Steven Wright on Carson - Stand Up Comedy & Interview 1989

[@dswcnn]

It’s fun to watch Johnny enjoy Steven’s responses. A mark of how Carson really respected Wright’s artistry. It’s so easy for a person of one generation to not understand the humor of someone younger and different. Carson transcended all that.

[@PlanetRockJesus]

"Everything I do is nerve-racking." LOL!!!

[@bobreich3534]

Loved how he even smiled on that

[@craigharrison1274]

>How’s your personal life? >From what I hear it’s good.

[@dedexyz8475]

I saw this guy live in the 90's. He was BRILLIANT. This dude is like a mashup of MC Escher art works, the Bizarro comic strip, Einstein, and a college level English teacher. He forces you to accept his "reality"....and you have to THINK about the nuances, to get his UNIQUE genius.

[@randymillhouse791]

UNICEF GENIUS!

[@Marny5580]

He talks about things that work off batteries - then says: what do batteries work off? He talks about foods that get reinstituted by water. Then says: what reinstitutes dried water?

[@jeanhodgson8623]

That's an excellent comparison: M.C. Escher.

[@Svm777]

Never really cared for his hip hop

[@DavidFerree54]

I got to sit on the front row at his show in Tulsa in ~1990. My face literally hurt from my perpetual laughter for more than an hour.

[@skwoods7986]

My experience exactly! I saw him in a comedy club in NYC about 1986. I couldn’t laugh after awhile cuz it hurt so much.

[@John-ig5vf]

omg..im currently in tulsa and he would be so amazing to see

[@Cpreu]

I saw Steven in 1968 at the playground and he was hilarious

[@redbird28able]

"If I melt dry ice, can I swim without getting wet.'' My favorite.

[@FreshAirRules]

What a mind. What a gift to the world. So unique. Thank you Mr Wright. You are like no one else on the planet.

[@FreshAirRules]

@kim pantyhose Probably by shutting out the world and just sinking into his own imaginary world, free to roam without boundaries or conventions. Probably by getting far away from the internet. :)

[@KoolHandJuke]

@kim pantyhose Lots of pot in the 70's.

[@KoolHandJuke]

@@FreshAirRules But then again, isn't the internet like roaming with no boundaries? Well, as long you aren't on Twitter or FB, that is.

[@skierpage]

Mitch Hedberg (RIP) was similar. He dug into the absurdities, while Steven Wright tends to present each one and move on.

[@KoolHandJuke]

@@skierpage Oh man. I didn't know Mitch died. 😣

[@thomasmartinscott]

"My Grandfather asked me how old I was. I said 8. He said, when I was your age, I was 9." My favorite.

[@miguelaprendizaje.2918]

That was good.

[@robertnegron9706]

Lol

[@dianne6155]

“one day i was walking down the street and the prescription on my glasses ran out”

[@1968scottyd]

Classic right!

[@CaiophoneBA]

I bought a cordless extention cord.... What a classic. Steven Wright is the best. Period.

[@timhouston1638]

"i bought a cordless extension cord" what? (endless laughter for all eternity)

[@andrewsperry6450]

When he laughs at himself is by far the best parts. I would kill to be around him when he really loses it.

[@bobnavonvictorsteyn9017]

watch his sections on craig ferguson

[@1VaDude]

I love how it takes the audience a second to get the jokes.

[@georgecarter838]

"For my birthday, I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier. When I'm home alone, I lock them both in the spare bedroom and let them fight it out..."

[@Howtech55]

One of the few time Steven Wright smiles.............

[@nagilum]

His material is so fucking timeless. 😍

[@Bleachedhambone]

One time on shrooms, i experienced existentialism physically, and then became Steven Wright for about 10 seconds...it was wild man.

[@markknudsen9611]

Pure Comic Genius... Never gets old

[@steevrawjers]

all time classic

[@tetsuoswrath]

It's a shame scientists still can't figure out how he does it. :{

[@jeffreygrantsmith]

What a sweet and hilarious guy. There's no one like him.

[@TheMocholoco]

"You know the feeling when you lean back too much on a chair and you almost fall over? This is how I feel 100% of the time"

[@aw4724]

My fave joke of his ever - I was in a job interview and I opened a book and started reading. Then I said to the guy, "Let me ask you a question. If you are in a spaceship that is traveling at the speed of light, and you turn on the headlights, does anything happen?" He said, "I don't know." I said, "Nevermind then I don't wanna work for ya."

