Q & A: My Time with Al Franken Michelle Doeden
The idea of former comedian, Al Franken, moving from fifteen seasons on Saturday Night Live to a candidate for Minnesota U.S. Senate seems incomprehensible to most voters. However, one should keep an open perspective, for Franken has shown much intelligence, devotion, and individuality throughout his campaign. Saturday evening, January 12, Franken spoke articulately to a room full of supporters at Chanhassen’s American Legion Post 580. His uncanny ability to unite others nearly brought much of the audience to tears.
What profession did you initially strive towards achieving as you were growing up? “Well, first I wanted to be a fireman, then I wanted to be a centerfielder for the Twins, quarter-back for the Vikings, Scientist or chemist… and then I discovered that I wanted to become a comedian. But I didn’t think people just became comedians, I didn’t think that it was something that one could just go out and learn. The thing that I really enjoy about comedy is that it can reveal the truth.”
How would you describe your own high school experiences? “Weird! (Chuckles) I lived in St. Louis Park and my brother went to Park High while my parents wanted me go to Blake, a private school, because education was important to my family. So they drove me out there one day to go take a test and it turned out that I got in. And it was funny because it was known to be a smart school, but the guy who showed me around my first day, my mentor, turned out to be a complete idiot – nice guy, though. But yeah, my high school days were especially rebellious in that school, too because it was an all-boys school, a lot of protests and sit-ins were taking place during the time of the Vietnam War as well.”
When did your interests in current affairs begin and how? “I suppose my interests began when I was about 10 or 12 years old. I always followed my dad’s opinions; He was a republican, and one needs to remember that during that time, the Republican Party was much different than it is today. There’s nothing conservative about shredding our nation’s constitution and torturing prisoners. We are the liberal movement, we are the conservative movement. Also, my dad was a huge Civil Rights and NAACP supporter, so when a Civil Rights Act wasn’t passed, there was this sense of betrayal within our home and we became part of the Democratic Party, which I’ve been active in ever since.”
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