I used to devour a lot of stand-up comedy in my cousin's basement. He had cable and I didn't, so I went there and saw all the comedians. Sebastian Maniscalco More Quotes by Sebastian Maniscalco More Quotes From Sebastian Maniscalco One of my biggest pet peeves is when a guy's wearing flip-flop sandals, which I don't understand. Men's feet are disgusting to begin with, but now they're on display when I try to go out for a nice steak at a restaurant, and I have to sit there and look at some guy's hoof? I don't get it. I don't understand it. Sebastian Maniscalco restaurant look pet men We grew up in a middle-class family in Chicago. Even when we went on vacation as a family, it wasn't a really fun time, because my father didn't want to spend any money when we got there. Sebastian Maniscalco family money time father I remember when I was young, I was watching TV, and my father came into the room, agitated, and told me to start a business. I was eight years old. Sebastian Maniscalco me business remember father Everybody seems to be wasting their time online. There is such a narcissistic attitude. It's such a strange world. Sebastian Maniscalco strange time attitude world Growing up in an Italian family, we used our body to convey a message. Sebastian Maniscalco message growing-up family body I started working full time as a comedian in 2005, shortly after we did the Vince Vaughn 'Wild West Comedy Show.' I worked at the Four Seasons hotel from 1998 to 2005, so about seven years, just trying to put some food on the table and pay the rent while I went out to the open mics and got my feet wet with stand-up comedy. Sebastian Maniscalco comedy feet time food I'll never stop doing stand-up. There's nothing better than getting in front of 2,500 people and making an entire room laugh. Sebastian Maniscalco laugh better never people I give a facial expression in a moment of silence for audiences to react to what I just said and kind of let that marinate with the audience for a little bit. I enjoy the physical part of the comedy as much as the verbal content. People tend to gravitate to not only what they're hearing but also what they're seeing. Sebastian Maniscalco moment enjoy silence people Every heckler is unique because they say something, and you react to what they say or what they're wearing or who they're with, so every response to a heckle is unique. Sebastian Maniscalco react they-say you unique I go to Vegas now, and I'm in the casino, and I'm gambling, and there's a guy in a wet bathing suit gambling right next to me. Sebastian Maniscalco suit go me gambling You go into Wal-Mart, and you see stuff you typically wouldn't see anywhere else. Sebastian Maniscalco anywhere go see you I don't like a lot of clutter. Sebastian Maniscalco lot like clutter Food is kind of the conduit that brings people together. Sebastian Maniscalco kind together food people I developed a knack for storytelling early on around the kitchen table with my family. I just happen to be a funny guy. Sebastian Maniscalco happen kitchen family funny If I can relate to the joke, it's going to be funny. Sebastian Maniscalco joke going i-can funny It took me a good eight to ten years to really formulate what I was doing onstage and start to get really personal with comedy. I always really had timing naturally, it was just about trying to figure out how that timing was going to work onstage. Sebastian Maniscalco good me comedy work I don't like long jokes. I like stories rather than setup punchlines. Sebastian Maniscalco than like jokes long Although my values and my morals are old-school, you have to kind of key into the landscape of social media and how the world is progressing. I'd be a fool to sit there and go, 'Yeah, let's use the telephone to telemarket myself'... Social media is something that I definitely have to tap into, to another demographic. Sebastian Maniscalco myself you social-media fool The business of being told to earn a dollar, that no one is going to give you anything - that was kind of my mantra throughout my childhood, and now it's in my adult life. I find that people really tend to relate to the immigrant father, whether he be Italian, Greek, Spanish or whatever. Sebastian Maniscalco childhood business life father Sometimes it's cool to have banter with the audience. Occasionally, somebody will say something, and I'll say something right back, and everybody laughs, and it's funny. Sebastian Maniscalco will cool sometimes funny