[@headshotsongs9465]

The most all time under rated comedian.

[@fezzik7619]

“Underrated” is one word and why does every KZbin video have to have someone incorrectly using this word. No one has ever said Steven Wright was a bad comedian. Everyone agrees he’s brilliant even his peers.

[@jeremyc9593]

@@fezzik7619 It's odd that you would lecture him about the spelling of the word "underrated" even though you don't even know the meaning of it, which I would say is of greater importance.

[@fezzik7619]

@@jeremyc9593 oh come on now. An adjective meaning valued or rated too low. That’s a bit of an easy one don’t you think? So again, I don’t know anyone who’s ever seen his act that’s undervalued his comedic ability. He’s brilliant.

[@___David___Savian]

Steven is one of the best comedians of all time....... and that is NOT a joke.

[@jacrrth]

“I put a new engine in my car the other day...Forgot to take the old one out...Now, my car goes 500 MPH

[@richardmeyer8871]

I put a humidifier and de-humidifier in the same room and closed the door. I let-em fight it out! LOL

[@stevejoshua9536]

Carson: "Do your folks follow your career? Steven: "Well, they use to, but they don't watch me anymore … 'cause they, uuuh … they just lost interest, I think." That one made me laugh out loud !!

[@ryanmoroz7607]

He seemed so serious and I thought he was going to say that they passed away or something horrible, so it was a great reversal when he finally said that part.

[@justme.9711]

Seriously, what was this guy like in class - ANY CLASS! LOL.

[@joshcarmen9541]

Steven was my best friends uncle growing up, he's the sweetest man and exactly like this all the time

[@youcanbesmartaskhow3857]

@@joshcarmen9541 I believe that 100 percent!!! I would never believe a story of him being a bully...

[@thebreathalyzer]

Love the banter in the interview segment, so great. Looks like Johnny lets him go over on time because they're having too much fun!

[@joshjosh320]

Wright was legit one of the greatest of his generation. His persona/delivery/material all just mesh so beautifully . He's at a pretty fast clip here because of the constraints of The Tonight Show, but still lands every line with incredible nuance and timing. The "air conditioner" bit alone, which seemed hysterically epic when I first saw it here, actually takes all of 6 or 7 seconds, with a coda just as brief. "Imagine Pulitzer Prize fighting", indeed.

[@justion337]

*is

[@andrewquake4631]

Never get tired of Steven Wright's dry comedy!!!

[@andrewquake4631]

Thank you!!!

[@philvalade2437]

Hermits have no peer pressure, 😂

[@georgejones3526]

"When I was a boy visiting my grandparents my grandmother called me over, gave me ten dollars and said don't tell your mother. I told her it's gonna cost you more than that."

[@larryslemp9698]

OMG!!

[@joewilson557]

My favorite: I'm gonna get a tattoo all over my body of myself only taller.

[@skierpage]

I have a map of the world... it's one to one scale. People ask me where I live, I say "E5". It's hard to fold.

[@tonygairomusic911]

Love Carson. Love Steven Wright. AND...this was worth watching until the very end because I love hearing Clark Terry play. Hit LIKE if you have any idea WTF I'm talking about!

[@scumboi78]

The respect that Steven has for Johnny is wonderful to watch. I have watched pretty much every Steven wright television round, and i feel like this is pretty much the only one where Steven throws away his act and is just being Steven...

[@Shen_YouTube_]

This is a gem.

[@georgejones3526]

"I went to a store that had a sign that said 'Open 24 Hours'. When I got there the guy was locking the door. I said to him "I thought you were open 24 hours" and he said "Not in a row!""

[@skierpage]

I went to a restaurant with a sign that said "Breakfast Any Time". So I ordered French toast in the Middle Ages.

[@jimc6154]

Gosh, I really wish I thought of that, where did you hear this??

[@georgejones3526]

@@jimc6154 Steven Wright. It’s part of one of his routines.

[@ClifPayne]

"Everything I do is nerve-racking!" Great response!

[@ClifPayne]

The response of a brilliant comedian!

[@mikethebeginner]

Johnny genuinely liked and admired Steven.

