Chelsea Handler to Katie Couric: 'Funny Trumps Everything in My Mind'

By Sarah Crow Posted Dec 9th 2010 05:00PM

Chelsea Handler has a well-earned reputation as a tough cookie, but in her recent interview with Katie Couric, the comedienne shows off her softer side (she has one!) between barbs.

The news anchor and Glamour correspondent, who became a lifelong fan of Handler's raucous humor after inviting her to last year's White House Correspondents' Dinner, interviewed the late-night host for the magazine, getting Handler to open up about everything from Brangelina to bullying.

New Jersey native Handler, the youngest of six children, describes first honing her comedic talent as a child, despite her detractors.

"As a child, I didn't necessarily know if I was funny or not," she says. "I sure thought I was, and my family was really funny, so together nobody really stood out as being particularly funny because we all just kind of got a kick out of each other. And I got in trouble in school a lot, so whatever I thought was funny wasn't being interpreted that way at school. And that's when I was like, Wow, maybe I'm just really annoying."

The 'Chelsea Lately' host, who is rumored to be dating rapper 50 Cent, says that despite her often frank discussion of sex and relationships, she's in no rush to tie the knot. "I'm not a typical girl in the sense that I'm dying to get married or dying to procreate. I don't really have those desires. I respect them, but I do feel like more of a guy in that way. And I don't like to be tied down to one person. I don't like long-term commitments."

Couric, who calls Handler's humor "pretty out there," asked the host where she draws the line between good fun and bad taste, to which Handler responded, "I'm pretty clear about what I'm willing to say and the lengths I'm willing to go... You don't want to be nasty, and you don't want to be malicious. But it's OK-I mean, funny trumps everything in my mind... Look, I'm never going to please everybody. So I just have to be true to myself and think, OK, this is something I'd say in my living room, so it's OK to say on the show. Because I want my audience to truly know who I am."

Part of who Handler is, apparently, is a vocal opponent of all things Angelina Jolie, whom she recently ranted about during a comedy set in Newark. Explaining her tirade to her Couric, Handler says, "I'm not a fan. She just doesn't come off to me as a sincere woman. She seems like a woman that you'd really want to avoid."

In her corner, however, is Jolie's tabloid nemesis, Jennifer Aniston, with whom Handler recently vacationed in Mexico. "Jennifer Aniston makes me laugh," says Handler, who calls the actress "irreverent and hilarious."

While she's clearly comfortable voicing her opinions on other celebrities on her show and in the press, Handler admits that there are limits on what she'll do for a laugh. "I think talking about children and their looks is not nice. I don't do that," she says. "And I don't talk about people who are dying. I think that's inappropriate."

In addition to her ban on certain subjects, Handler is adamant in her anti-bullying message. "I think bullying of anybody, whether they're gay or straight or anything in high school is unbearable. I dealt with it, and I did it. It's terrible. And you want the school to tell people that at some point you all grow up, and it was a terrible thing to do, and be a reminder of it's never acceptable."

So, despite her biting humor, Handler's main take-away for fans is self-acceptance. "If there's a message that I can't say loud enough, it's that it's OK to be who you are... We should be bringing each other up, not putting each other down."

For the full interview, check out Glamour.com.

Tags: chelsea handler, katie couric

Comments

(37)

Thursday 09 December

By C

Vote down Vote up Report this

They did for sure. He said it at the beginning of every answer to every question during the election and now everyone says it. :/ Most of the time, it doesn't even make sense when people start a sentence with it

Wednesday 15 December

By zoey

Really, all I see is that you Cheslea, giving Angelina more power talking about her.

By Enough Already

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Could care less what either of these women think about anything or anyone! Who are they to judge.

By Georgia

Calling another woman a f***ing **** and evil isn't malicious? Referring to her kids in racist rants and calling her 4 year old a lesbian isn't nasty? Some needs to be told denial isn't just a river in Egypt.

