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By CHARLES M. WILSON
Recently I had the opportunity to watch what must
be one of the most innovative comedy acts of our time.
Lily Tomlin has a secret formula for making people
laugh, and she graciously shared this strange brew with
Atlanta locals in a five-day dose at the Great Southeast
Music Hall.
Unlike most comediennes, Lily retains her femininity,
regardless of how broad the burlesque might be. This
quality comes over much stronger on stage appearances
than it does on television.
ON OPENING night, Miss Tomlin, dressed in a
colorful maxi-print and slippers; was nothing less than
extraordinary. She did many of her now-famous
characters like Ernestine the Operator. Her versatility
ranged from Edith Anne, 5V£, who realistically answers
questions from the audience, to Lula Loud Lady, whose
use of ventriloquism helped to corral her brother-in-law’s
funeral into a hoedown.
Off-stage Miss Tomlin discussed the philosophy of her
comedy and her personal life without the satirical bite of
her characters.
LOOKOUT!: Was your first television appearance on
“Music Scene?”
LILY TOMLIN: No. Actually, the first time 1 was on a
regular^ TV show was in 1966, on “The Gairy Moore
Show.” I only did three shows and they got rid of me. I
didn't work out at all. When I was gonna be on they
wanted me to be at a theatrical dressing table, and this
was my debut vignette. Then someone would say,
“You’re on in five minutes. Miss Tomlin,” and I’d say,
“I’m ready,’’ and then reach down and put on a gorilla’s
head.
I found the writers and told them this wasn't what 1
had in mind for my debut. I said, “Would you mind if I
had this dress made out of lettuce leaves and I’ll braid
my hair up into a kind of a basket effect and put some
onions and some squash and bell peppers in with two
morrocas. One’ll be marked vinegar and the other oil.
“And Garry Moore’ll say, ‘What’s that supposed to
be?.
“Then I’ll say. ‘Well, it’s just a little something I tossed
on.’ And he’ll groan.
“Then you could come in for a big close-up and I’ll
smile flashing my teeth fixed like big kernels of corn.”
So the Writer said to me, with a lot of conviction,
“Get outta here. You’ve got a greeting card mind.” So 1
left.
1 didn’t work out, and neither did the gorilla’s head, 1
might add.
L: Have you ever worked on the legitimate stage?
LT: 1 haven’t very much, really But in Detroit when I
got onto the idea of performing 1 started working in a
coffee house. It all had to do with the alternatives in
working that were left open to women at that time. 1
resented very much the few alternatives that were open
to women. There were very few areas open to women
where you had any kind of independence or status. That
was one reason that dictated the choice to work in a
coffee house.
L: Did you ever attend college?
LT: Yes. Wayne State University in Detroit. 1 was a
Pre-Med major. I was very good in science. Especially
dissection, for some reason. I just wasn’t offended by
body parts or cockroach legs or things like that.
But after I got onto the idea of performing I found
that this was much more of an outlet for my ideas.
L: I read where you said, “1 am very grateful to the
Women’s Movement first as an individual and then as a
performer.” Would you elaborate on this statement?
LT: Well, it’s certainly given me more freedom in my
own personal life and it’s given me freedom as a
performer. But I try not to dicotomize that much. 1 try
or at least hope to keep what 1 do on stage as close to
myself and as reflective of my experiences as possible.
I think the whole culture is changing. A personal
example of that is now, when I get on the phone to talk
to my mother, she doesn’t ask me when I’m going to get
married.
L: How would you feel about doing a situation
comedy as a liberated sexist character?
LT: Oh, I don’t want to do situation comedy because
I don’t want to be locked into one role. I wouldn’t want
to be locked into one character. It’s just not the best
thing for me, I don’t think.
L: Do you think there was a sexist attitude in the old
days?
LT. In the old days? Yes, of course. Little Margie, her
big thing was she was always getting into trouble. Then
there was the dominant male figure which she always
had to answer to for punishment. Then Margie would go
gargle gurgle gooch.
If you’ve ever watched the Marx Brothers’ movies,
actually they’re demeaning to women till it’s not funny.
But, you have to look at it with some perspective. You
have to realize out of what time period it was done and
out of what consciousness it was done. You can’t be that
rigid in this life. My gosh, that’s why we’re in all this
trouble now. That certain male, supremist, rigidity.
