Just Do It

Christian Finnegan

by Ben Kharakh

Wed.-Thu., May 14-15, 8 p.m., Fri.-Sat., May 16-17, 8 and 10:30 p.m., $15-$30, Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., 215-496-9001, heliumcomedy.com

Christian Finnegan might look like a natural during his Comedy Central special and Best Week Ever quips, but being a comedian wasn't always the plan.

City Paper: What'd you want to be growing up?

Christian Finnegan: Like every kid who grew up in my era, I wanted to be Fonzie. Then you look back and you realize that Fonzie was kind of a tool, honestly. He had the lamest leather jacket ever. It's like something your supervisor at the computer-consulting firm would think was a cool leather jacket. It was way too snug and it was almost like a Members Only leather jacket. He also hung around a bunch of high school kids all the time. That's creepy right there. These days you'd end up on Dateline if you did that.

CP: Do you think comedian is a profession children aspire to?

CF: It's a profession that many people think they could do if simply they chose to do it. I think if you're a comedian and you're skilled at it, it looks easy. That's sort of the point, to make it look effortless. As a result, people sometimes think that it requires no effort. But not everyone can sit for five hours in an airport food court. That takes a special kind of lack of dignity.

CP: What do you think is a career anyone could just do if they wanted to?

CF: Stockbroker. You grow up thinking, "Stockbroker. That sounds so classy!" But then you realize that they're basically just used car salesmen and that there's nothing glamorous about them. President. Easy. Priest. No brainer. Gym teacher. Give me a break.