Comic says ‘Last Comic’ is a joke

updated 6:34 p.m. ET Oct. 6, 2004

RALEIGH, N.C. - Ralphie May says NBC’s jokefest “Last Comic Standing” is a joke itself.

The plus-sized comedian, who finished second during the first season and was voted off season three’s competition Tuesday, says the talent contest hosted and produced by comedian Jay Mohr is past its prime.

“The whole show is a joke,” he told The Associated Press recently. “The viewership’s gone down the hill, and the show has jumped the shark.”

May performs stand-up that’s a boisterous brand of hip-hop flavored, not politically correct humor. His career received a boost from his success on the show, including a USO tour, performing for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But he doesn’t think much of “Last Comic Standing” anymore.

Season three has featured comics from the first two seasons, and May says “the only one on there that’s doing real comedy is Alonzo Bodden.”

May says comedy isn’t always about getting the laughs, it’s about pushing the boundaries and moving stand-up forward.

“That’s why I don’t have respect for audiences that laugh at ‘Remember when you were a kid?’ jokes. ... Let’s move on, let’s try something new,” he said.

“Just Correct,” May’s comedy CD and DVD, were released earlier this year, and he’s now touring comedy clubs and theaters across the country.

His projects also include VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club,” where he and seven other celebs try to shed extra pounds together, writing a movie for MGM and developing a cartoon featuring a fat superhero named “Supperman.”

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