• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • 5 DOUBLE-U’S
    • MASTHEAD
    • DISTRIBUTION
    • ADVERTISE
    • SUBMISSIONS
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG Year End 2020

JIMMY TINGLE’S 20/20 VISION: CAMBRIDGE LEGEND EXPLAINS WHY A COMEDIAN WOULD RUN FOR OFFICE

Written by CHRIS FARAONE Posted February 26, 2020 Filed Under: A+E, Comedy

 

Though comedians tend to be sad sacks of sorrow who thrive on bad luck, a lot of them seem to at least enjoy easy transitions from the stage to various other mediums. From film to podcasting, countless stand-up comics have been able to skip the long line of people vying for top spots the old-fashioned way.

 

That trend doesn’t necessarily apply to politics, though. While people often want their actors and radio hosts to be funny, it’s a different story when it comes to picking our leaders. Sure, dolts like George W. Bush and even President Donald Trump can seem downright hilarious in their cruelty and stupidity; but when it comes to voting for public officials, sense of humor isn’t a priority.

 

In 2018, Cambridge-based comedy icon Jimmy Tingle set out to become an exception to this general rule. And though he didn’t make it all the way to Beacon Hill, his run for lieutenant governor helped him connect with thousands of voters and inspired his new special, 20/20 Vision, which premiered at the Wilbur Theatre in December and resurfaces at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre this Saturday.

 

We asked Tingle about life on and after the campaign trail.

 

Who do you usually rap about politics with? Other comedians? Your fellow political science nerds from the Harvard Kennedy School? 

I don’t really talk that much about it; I listen more than I talk. I read whatever I can get my hands on. I don’t really discuss it. I process what I hear independently and creatively. I just don’t have a circle of people like that. When you’re listening to the radio, though, you’re kind of in a conversation, you’re just not talking. You’re a fly on the wall, absorbing information.

 

When you’re writing, what do you use as a starting point since you work with such timely subjects?

Well, this particular show is about how I ran for office in 2018, and for over a year and a half I performed very little. I was just concentrating on the election, the campaign, being a serious candidate. I didn’t write a joke for a year—I was absorbed with that. And when the campaign was over, I was kind of like, “Well, I gotta make a living.” It took a little while to transition back into it, and in trying to figure out where I wanted to pick up, I decided to do a show about running for office and why I did it. The most common question I get is, “Jimmy, why would a comedian want to run for office?” That’s the through line of this particular show. It’s really from memory and personal observation and reliving the experience on stage.

 

I’m also interjecting video and clips and stories and ideas and premises that explain why I would go into serious politics. So you’ll see a bit about immigration, and a bit about guns, from before I ever ran for office.

 

Why lieutenant governor? Did you do a survey of all the positions you could feasibly run for?

When I first started thinking about running, I had already been asked about races that are local, like [Cambridge] City Council. My passion was more statewide, though, and more nationally focused—it always has been. You’re talking about bigger themes. That’s where my attention’s always been, and I wanted to be in the room where it happens—and help—but not be in charge. I don’t want to run things, but I think I can help. And when I first thought of the idea and said it to [former Mass Congressman Barney Frank], I asked him if it was too late to run for office. He said, “No.” I was just inspired, and he said after the [2016 presidential] election we should have lunch. And he said lieutenant governor was the right position, like a vice president for a governor. A liaison to the legislature, he thought I’d be perfect for it. And he said if I was serious, he’d be the honorary chairperson for my campaign. When I got that nod of approval, I stopped thinking about other things.

 

 

What was an issue that was something you wanted to address at the state level that you didn’t feel enough people were talking about?

They might have been hearing about it, and this is in the show, but I had a message that resonated in the audience and it wasn’t really a political message. I have lost friends to alcohol and drugs, and at one point in the ’80s started going downhill myself. I started calling places for help—rehabs, treatment centers, hospitals—and I was getting the runaround. Everybody knows somebody who has tried to get into these places or has tried themself.

 

I called the Cambridge City Hospital, and they had a partially federally funded program. I said to the man who answered the phone that I need help, and he said, “You called the right place.” And you never hear that. You never hear a cheery voice. I went to that program, I stayed seven days through Christmas, I got out, I moved to New York City, and I focused on recovery and stand-up comedy. That’s all I did for the year, and a year from the day of me going into that hospital, I got a shot on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. The other guest was Bob Hope.

