Comedian Jim Gaffigan gets candid about challenges of raising teens on ‘Today’ with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Comedian Jim Gaffigan recently got candid on the ‘Today’ show and talked about the challenges that come with raising teens.
During a recent segment of ‘Today with Hoda and Jenna’, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager welcomed a stand-up comedian known for his clean and observational humor, Jim Gaffigan.
Gaffigan gained popularity due to his relatable jokes about topics like family, food, and the quirks of modern living.
His seven successful comedy specials, including ‘Mr Universe’, ‘Obsessed’, ‘Cinco’, and ‘Quality Time’ have been credited with Grammy nominations.
Gaffigan has been married to actress Jeannie since 2003 and the couple share two daughters and three sons.
Besides talking about his children, the comedian also touched upon his ‘Barely Alive’ tour and co-headlining a new show with Jerry Seinfeld, the secret to his 20-year marriage, and how he fell into comedy with the ‘Today’ hosts.
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Jim Gaffigan on parenting
When Hoda Kotb addressed Jim Gaffigan about “rearing teens”, asking him, “What’s so hard about it?”, the comedian said, “Absolutely everything.”
“First of all, parenting is the only thing you can do for 13 years and then it gets super hard. It’s like a cruel joke. God is up there watching us and he is just like, ‘They probably think they are pretty good at parenting. Watch this,’” he added.
He continued while imitating God, “Cue the hormones.”
Suddenly, Jenna Bush Hager chimed in asking, “Were you a bad teen?”
He responded, “I was not. I was perfect. I am perfect. I have never argued with my wife. I never made a mistake. I probably was a pain in the a**. All teenagers are.”
He continued to talk about how he keeps his children in line before he made a hilarious joke, “I drink alcohol. I prefer Bourbon.”
Gaffigan turned serious, claiming, “No, you know, that’s why I feel so grateful that I have this partner in this, my wife. It’s hard.”
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Jim Gaffigan reveals secret to 20 years of marriage
After sharing his challenges of fatherhood to five children, the comedian also talked about his wife.
Jenna mentioned that he recently celebrated his 20th anniversary and asked, “What’s the key?”
Gaffigan again joked, “The key is alcohol.” However, he continued, “No, I think it’s sucking it up. I think my wife probably has a dramatic vision problem if she is married to me.”
Hager then asked, “Does she find you hilarious? Do you feel like humor helps?”
He said, “Not for the past 19 years.” When asked about how she reacts to his comedy, he said, “I think she is very funny too. Humor is a very important element in our house, but it’s pretty grim at times with teenagers.”
Gaffigan concluded the topic with a sense of humor as everyone burst into laughter after he humorously spelled out “Bourbon” for parents in the audience, telling them how he made it this far with his children.
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