September 11
Turner Hall Ball..
Late Night Host Craig Ferguson
By CLAIRE SUDDATH Friday, Sep. 18, 2009
Craig Ferguson is proud to be an American. The Scottish-born comedian and host of The Late Late Show has only been a U.S. citizen for a year and a half, but he has belonged here all his life. His new memoir, American on Purpose details Fergson’s long, tumultuous, occasionally unrequited love affair with the country he now calls home. The affable talk show host writes honestly about America, Scotland, alcoholism and love. It’s all there, even the part about killer ducks. That’s right, killer ducks.
(See TIME’s Top 10 Late Night Gags.)
Your childhood in Scotland sounded very dreary and sort of Oliver Twist-y. You say that kids formed gangs based on whether they were Protestant or Catholic. Basically, teenagers fought each other over obscure 17th century religious issues. Did they have any idea what they were fighting about?
No, I don’t think people who are involved in sectarian violence are theologians. It was just about gang colors.
You tried to explain your alcoholism by saying that if you could drink normally, you wouldn’t do it at all. What did you mean by that?
The idea of having one or two drinks bores the ass out of me. If I’m going to drink, I’m going to do it to get drunk. If I’m not going to get drunk, I’m just not going to drink. It’s hard to explain. That isn’t necessarily what alcoholism is, I just tried to explain it as it manifested itself in me.
I am going, and we are taking a shuttle since the show is sold out. Sabbatic in Walkers Point, 1 block north of 2nd and National, has a free shuttle to this show at 8pm and and NOFX .