 

My whole thing was that I was running for lieutenant governor so that any time that somebody picks up a phone in Massachusetts and reaches out for help, the answer on the other end is always, “You came to the right place.” It’s a crisis across the country, and Massachusetts is no exception.

 

Is that the main message that you are looking for people to walk away with?

It’s really a call to action, and getting people involved. It’s more thematic than it is topical. It’s about applying all the tools in the toolbox to make the country better—physical tools, mental tools, spiritual tools.

 

What’s your encore? Are you running again?

I have no plans to run, but I would never say that I’m done. I’m happy doing comedy, but after Trump won, I thought that if he can use his communication skills to get his message across, I can use my experience as an entertainer to get my message across. He speaks in three-word messages: Build the wall, drain the swamp, lock her up. We have our own three words—feed the hungry. Not only the people who are hungry for food, but the people who are hungry for opportunity. The people who are hungry to fulfill their potential. House the homeless. Heal the sick, healthcare is a human right. And welcome the stranger. This isn’t even my message—this is Martin Luther King, this is Jesus Christ, these are the spiritual principles of the world’s major religions.

 

JIMMY TINGLE’S 20/20 VISION. SAT 2.29 AT HARVARD’S SANDERS THEATRE, 45 QUINCY ST., CAMBRIDGE. TICKETS AND MORE INFO AT JIMMYTINGLE.COM.

CHRIS FARAONE

A Queens, NY native who came to New England in 2004 to earn his MA in journalism at Boston University, Chris Faraone is the editor and co-publisher of DigBoston and a co-founder of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. He has published several books including 99 Nights with the 99 Percent, and has written liner notes for hip-hop gods including Cypress Hill, Pete Rock, Nas, and various members of the Wu-Tang Clan.

More from author
  • CHRIS FARAONE
    https://digboston.com/author/chris-faraone/
    DEAR READER: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...
  • CHRIS FARAONE
    https://digboston.com/author/chris-faraone/
    VIDEO: NIGHT SHIFT’S TEA PARTY IS SUBTLE LOVE FOR PEOPLE WHO HATE MOST HARD TEAS
  • CHRIS FARAONE
    https://digboston.com/author/chris-faraone/
    VIDEO: NEW MASS HOUSE SPEAKER REPS DOLLARS, NOT CHANGE ON BEACON HILL
  • CHRIS FARAONE
    https://digboston.com/author/chris-faraone/
    VIDEO: COP WHO BRAGGED THAT HE HIT PROTESTERS SHOWS HOW BAD APPLES THRIVE IN BOSTON

Filed Under: A+E, Comedy Tagged With: #mapoli, 20/20 Vision, Cambridge, Jimmy Tingle, Massachusetts, Politics, Trump

WHAT’S NEW

DEAR GLOBE READERS LAUNCHES AS PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN

DEAR GLOBE READERS LAUNCHES AS PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN

SOULDIER STORY: JOEL MASSICOT ON MIXING MARTIAL ARTS, DANCE, AND MILITARY INFLUENCES

SOULDIER STORY: JOEL MASSICOT ON MIXING MARTIAL ARTS, DANCE, AND MILITARY INFLUENCES

THE END OF THE WORLD IN AN AIRBNB

THE END OF THE WORLD IN AN AIRBNB

MEETING THREATS WITH HOPE AND COURAGE

MEETING THREATS WITH HOPE AND COURAGE

TITANIC SHIFTS: DEMS SWAP DECK CHAIRS AMIDST GOP-PROVOKED TSUNAMI

TITANIC SHIFTS: DEMS SWAP DECK CHAIRS AMIDST GOP-PROVOKED TSUNAMI

NEARLY A YEAR INTO PANDEMIC, MASS CATS ARE STILL SHORT ON FOOD

NEARLY A YEAR INTO PANDEMIC, MASS CATS ARE STILL SHORT ON FOOD

Primary Sidebar

HEMPIRE FREEDOM PACK 25% OFF

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • APPOINTED SOMERVILLE OFFICIAL SPURS OUTRAGE WITH TWEETS FROM DC MOB SCENE by MARC LEVY
  • Aerial View Parkman Bandstand at Boston Common. CC BY-SA 4.0 2017 by AbhiSuryawanshi. NO HONEYMOON FOR BIDEN: 1/20 PROTEST ON BOSTON COMMON, 4 PM by MATTHEW ANDREWS
  • VIDEO: COP WHO BRAGGED THAT HE HIT PROTESTERS SHOWS HOW BAD APPLES THRIVE IN BOSTON by CHRIS FARAONE
  • PRISON HORRORS BY THE NUMBERS by SARAH BETANCOURT
  • IT’S HARDER THAN EVER TO FIND A BATHROOM IN BOSTON. WHAT’S THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT? by ZACK HUFFMAN

