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When Wyatt Cenac leftThe Daily Showat the end of 2012, nothing seemed awry.
An astute comic potential waiting to be tapped.
Wyatt Cenacs Problem Areas, which premiered last Friday on HBO, is that endeavor.
Much of the language on this polarizing subject is about the desire to communicate with people who think differently.
When I spoke with Cenac by phone, he was trapped in his office after several rounds of press.
In thinking about your body of work, I was surprised by the premiere ofProblem Areas.
I felt like Id spent five years railing against 24-hour news networks and Fox News and hypocritical politicians.
What if you focus on actually trying to do shit?
And what does that look like?
If it came off as earnest, Im sorry, and I mean that earnestly.
You dont have to apologize.
By earnest, perhaps I meant not entirely doom and gloom.
This whole season is about policing in America.
And not in a way thats like, everybody is going to hold hands and automatically get along.
The nuance is the detailed work, though, and it reminds ofthis bit you had about Derek Jeter.
Then you say, New York City has 8 million people and most just forgot to vote.
This could describe our last presidential election.
I think the reality is that the system constructed is frustrating to people.
And you know, we vote on aTuesday.
Voting could be a week-long thing.
We could stretch the voting process out from Sunday to Sunday at a time thats more reasonable for people.
Thats why so many people can vote forAmerican Idolor reality-television stars.
We should just adopt it all.Maybe!
I mean, people would definitely watch that debate.
Engaging with the public also means being responsive to the public.
If you have a car, you tune it up, you replace the parts.
You attempt to keep it in good shape.
It feels more like were driving in place.
To make any progress, do you think youll have to engage those who politically disagree with you?
Namely, the Republican base.Look, America is an apartment where we have millions of roommates.
The chore wheel comes up and we all got to figure out how to do those chores.
Theres no moving to Canada, theres no waiting for people to die, theres none of that shit.
I think that engagement is local engagement.
Its everyone sharing the load, and I think thats always the way its been.
If you go into the conversation with respect, it doesnt have to be a shouting match.
It doesnt have to be a pissing contest.
Jon Stewart was often asked, What is your responsibility to the public?
Are you a comedian or a journalist?
Aside from just that, what was your headspace going into this show?
Do you feel responsibility here?Ive never been to journalism school.
I walked past it a bunch when I was in college.
That said, its also a TV show, and it is entertainment.
Im a comedian, so I need to venture to make stuff funny.
The idea of a television show is to get people to continue to watch.
A man was holding up a metal pipe that officers mistook for a gun and killed him.
And there was never anything.
Theres nothing I could tweet.
That was the best I could do.
Thats a pretty low bar.Its a low bar.
You know, it seems like youre a little skeptical of my intentions.[Laughs.]
I spent almost five years interviewing people for a TV show.
Although thats not to say that I dont go in with some level of skepticism.
If you go to a restaurant and you ask the waiter, What do you think is good?
If its too sincere, Ill hang up the phone.
In putting this show together, I cant say whether its the thing I was meant to do.
Are you happy?In general?
With my hair-care products?
Thats for you to say.I mean, Ill answer your question with a question: What is happiness?
[Long pause.]
I should have followed all that up with, Did you understand?
Just one more callback to theunderstandjoke.
How much self-doubt is in each answer youre giving?I dont know if its self-doubt.
Im stuck in an office all day.
Youve got to get the laugh where you’re able to.
They dont like Uncle WyWys goofy pranks.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
