Janeane Garofalo is an accomplished stand-up comedian, actress, and comedy writer who has found success in television, movies, and on stand-up stages across the comedy world. She and Patton Oswalt will be performing at Chicago's Lakeshore Theater on June 19 at 7 PM and 10:30. Special Bastion correspondent Dan Telfer grabbed a few minutes on the phone with Janeane, during which they chatted about her involvement in Henry Rollins' new project, the public reaction to her political activism and her stint as a radio host on "Air America," and how stand-up comedy is sometimes much more fun in little hole-in-the-wall clubs in New York.

Dan: So how are you doing?

Janeane: I'm good, I'm good, except for my flight. I'm in Austin, I'm fine, but I sat on the tarmac for a few hours before they told us the flight wasn't leaving. Which is always a drag. I was on my way back to New York just for a couple days to see my dogs, and then the next show is going to be in North Hampton and then Boston. So I'm just missing out on the dog time. Not on show stuff.

Dan: Is this an official Ratatouille movie tour?

Janeane: Oh no not really, it's just this coincidence. They just figured why don't we see if we can get Patton and Janeane in the cities that requested press, just if they can. So it's not an official Ratatouille tour, it's just that we happened to be doing press in a lot of the cities we're doing stand-up in as well.

Dan: Well that's really cool, because we don't get a lot of people like you guys up in Chicago.

Janeane: Really?

Dan: Yea, I mean we've got a couple of clubs, like Zanies. And then it's like the House of Blues, and then there's an Improv in the suburbs. What's this I'm hearing about the Henry Rollins show?

Janeane: Well, I'm on his IFC series doing monologues, not in every one of them but I'm in a lot of them. Then Henry and I are doing shows, him doing spoken word and me doing stand-up. Marc Maron and Henry Rollins and I did ten shows together that had nothing to with the IFC series, then hopefully Henry and I will continue doing that.

Dan: So at this point you've done a ton of TV and movie stuff, how often do you really get to do stand-up these days?

Janeane: Oh, I'd hardly say a ton. Hardly a ton. No honestly, it's not that much. You know I've been doing stand-up consistently since 1985. I'd say the only time I've had to take somewhat of a break was the 2 and a half years I was at Air America because that was 5 nights a week, every week. That was the only time I've had to slow down doing stand-up. Obviously you can't do road work all the time, but in New York, where I live, there's always plenty of opportunities to do stand-up.

Dan: Which do you prefer at this point-

Janeane: Stand-up! Everybody always asks me that so I always just answer before they finish. "Of all the mediums, blah blah blah" Yes, stand-up. Definitely. I just like controlling the content. I like radio and stand-up the best. Because with both Air America and in my stand-up I'm writing the material that I say or saying it extemporaneously. You know, you are the architect of "it".

Dan: Now that you've gotten to do all this political stuff and this radio stuff, is that going to be a constant in your life?

Janeane: Well, you know, as anybody who is politically conscious, it's always a constant in your life. Now obviously I'm not always going to be at Air America constantly because I no longer work there. So yeah obviously I'm not going to constantly work there. But I'm always going to be a person who in interested in and follows and has something to say about politics. Most people do, you know? As a tax paying citizen it's your right and your obligation to pay attention. You know? I'm just interested.

Dan: And I definitely think it's gotten you a lot of press. Has that ever been frustrating? Has that effected your outlook on comedy?

Janeane: The press as pertains to any time it mentions politics?

Dan: Well sure, like I remember when I first started hearing you on Air America there was just this huge onslaught of right wing, snotty nosed people who were treating it like "how dare a comedian have a foray into this discussion". They were giving Al Franken the same sort of crap.

Janeane: Right. They'll grasp at any straw. They're fine with Dennis Miller as their right-wing comedian. They're fine with Ronald Reagan, and Fred Thompson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The one thing you've gotta learn about Republicans and right-wingers in general: they're hypocrites. They believe in nothing... except dominating. So they always pretend to be outraged about something. But really, it's them grappling with other personality problems they have. You know what I mean by that? (laughs) The right-wing movement, quote unquote. In this country, like any country. It doesn't matter what nation you live in or what era you live in. A right-winger, a quote unquote conservative is a person who's struggling with a million other demons. That's why they are the way they are. So they always pretend to be miffed about a lot of things, but it's really, it has much more to do with whats wrong inside of them.

Dan: Have you had to deal with a lot more of those people face to face since you did Air America?

Janeane: Oh! Oh sure! It was before Air America, it was... it gets to a point where it means nothing to you anymore, you know what I mean? To have... Bush fans, or conservatives, or... or Repub- I don't know what to call them, you know? Whatever. We'll just put them in a category of people who've got issues to work out. You know? They've got problems. There's no shortage of them in your face. And after a while, the good lesson that comes out of it is that you realize it doesn't matter. You know? You can only... be honest. That's all you have to do. You'll never please everybody, and you'll never be everybody's friend. Everybody will never like you. You know what I mean? So there's no point in trying to parse your words or be amenable, especially when it comes to a conservative. You'll never win. You know what I mean? Like, I don't mean you'll never win an election. I'm just saying...

Dan: You'll never change their mind.

Janeane: You'll never change their mind. Because like I said, it's not political. In their case it is personal. It's their personal problems, that's why they're on the right side of things. Whether it's racism, misogyny, homophobia, or being a closet gay, or being a person who is anxiety-ridden or fearful... all of these things lead them to pretend they are Republicans. Do you know what I mean? (laughs)

Dan: They're not even following the actual Republican ideology.

Janeane: Not at all. And a lot of them, that's what leads them to fundamentalist religion as well. And I'm not talking about regular religion. I'm talking about fundamentalism in politics and fundamentalism in religion. And there's of course, in the Republican party, just your corporatists. They don't care who you are, where you come from, just that your money is green. That's a whole other issue, and I don't worry about them and they don't have a problem with anybody. As long as there is money being made. You know? You can have two gay guys fist-fucking in Bush's office as long as money is coming out of somebody's ass. You know what I mean? That's fine! I can deal with a corporate right-winger to some degree. I don't agree with them, but at least they're honest.