READ CURRENT MEMBER EDITION

DIG Member 1.9 – 11/26/20

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG Year End 2020

Footer

digbos

“It started as a vision I had while listening to “It started as a vision I had while listening to the song over and over again during the early stages of the quarantine.” https://digboston.com/the-quins-talk-making-awesome-videos-in-quarantine/ #interview #video #music #art #arts #Boston #Massachusetts #coronavirus #COVID19
“We were all caught pretty off guard when the pa “We were all caught pretty off guard when the pandemic hit, but I think that using the resources that we have available to us we have been able to meet the demand at every step.” https://digboston.com/handling-the-herd-how-boston-built-its-massive-covid-testing-apparatus/ #politics #Boston #Massachusetts #coronavirus #COVID19
Republican Gov. Charlie Baker started the new year Republican Gov. Charlie Baker started the new year by vetoing a sweeping #climate change bill. https://digboston.com/titanic-shifts-dems-swap-deck-chairs-amidst-gop-provoked-tsunami/ #politics #news #Democrats #GOP #Boston #Massachusetts #USA #veto
“Trump was voted out. However, this is not a man “Trump was voted out. However, this is not a mandate for #Biden and #Harris.” https://digboston.com/photos-recap-no-honeymoon-for-biden-rally-in-boston/ #photo #rally #march #left #protest #inauguration #Boston #Massachusetts
OPINION: IS DISSENT ANTI-NATIONALISM OR PATRIOTISM OPINION: IS DISSENT ANTI-NATIONALISM OR PATRIOTISM? #Boston #protest for Indian farmers, Saturday 1/23/21, 12-1 pm at the #Massachusetts State House https://digboston.com/opinion-is-dissent-anti-nationalism-or-patriotism/ #India #politics #food #farmer #protest #justice #solidarity @monica_gill1
HOW ONE MASS TOWN TOOK EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES TO A HOW ONE MASS TOWN TOOK EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES TO APPEASE A CONTROVERSIAL COP https://digboston.com/no-justice-how-officials-in-one-mass-town-took-extraordinary-measures-to-appease-a-controversial-cop/ #ArlingtonMA #police #reform #cop #racism #controversy #BlackLivesMatter #Massachusetts
Ghost kitchens simply don’t have a need for host Ghost kitchens simply don’t have a need for hosts, servers, bartenders, bussers … What happens to those #jobs if virtual kitchens continue to flourish? https://digboston.com/ghost-story-virtual-kitchens-appear-to-be-the-next-big-thing-but-at-what-cost/ #restaurant #labor #work #Boston #Massachusetts #coronavirus #COVID19
“I don’t think we’re going to wake up on Jan “I don’t think we’re going to wake up on Jan. 7 in the same country we went to bed in on the 6th.” https://digboston.com/former-mass-gubernatorial-candidate-predicted-violence-before-assault-on-capitol/ #politics #Massachusetts #national #Capitol #WashingtonDC #MAGA
RADICAL AND RELEVANT: THE LIFE OF HARRY BRILL http RADICAL AND RELEVANT: THE LIFE OF HARRY BRILL https://digboston.com/radical-and-relevant-the-life-of-harry-brill/ #obituary #organizer #radical #sociologist #democracy #politics @UMassBoston @BklynCollege411 @UCBerkeley #Boston #Massachusetts #NewYorkCity #Berkeley #California
NO HONEYMOON FOR BIDEN: 1/20 #PROTEST ON BOSTON CO NO HONEYMOON FOR BIDEN: 1/20 #PROTEST ON BOSTON COMMON, 4 PM https://digboston.com/no-honeymoon-for-biden-1-20-protest-on-boston-common-4-pm/ #opinion #progressive #left #action #inauguration #Boston #Massachusetts
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Submissions

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]