An Interview with Comedian D.C. Benny: A Taste of Brooklyn

Though his name may not immediately ring a bell, comedian D.C. Benny has been seen in everything from Budweiser commercials to Comedy Central Presents. For those unfamiliar with the man, have a read and discover one of the brilliant minds in comedy today.

Where Would I Have Seen Him?

If you happen across a YouTube video entitled "White Boy Rips It At the Apollo," you almost have to admit that it piques your curiosity. The video in question depicts Benny early in his career (believe it or not), telling some of his classic material, such as this:

Benny (as Customs Officer): Are you bringing any drugs into Jamaica?
Benny (as himself): I was like, 'Drugs into Jamaica?' That's like bringing Slim Fast to Ethiopia!

Benny's laidback, deadpan style makes this, and other jokes in his repertoire, hilarious, where they might merely be offensive in the hands of a lesser comic.

"I generally tell stories and do the characters; growing up, I developed my sense of humor. I would imitate people around me," explains Benny. "As a kid, making adults laugh is very powerful."

Benny also admits that he, like many successful comics, used his humor as a weapon to combat school bullies: "You're powerless to get back at these guys who rule your life, so you start imitating them.

"Making people laugh is a very powerful sensation...[it's like] the stereotype of the sad clown...developing humor as a weapon." In a sense, the way Benny presents it, humor is far more powerful than physical force.

Case in point: Benny was featured on the groundbreaking Showtime series White Boyz in the Hood; the show, filmed at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice in New York City, features white comics who perform regularly in front of urban audiences. Though the brief YouTube clip of Benny on this show doesn't come close to doing him justice (no pun intended), it just may convince you to buy the DVD: DC Benny on White Boyz in the Hood.

While Benny does have what you might call a "fan club," and is developing a following through word-of-mouth, he doesn't consider himself famous, in the usual sense. In other words, most wouldn't recognize him on the street if they ran into him. As to whether he'd like to be more involved in Hollywood, Benny says, "I have no idea, really. I've done smaller roles in films, but the process of booking roles is such a random crapshoot."

Benny admits that lately, more so than doing standup, or necessarily being in front of the camera, he enjoys putting together films with a group of friends. "I have a friend who's a director; I might write the thing, and then we have a pool of guys: one cameraman, one sound guy, one writer, and one guy who's put together a bunch of sketches."

At Benny's official site, you can see a typical example of the sort of sketches he's referring to. Specifically, A Day Inside My Head is a short mockumentary, supposedly illustrating the thought processes in Benny's off-kilter comedic mind. Explaining it here, of course, definitely doesn't do it justice, so hopefully some of you will have a chance to click the link and experience the film for yourselves (but just so you know, it's NSFW).

A Comic's Resume

Like anyone in showbiz, Benny is continually updating his media appearances. While he's on a "break" at the moment, you can see a number of classic beer commercials and other TV spots he's done at his site.

Among the inspired commercial roles he's had include six Budweiser spots, from which you might remember the repeated line: "How ya doin'?"

Those of you who have watched Comedy Central faithfully since the premiere of South Park also may remember one of their quirky commercials, featuring a "board meeting" with Ben Stein; comedian Jonathan Katz (creator of Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist); Craig Kilborn (who at the time hosted The Daily Show); Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney, and Michael Ian Black, formerly of the show Viva Variety; and Mark Cohen, who formerly hosted Make Me Laugh. And where does DC Benny fit into all this? You'll see him wearing, of all things, a clown suit, posing as "Larry Shanet," supposedly president of Comedy Central at the time.

Also amongst Benny's ever-growing portfolio are two hilarious Verizon commercials and a Wendy's ad (in a non-speaking role). The Wendy's ad in question makes light of the fact that bacon, at many fast food joints, has been relegated to the role of a garnish.

Is that all? "I was on Last Comic Standing, too," Benny replies, "...but it wasn't a positive experience."

So where does Benny get all his gigs? "Some of the stuff I've booked was through word-of-mouth," he explains. "There's just so many factors...I could do a dissertation on this! I like to make my own projects; that way I have control over them. So far they haven't been immediately lucrative, but I've amassed a nice body of work."

Recently, that body of work has come to include an appearance in JSOK Films' Urban Myth Comedy Storytelling, a documentary of sorts featuring six comedians: Benny; Vic Henley; Dean Edwards (known for a great Denzel Washington impression); Jess Wood; Jay Oakerson; and Ben Bailey (host and cab driver for Cash Cab, in which unsuspecting passengers find themselves becoming game show contestants). See a trailer for Urban Myth here: Urban Myth Comedy Storytelling.

To Have Mass Appeal

Despite Benny's sometimes unconventional brand of humor (an almost-necessary talent in the field), he appeals to a wide audience. His jokes and impressions come from personal experience, and therefore, crowds are often able to relate (if they weren't, he'd probably no longer be in the field).

"When I do the characters...like at the Apollo, it works because it's authentic; hopefully the comedy doesn't just make people in Brooklyn laugh."

During the interview, the idea came up as to whether certain topics, in comedy, were "smart" or "stupid." "It all depends," Benny replies, "...there are dumb jokes about weed and porn, and intelligent jokes about the same things."

While he only occasionally does standup at the present moment, those interested can definitely find plenty of Benny's videos online, as well as the occasional appearance on Comedy Central or DVD. He says that soon, he and his wife will be moving, so for the moment, his comedy career is on hold.

Clearly, however, someone with a talent like that of DC Benny won't be out of the spotlight for long. Look him up, and let's hope that one of his characters rings familiar to you, too.