CheekyChicago

While the Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang tour criss-crosses the country – attracting everyone from college girls to cougars – the talented writers and comedians of her late-night show are on their own multi-city trek with a one-night stop at the Horseshoe Casino on June 25th.

Jen Kirkman

CheekyChicago visited the set of Chelsea Lately to meet with staff writers and stand-up comedians Jen Kirkman and Brad Wollack. On Margarita Thursday we sat down in the green room and discussed drinking on the job, kidnapping children and why it pays to be a loser in high school.

Cheeky: So today is Margarita Thursday. What really goes on backstage?

Jen Kirkman: I just tried to get one before I came downstairs. We have this one crack blender and these two girls in the office…

Brad Wollack: I think it’s their only job actually.

JK: Yes – they come in 40 hours a week just for this moment.

BW: Just so you know, Chelsea once hired an assistant based solely on the fact that she could make a good margarita.

JK: She was like a mixologist.

BW: Needless to say it didn’t last that long. But the funny thing is that I was at a show last weekend in Dallas and this girl said, “How did you know about Margarita Thursdays?” I said, “What do you mean?” And she says, “I thought I made that up!” I go, “No, the Mexicans made it up!”

Brad Wollack

Cheeky: Do you guys socialize a lot outside of the office?

BW: Yes.

JK: Actually, yes, we do. On Thursday nights sometimes we’ll go out for Happy Hour down the street to this bar. Or a lot of the time Chelsea will say, “I have a reservation for 10 people and we’re all going out to this restaurant.” It’s always pretty spontaneous.

BW: I’m actually going out to dinner with Chelsea tonight. And I was out to dinner with her last night.

Cheeky: Does your wife get jealous?

JK: Oh no – she’s there.

BW: My wife is a very good friend of Chelsea’s…or has become one. But yeah, we all get along really, really well. We love to travel with each other. It’s going to be weird in Chicago because Jen will probably be all over me.

JK: If I’m cold I might be!

BW: We are all really…

JK: …friends in real life.

BW: We all get along. Sometimes I prefer to hang out with these people.

JK: It’s one of those things where if I got fired tomorrow I’d have to reintroduce myself to my other friends.

BW: It’s kind of like when you’re dating someone and you drop friends. I never did that because I didn’t really date. (Jen laughs.) But there are those people who when they start dating drop their friends and then they break-up and start to come right back into your life. And you’re like, “No, that’s not how it works.” I think that’s how it would work actually (laughs).

Cheeky: Is that friendship just between the writers or everyone on staff?

JK: The writers are pretty cliquey.

BW: Yeah the writers are cliquey, but that includes our executive producer…who’s a writer. We’re kind of like the cool kids at the show. The thing is we were all losers in high school.

JK: I was not!

BW: And now we finally get to be cool.

JK: I was not a loser in high school! I was a loser in middle school. High school I was cool.

BW: I wasn’t a loser. I hung out with all the cool kids. But I was small and scrawny and no girls wanted me.

Cheeky: I don’t think guys realize the Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang shows are a great opportunity to pick-up girls – the ratio is unreal.

BW: You don’t think I’m pissed about being married now? I mean my wife’s adorable, but…

JK: She’s not talking about you! She’s talking about audience members and if you’re a straight dude in the audience.

BW: I only think about me! I showed Chelsea a picture of a girl who Facebooked me today and said she’d want to sleep with me. Because Chelsea’s always saying, “No one wants to sleep with you except for your wife and I’m not even sure she wants to sleep with you.”

JK: But I think these people wouldn’t want to sleep with you if you weren’t married.

BW:  No, if I wasn’t on TV! They want to sleep with me for the same reason they want to sleep with Chuy – to get closer to Chelsea.

Cheeky: They want to sleep with Chelsea?

JK: No, they just want to be her best friend.

BW: They just want to be with Chelsea. They want to be next to Chelsea. They want to be close to Chelsea. Listen, if I was single I’d be taking full advantage.

Stay tuned next week to see how much further the hilarity ensues.  To be continued…

Cheeky's Own Rachel Gillman