Creativity—with a pinch of whimsy and a dash of the devil. Therein lies the mad mind-set at the core of orange-mopped Carrot Top’s comic appeal—and the outrageous doohickeys (the technical term) he devises to magnify his frenetic gags.
“From birth to mirth, I love seeing the process, to make it and see it work is like your baby,” Carrot Top—aka Scott Thompson—told Las Vegas Magazine. “I never cared about being labeled a prop comic as long as ‘comic’ is in there. … But years ago I was in a junkyard and I saw a little mini-toilet. What’s funny about a mini-toilet? So I took it and figured I’d come up with something.”
Add an attached plate and ... voila! “It became a plate for bulimics—eat and throw up, eat and throw up.”
You get the warped idea. In that spirit, following are some of the strangest among The Top’s props:
United Airlines snack tray: Features a hidden fist that pops out to slug passengers. Surely an obstacle for Top’s path to a career in airline marketing.
Trousers with an alarm on the zipper: Belonging to? Bill Clinton. Certain scandals—and the punchlines they inspire—are forever.
Tax return envelope shaped like “the finger”: Visualizing what we’re all feeling come April 15. To minimize the risk of government vengeance—and offending your mail carrier—file electronically.
Miley Cyrus mask with a drill for a tongue: We should all be so lucky to be celebrated for our best—not to mention weirdest—feature. No, he doesn’t swing astride a wrecking ball or flash his boobs. Yet.
Toy baby dinosaur on a leash: Beloved pet of America’s geriatric politico du jour, Sen. Bernie Sanders. Old-age gags. They never get old.
Kids’-style cups-and-string phone: Complete with smaller cups for conference calling and call-forwarding. Throwback to simpler times before smartphones were issued to embryos in the womb.
Oversized Hooters job application: Comes with breast cutouts for applicants to “fill out.” We’d rather not imagine a similar application he’d concoct for Magic Mike tryouts.
Lingerie with egg timers on the breasts: Purpose? Limit foreplay and get to the main event. Not a gag likely to be stolen by a female prop comedian.
Pregnancy test/map combo device: Purpose? Once pregnancy is confirmed, you can skedaddle out of town. See previous observation.
Jack Kevorkian tub toy: Plug-in rubber ducky. Bonus: It’s the perfect gift for the person who has everything in life but nothing for the afterlife.
Baseball bat/crotch adjuster: Allows batters to do what they love—swing at balls while rearranging their … lower midsection comfort level.
Protective slipper: Equipped with a mini-bumper in the front so you don’t hurt yourself when you stub your toe. Now THAT could earn a fortune.
Rush Limbaugh’s toothbrush: A toilet scrubber. Not a new invention, just a new purpose. Your response likely depends on the info on your voter registration form.
Fifty Shades of Grey movie-watching companion: Let’s call it “stimulating” and say no more.
And that, boys and girls, is the prop(er) approach to comedy.
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