Adam Carolla Shares the Story Behind ‘Mr. Birchum’ with Ben Shapiro
The Daily Wire’s Adam Carolla discloses the origins of his animated comedy “Mr. Birchum” to Ben Shapiro. Carolla shares how the character began as a radio persona in 1994, inspired by his past experiences with shop teachers. This 30-year journey into showbiz started with a character that resonated with audiences, evolving into a significant part of Carolla’s career. Adam Carolla from The Daily Wire reveals how his animated comedy, “Mr. Birchum,” originated as a radio character in 1994, drawing inspiration from his interactions with shop teachers. This 30-year evolution in showbiz highlights the character’s connection with audiences and its pivotal role in Carolla’s career.
Comedian Adam Carolla revealed the origin of his new animated comedy, “Mr. Birchum,” to Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro.
The host of “The Adam Carolla Show” appeared on Shapiro’s podcast Friday to discuss the show’s series premiere on Sunday, May 12.
.@adamcarolla tells @benshapiro about the 1994 KROQ origin of “Mr. Birchum.”
See “Mr. Birchum” finally come to the screen after 30 years! Don’t miss the FREE series premiere this Sunday at 9/8c: https://t.co/p95qq5sKEj pic.twitter.com/gLfRPqyK1V
— DailyWire+ (@dailywireplus) May 10, 2024
“This is a project that’s been 30 years in the making. So what’s the origin of ‘Mr. Birchum?’” Shapiro asks.
“In 1994, I was a boxing coach. I was training Jimmy Kimmel to box. Jimmy, the sports guy back then, for KROQ radio, for a morning stunt. He thought I was funny. He said, ‘I think I can get you on the radio. But you’ve got to come up with a character,’” Carolla explained.
He continued, “I said, ‘I don’t do characters.’ He said, ‘You better come up with one.’ And I came up with a character called Mr. Birchum. Thirty years ago on KROQ radio in Los Angeles for the morning show.”
Corolla said the character “immediately became insanely popular” and added, “This is how I got into show business.”
Next, Shapiro asked about the character and what he represents. “Who was the character? Why did it become so popular?” he asked.
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“He’s an amalgamation of every mean shop teacher I had in junior high,” Carolla replies. “I went to Walter Reed Junior High, and I had Mr. Gage and Mr. Smith and all these horrible shop teachers. They were angry guys with big mustaches and big forearms who loved woodworking and hated kids.”
“Even as a 13- or 14-year-old, I thought it was interesting that these guys went to school every day to work with kids, but hated kids,” he continued.
“They loved their shop. And they looked at it as their shop, and the kids were sort of a nuisance and an annoyance who were coming in and who were using their tools. That’s sort of the approach for every shop teacher I had. And so, as I went through life, I would tell people, ‘Did you ever have a mean shop teacher?’ And they’d go, ‘Oh, mine was the worst!’”
Carolla said, “I sort of realized everyone had a shared experience of the horrible, mean shop teachers. And I thought, I’ve never seen an ‘SNL’ sketch about a mean shop teacher. No one has captured this guy. But I’ll capture him. And that’s where Mr. Birchum was born.”
Carolla voices Mr. Birchum, a no-nonsense teacher navigating Teddy Roosevelt Junior High with his family — Wendi (Megyn Kelly), Eddie (Kyle Dunnigan), and stepdaughter Jeanie (Brett Cooper). Partnering with his friend Gage (Alonzo Bodden), Mr. Birchum faces off against a progressive poster child for change, the fanatical social justice warrior, Karponzi (Tyler Fischer).
Other celebs involved in the project include Sage Steele (Deena), Danny Trejo (Switchblade), Patrick Warburton (Burly Man), Jay Mohr (Coach Murphy), Rob Riggle (Gunderson), and Roseanne Barr (Principal Bortles).
“Adam Carolla created Birchum back before Barack Obama killed comedy,” Daily Wire co-CEO Jeremy Boreing previously said of the series.
“Of course, Hollywood wouldn’t make ‘Birchum’ today because they’ve stopped making comedies altogether for fear of offending the ‘wrong’ people – so we realized we had to do it. We teamed up with Adam and some of the funniest people we know – Roseanne, Rob Riggle, Patrick Warburton, Tyler Fischer, and so many more – to bring back the irreverent patriarch in a truly hilarious comedy that doesn’t care who it offends.”
“Mr. Birchum” premieres Sunday, May 12, exclusively on DailyWire+.
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