After his “Dirty Daddy” book was released to acclaim, Bob Saget is now hitting the road with a stop at the Florida Theatre.
Bob Saget’s first words to me were, “So Carole Baskin killed her husband?” It was clearly a statement more than a question. Even though I was just a guy from Folio Weekly calling to do an interview for his upcoming performance at the Florida Theatre on July 18, he had done his homework. If you have ever had the chance to listen to his podcast, “Bob Saget’s Here’s For You,” you know he is a great interviewer (even during his own interview). For his podcast, he invited listeners to call in and included them in his show between celebrity guests. He talked with them, not to them. Literally, Bob Saget is here for you. He certainly was for me. After almost 80 minutes of shared laughter and perspective, I felt better. I left the interview a bigger Bob Saget fan than I was before the call and immediately bought tickets to his show.
Bob Saget is a damn good guy. He is also a damn good entertainer. He is fun and hilariously funny. He is cerebral and has a wicked sense of humor. He is also incredibly talented. So much so, I was not sure who I would end up interviewing, the guy from Full House, America’s Funniest Videos, Entourage or one of his more raunchy sides as seen in the documentary The Aristocrats, Half Baked or other various roasts. We talked about anything and everything – from being carnivores to cancel culture, from publishing to perception versus reality, personal branding and scleroderma, a cause near to his heart.
We discussed the reaching impact of his longtime character, Danny Tanner (from Full House / Fuller House), something I haven’t seen much written about despite there being so much written about Saget. His portrayal of a single dad who lost his wife to a tragic car accident had an effect on viewers. People connected with Danny Tanner, whether it was because they lost their mother, like his daughters in the show Michelle, Stephanie and D.J., or because they used the show to escape their own reality and dreamed he was their father, even for a moment. I conveyed that, similarly, Joe Exotic told me Bob Saget was his “first boyhood crush.” Bob said a number of former prison inmates he’s met over the years confess a unique bond with him because of Full House.
Another part of the conversation stemmed around the concept that, “you think you know someone.” People are not one-ply or one-dimensional beings. We all change. “I’m a 65 year old guy who doesn’t have a problem changing as the world changes,” Saget said. “I have respect for people, even the people I don’t agree with as long as they don’t come at me yelling.” Saget has fought that for part of his life. He is a dad. He is a husband. He is kind and compassionate like Danny Tanner. He is cerebral and analyzes sitcom history on an upcoming CNN documentary. He appeared in The Aristocrats a documentary about a joke comedians tell each other behind the scenes for shock value. He tells and has told some jokes throughout his career that would make your jaw drop. He has written a New York Times Best Seller. He has performed on Broadway. He has been nominated for a Grammy. Bob Saget is all of these things and more.
Let me be clear. Over the hour, I laughed more than I have laughed in a long time with a huge smile in between because the conversation felt good. I asked how important comedy is right now. Saget said, “I have a neighbor who built a monstrosity of a house. He had torches all over the back of his house at peak fire season. And I may or may not have called the fire department. After they did their job, seven firefighters stopped by my house for 10-15 minutes of comedy. I needed it. They needed it.” As they were leaving, Saget recognized to them that they are the real first responders, not comedians, but they needed to laugh which emphasized just how important comedy is right now, not only for that group of first responders but for all of us as a nation. “Getting to laugh with people is a gift, John. I feel like I have a major responsibility. I think comedy is going to be needed so bad (as we come out of this).”
So on Sunday, July 18, 2021, at 8 p.m. at the Florida Theatre, Bob Saget will be a stand-up comedian. He is excited to be coming back to Jacksonville. He is excited to be back on the road telling jokes and making people laugh. He was one of the first comedians to get back on the road, as he just had to feel people laughing again. Comedians live off of it. It isn’t just a performance with Saget, he was, “on a mission to do great stand-up” not just for himself, but because we all need to laugh more now than ever. “I’m emotional about it. I don’t get on stage to take a political stance about any of it. There was enough yelling before COVID shut us down. I just want to be entertaining and be funny and poignant. I believe in humanity.” We need laughter. He is right.
“People will come to my show without having ever seen it, like the next one at the Florida Theatre, they will be delighted because they get to feel what it’s like to go out again and have fun with others. My stuff is universal at this point. I have been in front of audiences for over 40 years.” He tells stories, a guitar may make an appearance, but mainly it will be therapy for everyone in the Florida Theatre––from the audience to the person on stage telling the jokes. All Saget wants to do on July 18 is make sure everyone has a good time. He’s here for you. He’s here for all of us.
Tickets for Bob Saget at the Florida Theatre can be purchased here.
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