[@bartstarr100]

You could tell that Johnny really liked him

[@Orangesunshine2]

His first TV performance ever was The Carson Show. He liked him.

[@Keyspoet27]

Johnny always liked performers who were true originals, and that Wright was, and has always been. One of the funniest comics I've been privileged to see live on stage, and the only one funnier (out of several), was Robin Williams.

[@michaeleaster1815]

@@Orangesunshine2 Also, on first performance, he was invited to the chair for a chat, which was a big deal for comics.

[@Orangesunshine2]

@@michaeleaster1815 You are absolutely correct. It was a big deal to be unexpectedly called over for a chat with Johnny

[@wesgregg6451]

Once in a great while, the universe will produce a comedian who will absolutely make your cheeks hurt. Steven Wright is one of those people.

[@kgoutube]

Over 20 years ago I saw him live in Connecticut and my cheeks hold the memory to this day. I remain in an altered state.

[@eriklucasmusic]

Hopefully we’re thinking about the same kind of cheeks

[@629GSMITH]

He is great.

[@marymitchell4617]

I have the largest seashell collection ever owned....it's scattered on beaches all over the world.

[@nickbigd]

Maybe you've seen it?

[@jeanettecornella3661]

Funny

[@jacrrth]

I bought some paint the other day. It was in the form of a house.

[@jacrrth]

My house has a circular driveway...Now I can’t get out

[@trainliker100]

The only thing that frustrates me as that I can't remember very many of the non-stop string of things he puts out there. But one of my favorites was, "I used to be afraid of heights. Now I'm afraid of widths". And one of his earliest ones, "When a cow laughs, does milk come out of its nose?"

[@gavinwilshaw2312]

"Most people are afraid of heights, not me, I'm afraid of widths."

[@davidsparkman6590]

'I bought some instant water. I don't know what to add...'

[@speedgonzalez489]

I have a circular driveway. I can't get out.

[@davidsparkman6590]

@@speedgonzalez489 Hmmm...kinda like circular logic.

[@speedgonzalez489]

@@davidsparkman6590 hahaha yeah kinda!!!🤣

[@leading4Him]

Stevens funny on stage but he's actually funnier in interviews because it's all off the cuff.

[@TimBoyd2012]

I spilled spot remover on my dog, and now he's gone

[@timweatherill3738]

An extremely funny man!

[@ryanloats29]

On the walls of my house I have paintings of the room above them, so I never have to go upstairs lolol

[@plev10]

Love how Johnny really enjoys Steven.

[@photographerjonathan]

I miss Johnny Carson

[@randymillhouse791]

My exact thought while watching this. Johnny gave BIRTH!

[@jamiecrawford8133]

The GOAT of USA TV.

[@dantares3377]

Craziest thing to me is he was 33 years old during this performance. Looks 48.

[@mikethebeginner]

He wasn't good looking when he was young and then he aged badly.

[@ZviTrader]

legend without him there is no Mitch Hedberg

[@Foxy-ve1oh]

ZviTrader who tf is Mitch hedburg

[@Foxy-ve1oh]

Maxwell Bianco I wasn't being disrespectful I was just asking who Mitch hedberg is

[@jefftheschauer1]

MybThoughts exactly

[@heygringo7]

there is truth to your statement

[@matthewmontegut9159]

Wow can't believe the question who is Mitch Hedberg!! As different and clever as Steven Wright!!

[@doloresswann4600]

LOL = "I intend to live forever, so far so good!",,,,,, Steven Wright.

[@stevehall4548]

I know I will...you can too through Jesus Christ. I'm not trying to be funny, just for real. This is a funny line though.

[@PrinceRN]

That one's my favorite, too. I use it frequently.

[@jamespisano1164]

That dude was unique! Hilarious.

[@Laceykat66]

He is talented.

[@tetsuoswrath]

Was? So you're telling me there's another Steven Wright out there? :{

[@jamespisano1164]

@@tetsuoswrath LoL. He's not really in the limelight anymore; so, "was." :)

[@tetsuoswrath]

@@jamespisano1164 I bought a bunch of limes once to try to find those lights. Must be like a lottery of something. :{

[@eagleeye2300]

"What's the youngest you can die of old age??" Bwahahaha. (But what's the answer??)

