10 Questions: Cherith Fuller

Cherith Fuller is a stand-up comic, Production Assistant for the ON-Air group at Cartoon Network, and a producer on Laugh Trumps Hate

1. What no-longer-available food do you miss the most?

I definitely miss Vanilla Coke a lot (can you still get it? IDK, I thought they took it away again.) I just have very distinct memories of when Vanilla Coke first came out. We didn’t drink or buy soda growing up, but my mom was such a big fan of it that she would occasionally buy it when we went grocery shopping. It felt like VC went flat faster than other forms of Coke, but it also still tasted not bad when it was flat.

2. What’s your process from idea to fully formed joke or set? Do you take notes? How do you know when a joke is “done?”

A lot of times I’ll just be talking to someone, and I say something that gets a laugh that feels like a fully formed idea. Then I might put it on Twitter of Facebook to gauge reaction, or I might just take it directly to an open mic. A joke’s never really done for me. Until it’s out there filmed for like national TV or something a joke can always be tweaked.

3. If someone is distracted at the left turn green arrow, do you immediately honk or do you give them time to realize?

I absolutely honk immediately. I am a notorious honker, and I refuse to change my ways.

4. Do you incorporate your personal life into your creative process, or do you prefer to keep some distance between the two?

It’s about half-and-half. I like to give the illusion that I’m very open about my personal life onstage, but in fact I’m very private. It gives the illusion that people might know a lot about me when in reality they only know what I want them to know, which turns out is not very much.

5. What do you think is most distinctive about your voice or point of view in your comedy?

I think I’ve developed a style that is very similar to how I talk in real life. It makes writing much easier because I am just writing as I normally would and don’t feel the need to accommodate some kind of character.

6. When was the last time you had a memorable night in an unfamiliar city?

This is going to sound so hack, but when I was in Paris last year. I went totally alone and didn’t know anyone. I just spent most nights eating at new places and walking around by myself. A lot of people might think that it would be miserable, but if there’s a city that it’s better to be alone in than with people, it might be Paris.

7. What’s your “one rule?”

Before you say something mean about someone, turn around to make sure they’re not in earshot.

8. What item would you take with you into the next life and why?

Some sort of notebook (and a pen? Do they come as a package deal?). Big fan of journaling, and that’s definitely something I’d want to remember.

9. Have you ever had an idea or joke appear in your mind fully-formed with no need to develop it?

It’s happened a couple of times. Sometimes it’s almost more fun to start out with something less funny and see it grow into something more funny though. It’s nice to just have something, but the process is what keeps us in the game.

10. When was the last time something happened to you that genuinely surprised you?

I startle very easily, and I am completely oblivious all the time, so most things genuinely surprise me. I had to go get some car repairs done recently, and they ended up being cheaper than expected, so that was a nice surprise.

Cherith can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and at CherithFuller.com

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