Q&A: Rita Rudner — born to be mild

Kimberley McGee

Sunday, July 9, 2000 | 11:06 a.m.

Rita Rudner, an award-winning comedian, started her career as a doe-eyed 15-year-old at the back of the stage, performing with the chorus in such Broadway shows as "Annie" and "Promises, Promises."

When she moved to center stage, she became a star.

Cloaked in a svelte ball gown and dainty jewelry on stage, the soft-spoken woman with clever timing delivers her thoughts on domestic situations, relationships and child bearing with a cutting wit at the MGM Cabaret Theatre through July 29.

She recently talked with the Las Vegas Sun about fame, decorating (or not decorating) her new homes, success in the business of comedy and a plastic doll's ability to undermine the inner diva within most little girls.

Las Vegas Sun: How is the commute that you, your husband (writer/ director Martin Bergman) and dog make so frequently between your homes in California and hotel rooms in Las Vegas?

Rita Rudner: I know, we should buy a home here, shouldn't we? We are living in Las Vegas three days a week (at the MGM). Then we have the (new) Palm Desert house and the house in Los Angeles, and I'm not organized. So at one point my lipstick was in Los Angeles, my lip liner was in Vegas and my sharpener was in Palm Desert. I had to travel 90 miles to put on my lipstick.

Sun: What was the first thing you bought for your new house in Palm Desert?

RR: We used a designer. I have no decorating ability. I tried to do a living room and a reporter came and we were sitting in the living room doing the interview. Then I read (the article) and it said, 'We sat in Ms. Rudner's half-furnished living room.' I thought it was furnished. I just don't have that skill.

Sun: Since co-starring (and co-writing with Bergman) in the 1992 film, "Peter's Friends," you've also completed an HBO special and another collaboration with your husband, the just-finished "Unfunny Girl" with Shecky Greene and Phyllis Diller, for the E! network. Why do you still perform for live audiences?

RR: Stand-up is my favorite thing I've ever done. There's so much independence. When I was a dancer, you had to hold it for two beats, turn around, look over here. When I was a singer, you had to hold it for this note, and when I acted you had to say the line (a certain) way. Even when I write movies with my husband, (producers) say, 'We want this plot point to start on page 20.' I've just written a book and I've got an editor (to please). You are always trying to please people before you get to the public whenever you do anything that requires a corporate body to sanction it.

With me, my corporate body is the audience. I just love it. It's so pure. You just say a joke and they laugh and have a good time. You don't have to tell it to the head of the corporation first. You don't have to get clearance. I couldn't have stayed in show business if I hadn't done stand-up. I'm not a person who likes authority. I just love the fact that it's up to me and I go straight to the audience.

Sun: Why did you move to stand-up from Broadway?

RR: When I first started looking at comedians, I popped (Woody Allen) out of the library -- in those days we had albums, I feel so old now. It was his stand-up from the '60s. His joke writing was so technically excellent. I could see how a joke could be formed. It didn't have to be a man or a woman saying it, he was just a person saying it -- a person who was puzzled about an occurrence.

At that point a lot of female humor was about, 'I'm so fat,' 'My husband hates me.' I thought it didn't have to be that, it could be about a tree, what happens when you go to a restaurant. He opened up all the things it could be about for me.

Sun: It must have been quite an honor when in 1990 you were asked to be the first female roaster on the Friar's Club's dais.

RR: I didn't like it and I never would do it again. They asked me to do it again (but) it gave me such a headache. It's such a nightmare for me because, notoriously -- and I love the older comedians -- the whole sentiment of the Friar's Roast is something I can't get behind because you insult people. You have to (use) bad language because you are following someone who used bad language. Once it's started and the room is at that level, you can't change the level of a room. You can't go in and start talking about something delicate.

When I went up I had to swear quite a bit. I got a good reaction because it's unusual for me to swear. I really don't like insulting people, it's not my thing. Don Rickles is great at it, but it's not right coming from me.

Sun: Does your fame get in the way of everyday things?

RR: People who like me are very polite. I'm usually in my sweat clothes and my sneakers walking around with my husband and he's playing games at the (arcade at the) Excalibur. He's won me a whole bunch of stuffed animals. We have a whole roomful. He just loves these games so much. He gets so excited when he beats a 6-year-old or his horse gets to the end first.

I have a really good level of fame. I don't consider myself very famous. I get the rewards and I don't get like (what) Tom Cruise does. I'm sure (Cruise) is not upset he is as famous as he is but I would say it's a little tricky for him to go to the Excalibur and (play games).

Sun: In your stand-up routines Mattel's Barbie doll has come under the scrutiny of your sharp wit.

RR: Barbie ruined my life! It's a really bad image for women. For a long time I thought I was deformed -- because my heels didn't touch the ground. I was walking around on tiptoes. What's up with that? I think that it's a bad thing for a woman to try to emulate. African-American women, I just was reading, who didn't have Barbie had much better self-images because they are not trying to balance books on their bosoms.

Sun: Hasn't the company updated the doll with a more professional look?

RR: She's a doctor, but a prostitute on the side. She's still wearing those tight, short little dresses and high heels.