Chelsea Handler to visit Norman

Apr. 26—Editor's Note: A previous version of this story said Handler would perform in Thackerville. Since the article's publication, the show has been canceled. Handler will still perform in Norman.

Chelsea Handler, comedian, TV host, and six-time best-selling author, is coming to Norman as part of her current tour.

She will perform stand-up comedy on Friday, May 3 at Riverwind Casino at 8 p.m.

Fans may know Handler for her seven-year run as the host of "Chelsea Lately" of E!, or her Netflix docuseries "Chelsea Does," which was followed by her talk show "Chelsea," which premiered in 2016.

She also briefly served as interim host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" following the retirement of Trevor Noah.

Handler is currently circulating throughout the country on her "Little Big Bitch" tour where she addresses her childhood, among other topics.

"I was born into a family of six kids and I was the youngest," Handler told The Transcript. "I looked around and was like, 'Who is in charge around here?' Like, there is no one organizing anything."

Handler was born and raised in New Jersey to a Ashkenazi Jewish father and a German Mormon mother. As the youngest of six children, she described her childhood as "chaotic."

"There was a lot of chaos and a lot of disorganization and a lot of irresponsible parenting, so I'm the product of that," Handler said. "I told my parents, my whole life, and my brothers and sisters, 'You better watch out. I'm gonna do something with my life,' and they were like 'We'll believe it when we see it.'"

"It's pretty nice that I've stayed true to my word, and now my whole family depends on me for most things, so I love that."

Handler said that she got into comedy because she wants to spread much needed joy and cheer to those who need it the most.

She is known for her sharp wit, fearless honesty and unapologetic humor. She was described by Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon as "having strong opinions on all different kinds of things." Handler told The Transcript that being true to herself has been paramount to her style of comedy.

"I'm pretty much myself all the time. There's not a big difference between my public persona and my real persona. It's kind of just me being me," she said. "That's how I've made a living for the last 25 years — monetizing my personality and expressing myself. Luckily, that's yielded great results for me."

Her favorite jokes are those that are self-deprecating. She said she would rather make fun of herself rather than other famous people.

"It's about self-deprecation, starting with yourself as the butt of the joke. It's not about making other people feel bad about themselves," she said. "It's not that difficult to be funny without making people feel bad. That's what my stand up is about — it's about my own stories, my own outrageousness, and my own stupidity."

Her favorite comedian to watch right now is Luenell, who has a residency at Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club in Las Vegas.

"She's one of my favorite comics. I enjoy watching her perform," Handler said. "I like anything that makes you think in a different way. I like to have my thinking challenged — to see things from a different perspective, or another person's perspective, which is always very entertaining."

Growing up, she was most inspired by canceled comedians Bill Cosby and Woody Allen

"So, that didn't really work out that well," she said with a laugh.

Both comedians became the target of the #MeToo probe after it was discovered that they had both engaged in different sexual indiscretions. Cosby was released in 2021 after having served time at a Pennsylvania state prison for drugging and sexually abusing women.

As part of her routine, Handler will tell stories about Cosby, Allen, and others. She said she will tell a story about a time where she met then-President George W. Bush at Walker's Point Estate in Kennebunkport, Maine after she had ingested three edibles.

While this will be the first time the comedian has visited Norman, she said she has enjoyed spending time on tour in Oklahoma City.

"My longtime assistant is from Oklahoma, so she is always very adamant that I made it to Oklahoma on my way through my tours," Handler said. "I've been to her house a few times, which is in Enid."

She said her fans should stay tuned in, as she will be sharing a few announcements in the coming months.

Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.