Lisa Lampanelli -- She means well

So, I kind of expected my conversation with insult comic Lisa Lampanelli to be shocking; that's her stock in trade, the whole profane act, the racial thing, the gay thing.

She is reviled among comedy fans just about as much as she's revered among comedy fans. A polarizing figure, then. Either an intellectually sophisticated put-on artist shrewdly deconstructing cultural taboos, or a pandering racist and homophobe. In either case, her public persona is such that when she called for the interview at 6:30 one morning last week, I girded myself in anticipation of, well, of something. I'm not sure what. But I was ready for it.

So what happened?

We had a nice conversation about comedy, its role in society and the fine line that comics have to walk if they want to address race or sexuality. She gave me about 25 minutes in all, before politely excusing herself to take another call from another reporter. There was no cursing. There were no jokes. Lampanelli wasn't "on." She played it straight, answering my questions thoughtfully and candidly. I'd say I was disappointed except that really it was a good interview.

It was refreshing to learn that Lampanelli doesn't just throw out racial epithets or make nasty jokes about this or that group for the sake of shock. She honestly does consider tone and context and what she's doing. Maybe that sounds far-fetched if you've seen her act. But she is both acutely aware of how hot that fire is that she's playing with and entirely comfortable with her decisions to make those jokes.

"I know what's inside and I know my intentions and what's in my heart," she says. "If I'm joking about a race, I have affection for that race. I can't make it sound like I mean it."

There are people who get offended, of course. But Lampanelli has notable fan bases within the black and gay communities. This despite jokes based on stereotypes of both groups. Again, it's up to the audience to decide whether Lampanelli is commenting on those stereotypes or perpetuating them.

The way she sees it, there are nuances and subtleties to consider in the approach. Her standard on-stage appearance, for instance, could be described as something between 1950s housewife and last-call-at-the-dive-bar chic. It's just stylized enough to cue the audience to the fact that she's maybe not exactly sincere. And the whole Borsht Belt timing and phrasing of her jokes implies a sort of meta-comedy that works on at least two levels.

It's a persona, in other words. But it's not entirely divorced from reality, either.

"I swear a lot in my real life, because that's pretty much how me and my husband and friends talk -- not even just them, either -- but my mom," Lampanelli says.

That foul mouth is what launched her career about a decade ago. The Friars Club roasts aired on Comedy Central became a showcase for her and other comics like Jeffrey Ross and Greg Giraldo, whose vitriolic routines were a revelation to a generation of cable watchers. Lampanelli, who didn't even start comedy until she was 30, was suddenly a rising star. And the Don Rickles-style audience participation aspect of her show was becoming a real calling card. It's like the old Sea World thing, she says: If you don't want to get wet, don't sit up close.

"I pick on everybody," she says.

Which is interesting, because while it's true in her case, that line of reasoning is often the last intellectual refuge of the mean-spirited comic. The I-pick-on-everybody reasoning, though, doesn't excuse the mean-spiritedness. What sets Lampanelli apart has something to do with that intangible mix of nuance and subtlety.

She is mean. She is not mean-spirited.

* Pat Muir can be reached at 509-577-7693 or pmuir@yakimaherald.com.

If you go

WHAT: Comedian Lisa Lampanelli.

WHERE: Yakama Nation Legends Casino, 580 Fort Road in Toppenish.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

TICKETS: $22.50 and $40, available through Ticketmaster or www.yakamalegends.com. Must be 18 or older to attend.