Argus Hamilton Bonus Show #131

Argus Hamilton, a veteran stand-up comedian with more than four decades of experience, is widely revered for his sharp wit and insightful social commentary. As a linchpin of the iconic Comedy Store in Hollywood, he has crafted a style that blends political and societal issues with humor, often drawing from his Oklahoma roots and keen observations. Hamilton's numerous appearances on "The Tonight Show" and his role as host of "Comedy Store Tonight" underline his ability to connect with audiences through relatable jokes and clever anecdotes. With a distinctive comedic approach that weaves current events into personal narratives, Hamilton stands out as a seasoned performer who entertains while provoking thought.

(00:01:09) Oklahoma Roots: Argus Hamilton's Stand-Up Comedy

(00:05:41) Comedic Take on Reagan, DeLorean, Pope

Transcript

Announcer: 0:04

This is another episode of Stand Up Comedy. Your host and emcee celebrating 40 plus years on the fringe of show business stories, interviews and comedy sets from the famous and not so famous. Here's your host and emcee, Scott Edwards.

R. Scott Edwards: 0:21

Hi and welcome back to the podcast. This special bonus show shares a comic that never actually got a chance to work for me. Why? Because he was so busy being one of the mainstays and host at the Comedy Store in Hollywood, California. In fact, he worked so closely with the owner of the Comedy Store, Mitzi Shore, they ended up hosting their TV show Comedy Store tonight where they had a chance to showcase comics from all over the country. And Argus Hamilton also made something like 15 to 20 appearances on the Tonight Show. This man has a lot of experience, a great stand up comic and was really good at relating to audiences. So let's hear a little bit of it. Ladies and gentlemen, stand up comic Argus Hamilton.

Argus Hamilton: 1:09

Glad to be here and I will be. I want to thank you for the earlier plug. I'll be at Harris Tahoe opening for Phil Ashio and Curtis Interruptus. And I can hardly wait. Actually, I'm from Oklahoma. Anybody here from Oklahoma? All right, Boomer. Sooner. I just flew back home to Oklahoma aboard Air Bubba. Went to stop off in Phoenix when the pilots ran out of beer. You know, all my California friends out here were saying, Argus, like, why you have to go back to Oklahoma? How can you like leave this weather? Well, sure, if it's five below in Oklahoma City, it's 76 in LA. And if it's 105 in Oklahoma City, it's 76 In LA. But there's a million God fearing decent Christians in Oklahoma city. There are 76 in LA. Of course, to get back to Oklahoma, we had to fly through Dallas Fort Worth Airport. And with a whole boatload of Californians. How many native California we have? Yes, the other time, okay, Californians cannot stand the idea of being in Texas. It's like the attitude class. Like inviting Keith to a barbecue. Like if Sam Houston had had Californians fighting the Mexicans, their cry would have been consider the Alamo. That's right. So finding all you people bragging about flying into New York, FL into Chicago, flying into lax. You folks try flying into Oklahoma City sometime. Will Rogers Airport, the only airport in the world named after somebody killed in a plane raid. See out here in the news where Nancy Reagan's going to be on Different Strokes tomorrow night. You going to watch that? Going to be something. She's got to show her concern for all minority children making $50,000 a week. Actually, she was going to be here tonight, but she's over at ABC hosting a Tupperware party on. That's incredible. Do we have any poor people here? President Reagan finally came out with a plan. He's urged all poor people by April 15th to be sure and enter the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. I wouldn't want to miss it, seeing the news where John DeLorean had some bad news today. The Automobile association named him Dealer of the Year. You're a hip crowd tonight. We will get out of here, all right. We will get out of here twice as fast if you get the jokes. There you go. Do we have any alcoholics here tonight? Well, even if you're not an alcoholic, these Raleigh Hills commercials sure make you feel like one. So guilt inspiring. Raleigh Hills would like to know, are you an alcoholic? Take this simple test. Do you often ask for that fourth or fifth drink before breakfast? Do you find it impossible to drive without a beer between your legs? Did you make $30,000 last year on Safeway's Cash for Cans program? And finally, is everyone in the living room looking at you right now? 1999. Alrighty. Let's see what else is in the news. Let's see where. Life's been nutty in the crazy Middle East, I tell you. Yeah, it's been nuts all over the place this year. Can you believe the Pope met with Arafat? I mean, for the first time in 15 years, Arafat was not wearing a gun. And for the first time in 2000 years, the Pope was. See where we got the Marines over there in Beirut. The Marines are there to keep the peace. Of course, you Marines are all trained diplomats. It's like hiring Colonel Sanders to babysit your pet chicken. Jimmy Carter went over there and said, well, all the Arabs. Mary's going, oh, I don't know. So we gotta keep the peace over there. We got one Marine that pulled out a.45, jumped on an Israeli tank and turned back an entire tank column of Israeli tank. This guy will always have a job at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Can't start any wars over this thing. Cradle of civilization cannot become Takashi. Of course, I don't think I can tell you how Californians would react to a nuclear war. Oh, boy. Ladies and gentlemen, the Russians are attacking. The missiles are headed for the marina. Well, ruined my day. Put up the convertible top, honey, we got radiation coming. It's like smog with an attitude.

R. Scott Edwards: 7:29

That was Argus Hamilton live on stage. He was such a great Stand Up Comic. He was one of the mainstays of the Comedy Store in Hollywood. He and Mitzi Shore worked together on many projects and as you heard, he was very funny, always relatable with the audience and I was just sorry he never had a chance to work my club. But I think it was because he was so busy hosting at the Comedy Store in Hollywood. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little bit of stand up Comedy by Argus Hamilton, your bonus show this week. We'll be back Sunday with another one of our great regular shows, Stand Up Comedy. Host in mc Tell a Friend Bye.

Announcer: 8:10

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Stand Up Comedy. Your host and emcee. For information on the show merchandise and our sponsors or to send comments to Scott, visit our website at www.standupyourhostandmc.com. look for more episodes soon and enjoy the world of stand up comedy. Visit a comedy showroom near.