The Mighty Have Fallen

He was on MAD TV, he co-starred a movie with Norm MacDonald, he played a lead role in Norm's TV show "Norm," he starred in his own movie "Beer League," he was a performer and writer on Howard Stern's radio show, he's written two autobiographies ("Too Fat To Fish" and "Crash And Burn") and he did standup comedy for years.

Now he's doing standup at the Exxon on Route 31 in Clinton Township, New Jersey through May 26.

You know whom I'm talking about here.  It's Artie Lange, as raucous and funny a man as ever breathed, and now his drug addiction has taken him to the point of pumping petrol in New Jersey (the one state I know of where there's no self-service at the pumps.)  So pull in to that Exxon and you might hear some of his classics.

On the job now

Mugshot from the old days

New Jersey 101.5 radio reports on their website that Artie has this job through the auspices of a halfway house in Glen Gardner, NJ, and he told someone who went to see him squeezing the go juice that he has 111 days sober now and is losing weight.

He told that visitor that Stern gave him chance after chance to get straight, to take as much time as he needed for rehab, but he refused the help, admires Stern for the offer and the support, and plans to return to show business in a few weeks.

I'm a huge fan of Artie and wish him well. Anyone who can hang with comedy biggies like Howard and Norm has a great talent, and I'm hoping Artie will make the most of this one last chance.

I just don't think I understand how some with great talent and the confidence to excel in his chosen area can, at the same time, say, "Yeah, cocaine. That's the ticket for me."  It's not like he hasn't heard the warnings...but everyone thinks they'll be the one to beat the odds.

They won't.