Behind The Page:

Our guest is Joe Lavin, who produces and writes
"Joe Lavin's Humor Column," published every Tuesday and Friday, and just celebrating its one year anniversary last month.

With more than 2500 hits per month and a sizable e-mail subscription, Joe's column is one of the most popular humor sites on the web.

His work has also appeared in several publications around the country and his monthly humor column about computers is featured in Compuweb

Comedy Zone: Joe, thanks for taking some time out and joining us. Do you mind me calling you Joe?

Joe Lavin: Joe is just fine. May I call you Comedy?

CZ: That'll work! You've been described as "Dave Barry in a strait-jacket." How did that come about?

JL: Well, that's how Wayne Grytting of American Newspeak reviewed my page. He wrote a short note apologizing for essentially calling me insane, but of course I didn't mind. Like any comedy writer, I delight in being compared to Dave Barry, even if the comparison does include a strait-jacket. Obviously, Dave Barry has been a big influence on me.

CZ: Peeking at your "bio" ... you are 25 with a Master's Degree in history. How did you get started in writing a web-based humor column?

JL: I wrote a lot of humor columns for college newspapers, and even when I was studying history, I still wrote on the side. Come to think of it, many of my history papers could be considered humor columns. When I gave up studying history last year, I thought the web would be a good way to let people see my writing. That's the great thing about the web. It was relatively easy to start a web page.

CZ: Your web page is very popular. "And Now For Something Stupid" has also grown into a page of its own. What do you attribute to your success?

JL: I don't really think about trying to write something that is popular. I just write columns that I enjoy and see what happens. As for "And Now For Something Stupid," that has surprised me. I haven't really promoted it much, and it's already as popular as the column. It's basically a collection of stupid stories that I have found and that readers have sent in. I guess it's the type of short humor that has always thrived on the Internet.

CZ: Where do you "come up" with most of the material for your columns?

JL: Well, I wish I knew because it would make the writing a lot easier. I'm not really sure. I just wander about trying to watch what's going on around me.

CZ: Does it take a great deal of time to get each column out?

JL: Not really. Once I come up with an idea, it only takes an hour or two to write. The more I like the idea, the quicker the writing goes. And the HTML on my page is hardly complex, so that doesn't take up much time. The hard part is trying to figure out what to write. Sometimes, I will spend long hours moping about trying to come up with a topic.

CZ: So I take it you are the sole driving force for your column ... no staff of researchers?

JL: Only an imaginary staff.

CZ: I understand you had an interest in screenwriting. Any plans to continue your career along those lines?

JL: Not right now. I've written a few scripts, but I don't enjoy it as much as writing the columns. Also, my best script was about a teenage girl who killed her parents in order to stand out in the college admissions process, so I doubt my scripts would be considered commercial enough. I don't plan to write any more scripts, but who knows? Every few years, I seem to get inspired to write another script.

CZ: You also were a writer for BBC Radio. Tell us about that.

JL: When I spent my Junior year of college in London, I found out about a BBC comedy show called Week Ending that held a meeting every week for freelance writers. So I started going to the meetings, said basically nothing, and occasionally submitted some sketches and one liners. After a long time, I eventually got a few things on the air. I think I learned more there than in school. Scanning the newspapers for stuff to make fun of probably taught me more about the British political system than any of my classes.

CZ: Did you have to change your writing style to fit the British audience?

JL: My biggest problem was that my writing still sounded American. I would write a sketch about John Major, and in the sketch Major would suddenly say something that no British person would ever say. The producer used to call those lines "Lavinisms," so at least I gained some sort of notoriety. I suppose everyone must have thought it was weird that some 20-year-old kid from America was hanging out at the BBC.

CZ: Would you say your column has pretty much an American based readership?

JL: Not really. There seem to be a lot of readers outside America which surprises me. After all, many of my columns are very Ameri-centric, if such a word exists. At least two people have told me that they are learning English and using my column to help them. Frankly, that scares me.

CZ: Those who read your column know you work as an office temp, has that caused any problems with employers? I mean have you come across a situation where the other employees are afraid that they'll be the subject of the next column?

JL: It's no problem at all, because I don't tell them. Usually, I'm very vague and say, "Well, I write a few things on the web." Most people get a glazed expression on their faces and change the subject. Sometimes, I will run across someone who keeps asking for the URL, and in those situations I often have to delay until the column about that particular job and/or that particular person is no longer on the web.

CZ: Do you see publishing on "the Web" as your stepping stone to other forms of media?

JL: Yes. Part of the reason I started doing the column was so that I would "get discovered" by an editor or a publisher. I would love to write columns for newspapers and magazines, but I still like the web. I wouldn't want to completely abandon it.

CZ: Are there any big projects in the works, such as books, movies, or a try at professional tennis?

JL: I'm thinking of holding off on my professional tennis career because I don't want to show up Agassi or Sampras. Actually, I'm a hideously bad tennis player. It's truly sad. I haven't played for quite awhile, and I'm thinking that might improve my game since I may forget some of my bad tennis habits.

As for other projects, I'm trying to write a book about temping, because there is just so much material there. I've also had many strange jobs. Once, I worked for a week at Disney Collectibles sending out pictures of Mickey Mouse. My very next job was with LA Family Planning, sending out condoms to birth control clinics.

CZ: That's really going from one extreme to another. Has your book been picked up by a publisher or do you have an expected release date?

JL: No, I've just started writing it, but if anyone wants to be my publisher and send me a big check as an advance, please contact me.

CZ: Would you like to share some of your favorite web sites?

JL: Cathie Walker's Centre for the Easily Amused and Tina's Humor Archive are both really fun. I also read Salon and The Onion.

CZ: Those are all great sites. One last question. Has the "fame and fortune" of the internet changed Joe Lavin?

JL: No. Not at all. I'm just the same person I've always been. Just ask any of the little people in my life. They'll tell you.

But seriously, I'm not at all famous. Just a lot of nice people read my column. That's all.

Well, that about wraps up another "Behind The Page Interview." I'd like to again thank our guest, Joe Lavin, for joining us. In addition to Compuweb, you can sometimes find his column on Conk, Crisp, The Internet Herald, and U/Laff.

For more stupidity, visit Joe's And Now For Something Stupid Archives.