[@youcanbesmartaskhow3857]

66

[@rebeccawhite8459]

I love his dry humor

[@blaws6684]

I put my car key in the front door of the house. It started. So I took it for a spin around town.

[@chuckselvage3157]

The King of droll humour.

[@bldallas]

He was SO original and funny.

[@andromedaman1964]

This guy is a hoot. So ingenious. Me and my girlfriend watched this together and we were almost in tears. It is good to think of ironic events at times. Because that is what life is ...irony. me and my girlfriend know it.

[@alex35agm]

I saw him live in Toronto in the nineties.It was a funny show.Very unique comedian.

[@Keyspoet27]

I saw him at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida, also in the 90s. He was hilarious, and the only comic I've ever seen best him was Robin Williams, RIP.

[@jordansummers2790]

Still funny in 2021!

[@1968scottyd]

2021 here. Pissed myself laughing!!

[@ericmelto7810]

Obviously if I could remember what he said I’d be a little cooler. But my brain can’t totally comprehend what he’s laying down.

[@dace938]

" you can't have everything... where would you keep it". "I used spot remover on my dog.... now, i can't find him"

[@Upsideround]

a "cordless extension" pure genius!

[@markh2754]

When I was a kid we had a quicksand box. I was an only child...eventually.

[@mournblade1066]

His expression at 5:31 is evil and hilarious!

[@SibKiss-hc7zn]

He told a joke one time caught me and my friend by. Surprise- we almost died laughing- it was about using a microwave oven to heat coffee and going back in time

[@mortalagentone3279]

"I put instant coffee in the microwave and I almost went back in time"

[@nazmoking3171]

"I went to a restaurant once named Bulemia's. The food was great but the line for the bathroom was 2 blocks long!"

[@alanmorris7669]

Steven Wright is the master of dry humor.

[@hereticpariah6_66]

"I accidentally spilled spot remover on my dog. ....now he's gone."

[@skierpage]

I put instant coffee in the microwave... and I almost went back in time.

[@timothydillow3160]

The ice cream truck in my neighborhood plays Helter Skelter

[@zigzagbigbag]

What would a chair look like if our knees bent the other way?

[@nocalsteve]

Wasn’t that a Gallagher joke?

[@randymillhouse791]

.riahC

[@glenncalzada1707]

Its funny no matter who told it.

[@francisguidice3959]

Great one liners and a great dead pan delivery

[@chrisp0315]

Is this guy the one who had a line about flipping a light switch in his house that seemed to have no connection to a light in his home, then gets a phone call from a woman in Germany saying, ‘Stop it.’

[@skierpage]

Yup. '"Then I got into astronomy, so I put in a skylight for my telescope. The people in the apartment above me didn't appreciate it."

[@trainliker100]

Other comedians have occasionally had jokes of the same format, but just not delivered in such a droll manner. And not an endless string of them. For example, imagine this George Carlin one if delivered by Wright, "Why do we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway". Or some comedian on America's Got Talent had "I went to the supermarket and a sign on the door said 'no food or drink inside' - so I left." I think just about anything like this sounds better with the Steven Wright type of delivery.

[@brodieroomojo]

everything i do is nerve racking, i think i just pooped

[@gavinwilshaw2312]

Last night I dreamt I was asleep - then I awoke & discovered I really was asleep.

[@roel.vinckens]

@Frater Radium It gets even creepier when awoke you realise you actually are asleep. Have a nice day.

[@roel.vinckens]

@Frater Radium Watch it, you might be on your way to waking up! Joke aside, I wish you all the best and a good dose of courage on that passionat voyage.

[@tonytafoya6217]

I love these weird one liners of his

[@skierpage]

"I was a small claims court jester." Perfect economy. But even his longer bits are perfectly timed. Grandpa's elevator training 😂. He has a whole bit about a hitchhiker and who built the pyramids that's crazy.

[@MikeyRicecakes]

This dude reminds of A Ted bundy that liked awkward jokes instead of brutal murder

[@daviddennison4201]

Love this guy cracks me up

[@Grandizer8989]

Whenever I play softball I mess with the other team and ask them if they have the keys to the batters box.

[@Foxy-ve1oh]

Deja Voodoo you are a legend in the making😂😂

[@marioiacolucci]

I have the keys

[@nickthinkpainting1978]

Steven Wright is great but man i miss watching Carson...