Lity Tomlin:
L. When do you think men will be able to break out
of their sexist roles?
LT: I don’t know. The poor ole guys. I’m worried
about them.
L. Don’t you think men are also a victim of this
rigidity?
LT: Terribly. Exactly. That’s why people are so crazy
I mean, not to respond to it When you demean any
.uoup you’re demeaning yourself. You’re locking
yourself into a real hole.
L: Haven’t you seen any positive signs?
LT: The young people 7
L: Yes.
LT: Oh sure. I think it’s beautiful. I just unfortunately
happen to be a part of that whole fifties culture.
I think it’s fabulous. My brother is just a little younger
than I am, but just young enough. I learn a lot from him,
just watching him with his friends. They’re all too
beautiful, you know. There’s much more sharing.
i’m not trying to look at it idealistically, but in terms
of relating and value, there is so much more openness
and giving and sharing.
L: Do you think you have ESP?
LT: I don’t know. When I was about eleven my
girlfriend and I were fascinated by ESP. We would sit in
different rooms and try to communicate telepathically.
One of the first things we did was sit in different rooms
and do a drawing. 1 drew a chicken and she drew a duck.
But I think I'm very intuitive. That is I rely more on
vibrations than on really analyzing something. I’d rather
just get a feeling, you know.
L: Before you got any big breaks did you feel that
they were coming on or did you just feel that it was
your confidence growing?
LT: Well, who knows where that begins or ends? 1
used to tell myself in Detroit. “1 know nothing is going
to happen to me until late 1966 and 1969.” Those two
periods I knew something was going to happen to me.
L: What happened?
LT: I went to New York in late ’65 because I knew
’66 was coming and I didn’t want it to happen in
Detroit. So I went to NY and right away a whole bunch
of things happened at one time. I went on “The Garry
Moore Show.” And I had a Fox starlet contract offered
f o me, which I turned down.
They were going to try and bring back the old studio
days. That was in the old days of the sixties when
everybody would be on the lot learning how to be a star.
On your door it would say, You Are a Star. Open up
your notebook and it’d say, You Are a Star.
Really, they were conditioned to think and act like
stars. You know, 1 could have really gone for that. But, I
didn’t have enough sense to do it. Instead I said, I don’t
wanna be a star. ! don’t wanna go to Hollywood and be
in a bikini movie. That’s what 1 felt I’d be doing because
when you belong to a studio they do with you what
they want. You’re just a property and they’ll put you
wherever they want to because they’re paying you a
salary every week.
L: Are you scheduled for any regular TV show this
Fall?
LT: No.
L: Do you have any scheduled specials?
LT: No. 1 just did one, you know, and they still have
an option to pick me up for one this January, for a
series. They didn’t pick me up for this Fall.
L: How inclined arc you to do a series?
LT: Well, I gave it a lot of thought before I did the
special. Yt>u see, doing a special means that 1 would have
to deal with the possibility of doing a series.
I thought about it for a long time. A couple of years
ago I didn’t want to get involved with it at all because I
knew how hard it was to do a show every week and to
keep up any standard at all and all that hassle.
But then I got less intense about it. I began to ei\joy
myself and what I do and not worry about failing or
succeeding as much. Then I began to realize that a TV
series would be a problem only if you planned to get
rich or stay on the air. If you weren’t clinging to that,
it s a great, fantastic opportunity.
L: You have said that you were influenced a lot. by
Elaine May and Ruth Draper. And critics have compared
your style to Lenny Bruce’s. What do you feel about this
comparison?
LT: I’m flattered to be compared to Lenny Bruce. I
don’t know how valid that is, however.
Whenever people write that, it’s only showing how
comedy is reflective. Anybody doing comedy today has
to do comedy with perceptions. I just don’t believe you
can do superficial comedy anymore, especially for young
audiences.
The people from the past were such brilliant physical
comics. How can you surpass them? The time period
also has to be taken into consideration. The artists can’t
know more than the people anymore. We’ve all been
subjected to so much. If I performed an old physical
comedy routine on stage, you would recognize it as a
classic and appreciate it for what it was in its time
and. maybe I’m wrong.
Hmmm. I got this great routine I’m working out with
this banana peel.