Jim Gaffigan embarks on new comedic venture
Comedian Jim Gaffigan is embarking on a new venture called the "The Jim Gaffigan Show."
The show, Gaffigan said, is inspired by his own life and features a more family-friendly comedic style favored by he and his wife.
"I'm a clean comic, and I always say when people ask 'Why am I clean?' It's because Jesus told me," Gaffigan joked Tuesday on "CBS This Morning."
The father of five said that's just how his style of comedy comes out.
"I think comedians get a lot of credit or criticism for the type of comedy they would do anyway," he said. "Some of my comedy deals with an exploration of the id or me just me talking about muffins, so it's not necessary to curse."
The new TV Land comedy premiers July 15 and stars Gaffigan himself, alongside Ashley Williams who plays his wife, Jeanie.
"Going through the network model of creating a television show, it wasn't a likely opportunity that (Jeanie) was going to be able to play herself," Gaffigan said.
Jeanie, an actor and comedian, instead serves as one of the show's writers and executive producers.
"We really need that fresh perspective ... because if we were both in the show, it would be really hard to have a fresh set of eyes on what was occurring," Gaffigan said.
Gaffigan, also a CBS "Sunday Morning" contributor said "it's amazing" that he and his "writing partner in all things" are able to collaborate.
He also shared his opinion on comments former Disney CEO Michael Eisner made in a conversation with Oscar-winning actress Goldie Hawn.
Eisner said in part: "From my position, the hardest artist to find is a beautiful, funny woman ... by far." He has since clarified his comments to The Hollywood Reporter saying, "In the context of a public conversation with Goldie Hawn in which I was complimenting her on being both beautiful and funny, I said such a combination is hard to come by in Hollywood."
"Well I think that the underlying theme of this is it's really kind of -- it's bigotry, right?" Gaffigan said. "The underlying thing is whether a women is attractive or not, are women funny? And I feel like it's a debate that is ridiculous. Its kind of like when people bring up, 'Hey maybe we should debate whether the world is round or flat.' It's absurd," Gaffigan said.
He said female comedians like Carroll Burnett and Phyllis Diller were strong influences on his comedic career and Eisner's statement was "not the most intelligent statement anyone's made."
The Grammy-nominated comedian will commence his 30-city tour July 16. His kids will be along for the ride, and Gaffigan joked they may not all make it back at the end of the summer.
"I mean I'm not coming home with all of them. I'm dropping some of them off in different areas," he joked.
To hear what Gaffigan thinks about bacon vodka and "the avocado-toast era" watch the video above.