[@jamiecrawford8133]

All bullcrap aside, I think Johnny Carson was the best entertainer of our lifetime....

[@markdalton2972]

He’s hysterical

[@philc.352]

If Steven had been a rocket scientist we'd be on Pluto by now.

[@hankkingsley2976]

Well anywhere is walking distance if you have the time

[@KoolHandJuke]

But the spaceship would have looked like a dog.

[@KoolHandJuke]

Steven may be on Pluto. I haven't seen him in ages and I feel old as hell realizing this was nearly 40 years ago. Wtf?!😨

[@Marny5580]

To be absolutely wright, Pluto would be ON us!

[@antoniograncino3506]

The late lamented Circle Star Theatre was a relatively small venue where big names appeared, tickets were not too dear, and you could sit real close.

[@dianne6155]

i got to see a lot of acts there! all nine osmonds, eight jacksons, tom jones, the righteous bros, rich little, the beach boys, fabian twice with the several ‘50s artists ... i’m sure there’s more i can’t remember. good times 💜

[@maxheadrom3088]

I never knew William Hurt had gone bald!

[@Marny5580]

his hair is in the locker.

[@antoniograncino3506]

With Steven, the more hair he loses, the better his material gets.

[@jamesbowers5946]

same with Louis CK

[@maydom04]

This guy in unreal!

[@Marny5580]

and he has another just like him - in the back of his mind!

[@mr.annoying6009]

Small claims court jester-- too funny!

[@Truther2001]

What's the name of that short movie they're talking about at 7:40?

[@RooftopsofAmerica]

I believe it is the Appointments of Dennis Jennings, has Rowan Atkinson in it as well.

[@spideydew20]

I'm a peripheral visionary. I can see into the future, but only off to the side.

[@stevegrifftx]

😆 🤣

[@pmould0007]

♥ Steven Wright

[@charlesmadison1384]

This is a *test* to see if asterisks make text *BOLD* Underscores are supposed to make test in _italics_ and finally, hyphens are supposed to make text look like this: -STRIKETHROUGH-

[@cheryal6661]

--strike through-- _bold_ *underline* (?)

[@cheryal6661]

:strike:

[@cheryal6661]

^through^

[@cheryal6661]

_(dammit)_ never mind...

[@KoolHandJuke]

@@davidtaylor9999 Trying a *bold* with an _underscore_ and I still can't get -this- to work!

[@peterbills4129]

I just watched his first appearance 7 years ago

[@nagilum]

I just watched his 7th appearance 1yr ago.

[@blipblip88]

An innovator of dead-pan observer-humor

[@ucctgg]

Rodney Dangerfield did it a few decades earlier.

[@Keyspoet27]

@@ucctgg Not the same sort of humor at all. Wright was usually very subtle. Dangerfield had all the subtlety of a Mack truck.

[@ryanellis4474]

GOAT

[@mateowannacomedyremasterz6605]

I love it. I think he's so underrated. Keep spreading the word about his greatness =) Sometime in the next few months I'm going to dedicate some time to Steven Wright. If you wanna help in the preservation of your GOAT's art =) Find me videos / audios that are worth taking the time to remaster to preserve.

[@ryanellis4474]

​@@mateowannacomedyremasterz6605 - Make a documentary about Wright. I have nothing KZbin does not already have, and I already am swamped with original content that I produce every week (interviews with artists and politicos and music and recipes and photography and vlogs and articles and web development and other things). I like making my own work, though I admire great work by great folks, like Steven Wright. More power to you in your efforts to further proliferate Wright's name and works. I encourage you to make original content. You will become a better person, and you will make others better in the process. Newness for its own sake is not the point, but personal growth is a big piece of it, nonetheless. Even if you fail, you can be better than most grifters online that only regurgitate things already done.

[@mateowannacomedyremasterz6605]

I'll get some original content up eventually. Like you I have a pretty full plate & I have a lot of open projects I want to get finished & upload before I dedicate time to learning how to do something else. I do have some original satire music videos that probably make no sense to anyone but I like them under my playlists

[@ryanellis4474]

​@@mateowannacomedyremasterz6605 - Make mistakes. Eventually, you will find your voice, and possibly, you will find a sizable audience. All the best!

[@ADT2525]

The whole time I watched this I thought if he was bald he would be the best comedian in 2021