By John F.C. Taylor

A really funny person does not have to resort to vulgarity. That puts her in my not funny catagory. Neither is her show funny. I've tried several times, but just don't see anything funny about her. With her talent for getting people to believe she's funny, maybe she should try a career in sales and marketing.

By Peapod

People like Chelsea Handler and Katie Couric need Angelina -- and need to smear Angelina -- to get attention, and strokes from other haters. Fortunately for Angie she has no need of them.

Friday 10 December

By evelyn

sad that Katie has to go low with manly looking chelsea and jennifer you guys are pathetic women.

By sway

hahahah, yah Chelsea, you are so funny!! That is why your show is only on in the middle of the night so no body has to watch or listen to you. You ARE a bully, and you are NOT funny, and you are also a liar. You make fat jokes, gay jokes etc
You are totally UNFUNNY

By karen

Liar, liar. I am not a celebrity so do not have a clue of what Bragelina are as human beings, ditto with "Rachel" Anitson. But one woman calling another woman in hatred a "C...T" is below low. It's disgusting. And a woman who would do that then act as though she has scrupels well, seems she's the one to be avoided. Katy Couric, do something meaningful, sell girl scout cookies or something,

By LaDiva

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Ooohh guess nobody can speak against Angelina Jolie. I agree with Chelsea. Angelina is a homewrecker and a hypocrite at that. I remember how she was adament about never dating someone who is married due to her mother being cheated on. So in that, I believe Angelina has found her match in Brad Pitt -- lol at least Jennifer had Brad when he actually looked good.

By kelley

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

NO SHE DID NOT HAVE AN AFFAIR WITH BRAD, BRAD WAS DONE WITH JEN AND DID NOT WANT TO ANNOUNCE THEIR SEPARATION BECAUSE JEN ASKED HIM TO WAIT. HE FELL IN LOVE WITH ANGELINA, BOTTOM LINE JENNIFER WAS NOT TAKING CARE OF HER MAN, SHE DESERVED TO GET THE ROYAL DUMPITY DUMP DUMP DUMP.
I LOVE ANGIE AND BRAD FOREVER FOREVER THEY RULE
OUR USA ROYAL COUPLE HEE HEE HEE JENNIFER AND HORSEFACE HANDLER

Saturday 11 December

@ kelley

Angelina, is that you?? lol
The bottom line is, Jen was still married to Brad regardless if they were separated. Separated does not mean divorced so therefore the title of homewrecker to Angelina still stands. And that includes Brad Pitt too.

By Jake

Chelsea Handler is a hypocrite because she had an affair to. She is what she called Jolie. Jen is a pathetic low life coward to spit out such lies to everyone. I have a feeling all of it is going to backfire on Jen. I wish Brad would call her out in public for her lies and her poor pity me fake act.

By Kimberly

Chelsea Handler is nothing more than nasty "White Trash!" And absolutely NO role model for anyone! We don't need more people like her on the airwaves; she's a HUGE negative energy in the world!

As for Angelina Jolie: Chelsea give it a rest! It's been 6 years and several kids later! Angelina is no home wrecker......everyone behaves as if Brad had nothing to do with any of it! Brad and Jenn weren't meant to be.

By cody

What is the difference between Angelina and Rielle?

chelsea is herself a homewreaker, she had an affair and broke up a family that hurt children. but jennifer and katie dont care about that, all they care about is their selves. Im so happy jennifer kate and chelsea are unhappy and without money no man would want either of them. Brad needs to stand up for Angelina, oh wait he did he chose her over long jaw jen.

TEAM JOLIE PITT FOREVER..............CHELSEA DIE DIE DIE

Tuesday 14 December

By James

The fact that she is friends with Jen Aniston and Jen isn't telling her to mind her own damn business and shut her pie hole shows to me that Jen endorses everything she is saying, what a friggin baby... it's making her look like a desperate old maid, ... with a huge chin implant. I used to like her, but now I wouldn't mind seeing her get dumped continually until she's an old maid, and she's almost there. It's making Jen look worse then CH... ya know, I didn't even know who she was until this broke... douche.

Page 2 of 2