Gaffigan comes clean -- he dated a Panda

Comedian Jim Gaffigan hears voices in his head.

Actually, he hears one voice and, lucky for him, it's funny.

Anyone who has ever seen or heard Gaffigan in action can attest the Indiana native, New York City resident offers a two-for-one comedy show. Not only does he feature his own unique brand of observational comedy but also the voice of a conservative-sounding, unfunny middle-aged person offering biting comments regarding his material.

"When I couldn't get stage time during standup I used to do characters on the lower east side of Manhattan and one of those was a lady who just complained about the situations in the room and it was kind of an improvised character," said Gaffigan, calling from his home in New York City. "Also in doing standup, it's kind of a no-no to comment on jokes, even though Johnny Carson did it. But it was also something that I kind of did in my everyday life as a great way to relieve tension."

Gaffigan's latest CD release "Beyond the Pale" features dozens of memorable interactions between his normal comedy persona and the lady in his head.

For instance, "I wish I was Korean," Gaffigan said, "because then my interest in Asian women wouldn't seem so creepy. Actually, I dated only one Asian girl but she was very Asian. She was a panda. "

Then quickly in the female voice, he deadpanned, "I like pandas. They're endangered, fella."

The overall feel of the exchange is that of a mother or grandmother who never gets jokes. It's for this reason that audiences can seemingly relate to the funnyman.

"It's very dry," Gaffigan said. "And it's weird because my material is very precisely written and efficiently written, whether I'm talking about escalators or Cinnabon. And then the inside voice is something that's very organic and very improvisational.

Born the youngest of six kids in Chesterton, Ind., Gaffigan grew up in the shadow of former Hoosier comedian David Letterman, who ended up being somewhat of a mentor.

Gaffigan appeared on the Letterman produced show "Ed," as well as in feature films "Super Troopers" and "Three Kings."

While he still acts, his WTBS show "My Boys" is about to go back into production this spring for a new season to begin airing in the summer, the stand-up comedy world is where Gaffigan has made his mark. He attributes a Midwest upbringing for his unique point of view.

"I think there's a sardonic side to Midwesterners that's kind of like we want to remain polite but we want to express our frustration too," Gaffigan said. "As opposed to yelling and being truly hostile, we'd rather be sarcastic."

In today's stand-up world, Gaffigan stands out for his relative cleanness and innocuous material.

With an upcoming 30-date tour, which includes a Feb. 9 date at the Stranahan Theatre and two shows Feb. 10 at the Lakewood Civic Auditorium, Gaffigan is gaining momentum as one of the more popular comedians around. Fans know and love him for different reasons.

It's interesting because some people will know me as the Hot Pocket guy, some will know me as the inside voice guy but I've been kicking around for 15 years and five years ago I was the manatee guy, Gaffigan said. I'm always working on new material. Hopefully it's my expectation in a year I'll be known for something else."

Jim Gaffigan

WHEN & WHERE: 8 p.m. Feb. 9 at Stranahan Theatre, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo; 5 and 8 p.m. Feb. 10 at Lakewood Civic Auditorium, 14100 Franklin Ave., Lakewood.
TICKETS: $29.75 (Toledo) and $34.75 (Lakewood) at Ticketmaster outlets
INFO: 216-241-5555 in Cleveland; 419-474-1333 in Toledo
ONLINE: www.jimgaffigan.com

John Benson smells like bamboo. E-mail him at jbenson@funcoast.com.