Why Uncool Is Cool: An Interview with Paul Feig
Published on March 30th, 2008 in: Books, Interviews, Issues, Movies, TV |Paul Feig: It’s actually better that I’m a fan because I know who people are and I know who I want and who I want to work for. So yeah. . . (laughs)
I like the Millionaire Matchmaker (embarrassed chuckle).
Popshifter: (laughs)
Paul Feig: And I only got into that stupid thing because I had to go to New York last week and I took a Jet Blue flight and they have live TV so you get 35 channels of live TV, like Bravo, A&E, and E! And all those [reality] shows are on there and they’re always showing marathons. So I’m just sitting there, going, “Ugh, this stupid show” and then two hours later. . . you go through a cloud patch, and you lose transmission, and you’re like, “Wait, come back! I gotta know what happened on the date!”
Hogan Knows Best
Popshifter: I got hooked on Hogan Knows Best when I went back to [the States] because it’s on E! there and we don’t get that channel, and it was like, “We gotta watch them all while we’re here because when we go home we can’t watch it again!”
Paul Feig: Oh, I know, I’m telling you! Up until very recently, I was very down on them, like, “Ugh! Reality shows!”
Popshifter: Well, when they make people look really stupid, that is uncomfortable. Like I can’t stand that “let’s laugh at the idiots” thing.
Paul Feig: Oh totally. I like the ones where things are going on or people are improving things or where you get an insight into real human nature
. . . because there is no reality TV. The minute you know there’s a camera on you, you don’t act the way you normally act.
Popshifter: Right.
Paul Feig: What I found in my life, recently, is just by the mere fact that you work in comedy, you become a critic, because that’s where comedy comes from: you make fun of stuff. And I’ve had pretty strong opinions through a lot of my life.
But as you get older, you start going, “I don’t care. If it’s fun, it’s fun.” Once again, yeah, if it’s not meant to be hurting anybody. But I’ve become so much less judgemental because you just eat up so much time. I think as you get older you realize how much energy you burn off in your youth, getting upset about things that don’t really matter.
Popshifter: Yes, yes! (laughs) Yes.
Paul Feig: I always laugh when people get in these heated arguments about the Oscars. It’s like, “You know, who cares, really?” I like to have more of a heady conversation about stuff like that. But it’s like, they get all mad, like, “Oh, how dare they snub this?”
Popshifter: Oh, I know, why does it have to be a “snub?” It just wasn’t included! (laughs)
Paul Feig: Exactly! Like there’s some conspiracy. No, I know the people who vote. Either they saw it or they didn’t.
Like a thousand people calling each other, “Hey, let’s not vote for this!”
Popshifter: Let’s snub it!
Paul Feig: Yes, exactly. (lowers voice) Trust me there’s no communication going on whatsoever.
Popshifter: In terms of music. . . you’ve talked about being a musician, but in terms of your love of music, especially the music of the time of Freaks and Geeks, it was such a big deal. Putting it on the show and then of course, getting all the original music on the DVD. What needs did being a music fan fulfill when you were the nerdy outcast in school? Are there any bands that you like now that have that same appeal?
Paul Feig: Like current bands, outsider bands?
Popshifter: Bands that evoke the same kinds of feelings you had in your teen years.
Paul Feig: I really like music now! I think music is in a great place because it was such a bad time in the 80s and music had gotten so electronic. I like live humans playing real stuff, and the more synth-y and drum machine-y it was, it kinda bummed me out.
You know, it’s like your article about Nirvana, they did really help bring it back around, which I loved.
Popshifter: Oh yeah, definitely.
Click to read more from Paul Feig on. . .
Directing Freaks and Geeks
Directing Arrested Development
His obsessive knowledge of laugh tracks
More on laugh tracks, plus the “comedy of innocence”
Dealing with Internet jerks
The outsider, plus embarrassing fanboy encounters
“If it’s fun, it’s fun.”
Music of today vs. music of yesterday
The Hollywood version of funny
What’s cool and uncool
Listening to “the notes”
Where television is today
The fallout from Unaccompanied Minors
His new show Kath and Kim and his upcoming book
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