I had fallen prey to a classic case of contempt before investigation. It was evident pretty quickly that I was wrong about this guy. Inevitably, the time arrived when I was out of shows and ventured backstage to chat with the comedian before he took the stage. That was about all I knew about the prop comic. I was reluctant to see Carrot Top because I didn’t like his 1-800-AT&T commercials that were airing in those days. “What about April 26?” “That’s Wayne at the Stardust.” “What about next January?” “I’m at the Jimmy Buffet tribute at Gold Coast.”Īnd on it went. “Ah, I am planning to be at ‘Forever Plaid’ at the Flamingo,” I would say. “What about next Saturday?” the editors asked. My editors in those days mapped a plan for when I should watch and write about this comedian. It was about 22 years ago, when Scott Thompson (the comic’s legal name) was a rotating headliner at MGM Grand’s Hollywood Theatre, which is now the David Copperfield Theater. I haven’t told the story in a very long time, if ever, about how and when I met Carrot Top.
