use of advanced weapons and gadgets.. Even that guy wouldn’t come close. A real Batman wouldn’t even be as good as Keaton.
On comedy:
Are there any problems you come across when constantly producing parodies or trying to be funny? Does any one piece you did seem more forced than the others?
Yes, of course. But sometimes it’s hard to realize it in the moment. You end up putting things out or doing things just to meet people’s expectations, or to be safe, without really being conscious of it. I know I’m doing something right when I’m operating outside of my comfort zone, even it the thing ends up not being mediocre, or isn’t well received. But it’s hard to venture out of the comfort zone, I’m guilty of setting up camp inside of it quite often.
On the possibility of more “Everyday Normal Guy”:
Hey Jon, love all of your work. Can we please get another Everyday Normal Guy rap?
I promise that will happen. Still Normal, still making pretty good spaghetti sauce, still taking my time to perfect the beat, cuz I still got love for mediocrity. Steve’s been bugging me about it too.
