By Maribel Santoyo
There's no denying that Cheech & Chong invented stoner comedy as we know it. The duo composed of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong found a wide cult audience during the 1970s and 1980s for their stand-up routines. Watch movies like "Dazed and Confused" or "Pineapple Express," and rudiments of the pair's countercultural imprint can still be found. What's Up caught up with the two during a conference call interview. At 64 and 71, Cheech & Chong's antics and ping-pong dialogue remain the same. Listen to the pair talk and you know that this friendship is golden.Q. It's been 31 years since "Up in Smoke." Was that the last time before this tour that both of you shared a stage together?
Chong: Actually, the last time we did a show was in '81. That was the last time I remember us taking a bow, and now when we take a bow, I kind of have a flashback of that moment. It seems only like five minutes ago.
Q. What's different about your comedy routine now?
Cheech: Our audience is much, much bigger than it was in the day. It's kind of had all those years to grow.
Q. Do you guys see yourselves as cult figures?
Chong: We're actually bigger than God and the Beatles.
Cheech: No, we're the offspring of God and the Beatles.
Chong: But we're almost as big as Prince.
Q. Back in the day you always had a new album to supplement a tour. What have you guys done for this tour?
Cheech: We just filmed our live show with all-time extra added tracks.
Q. Did you guys include the famous song "Earache My Eye"?
Cheech: Yep. The long, expanded, off-stage and on-stage version of that.
Q. Speaking of which, the alter ego that performs it, which is you, is called "Alice-Bowie." I heard the character is supposed to be a combination of David Bowie and Alice Cooper. Is this true?
Cheech: Yes. And, you know, Tommy did it first. He was the first one that did it.
Chong: Yeah, I put on a tutu and sang "I am a man" … You know, like Bo Diddley, and then Cheech looked at me and said, "I'd like to wear that, man." It was just perfect.
Q. How do you think your brand of improv comedy was different from anything else at the time?
Chong: Well, we started out with an idea, and whatever worked, we went with it. Most improvisational groups only do the bits until they mature; then they just go on to other bits. What Cheech and I would do is we wouldn't only mature them, but we'd put them in movies. We expanded them, and that's the difference.
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