Jimmy Tingle./ Photo provided to YourArlington
Jimmy Tingle: A longtime regular in Arlington, the comic and writer premiered his new documentary Sept. 22.
Comic and political activist Jimmy Tingle has a lot on his mind, and he’s sharing it with audiences in his new documentary “Jimmy Tingle: The ‘Radical’ Middle – Why Would a Comedian Run for Office?”, which made its world premiere on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m. at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St.
YourArlington tracked down Tingle to get his thoughts on the presidential election, Arlington memories, and how the town might attract more tourism dollars. The interview appears below.
The event kicks off Tingle’s “Humor for Humanity Whistle Stop Tour” featuring screenings and talkbacks in several communities across New England, inspired by this year’s presidential election. The autobiographical documentary is a 50-minute compilation of the high-points of Tingle’s life from his stand-up performances, clips from his debut on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” Tingle’s “60-Minutes II” commentary on Donald Trump in 2000, and at-home interviews.
The film chronicles the Cambridge-born Tingle’s transition from seasoned comic to serious politician after receiving a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government (where he was his class’s commencement speaker). Tingle also mines his foray into politics, he ran a grassroots campaign for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, where he earned an impressive 41.1 percent of the vote in the 2018 Democratic state primary.
Other dates on Tingle’s “Humor for Humanity Whistle Stop Tour” include Sept. 26: Chatham Orpheum Theater, Chatham, MA; Sept. 27: Shea Theater Arts Center, Turner Falls, MA; Oct. 4: MV Film Society, Martha’s Vineyard, MA; Oct. 19: The Park Theatre, Jaffrey, NH; and, Nov. 14: Dreamland Film, Theatre & Cultural Center, Nantucket, MA.
The Interview
The following interview was conducted via email after Tingle tried valiantly to connect via cellphone. It has been edited for style.
I know we now live in a time when nothing surprises anyone anymore, but what might surprise viewers when they watch your documentary?
They will be surprised to see me talking about Donald Trump running for president in 2000 when I was on “60 Minutes II.”
Do you have any suggestions for those of us who are just trying to survive this fall election season?
Yes! Get involved and help your team –door knock, make calls, write letters, donate if you can! It’s fun, healthy, cathartic and you meet like-minded people and if your team wins you get invited to parties! If they lose, at least you tried, and you can make your own bumper sticker: “Don’t Blame Me I’m from Massachusetts.”
Honestly and seriously, when you hear or read that a voter is undecided in the presidential election, do you think HOW CAN THAT BE POSSIBLE? (Uppercase supplied.)
Yes, I do believe it and I can help them decide: Watch My Film!
Now for some local fun. Do you remember your first trip to Arlington? When you were young, did your family ever make the trek from Cambridge to Arlington?
As teenagers Arlington was a dry town so, we rarely went there. (Kidding.) However, I loved Fidelity House and spent many hours playing hoop in the leagues there in my 20s. Also, I brought my son there and for the 12 and under league. NBA and Notre Dame star Pat Connaughton’s father was my son’s coach. There was a really great community of people at Fidelity House and a very nurturing place for young people.
However, the most memorable trips to Arlington were when I was in high school playing basketball for Cambridge High and Latin and we had to play Arlington at their gym. [Arlington] had a very good team and so did we and we ended up tied for first place for Suburban League Champs.
Their players were huge – their point guard was 6’ 5”. I had to cover him and I was 5’ 6”. I forget who won that game or maybe I just blocked it out.
The Regent Theatre in Arlington is, of course, my favorite spot! To see what Leland Stein and Rick Stavros and Wayne Spinney and Ryan Yorck and the rest of the team have done with the programming and variety of shows is really amazing. I’m very excited to be with my old friends there, premiering my film on Sept 22. I helped launch the theater in 2001 with a month of sold-out shows and it will be great to be back.
I miss the Tasty in Harvard Square and the Wursthaus and the Greenhouse…and Out of Town News, too. And that’s just in Harvard Square. Do you have any memories of things that aren’t in Arlington anymore?
Fortunately, the Regent Theatre and Fidelity House are still there, however my jump shot is gone – I wish I could get that back.
Since you are a creative type, I have a bigger marketing question for you. Arlington really lost out in the early days of America’s history. The town isn’t part of “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” because, as legend has it, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow couldn’t find a rhyme for Menotomy, the town’s name at the time. (Or, maybe we were left out because he was a Cambridge resident, but I digress.) Later the town’s name was West Cambridge (yikes!) before it was changed to Arlington. Any thoughts on what the town could do to get more of those tourism dollars? Or, do you think it is a conspiracy? They are all the rage these days.
Yes, Arlington needs mystique and scandal.
Some ideas for a marketing campaign:
“Spy Pond Original Home of the Loch Ness Monster”
“Big Foot spotted on the Bike Trail”
Trump promises to move Mar-a-Lago to the corner of Mass. Avenue and Pleasant Street to: “Make Arlington Great Again!”
Tickets are available at bit.ly/JimmyTingle2024. For more information about Jimmy Tingle and the film, visit https://www.jimmytingle.com. Use Promo Code, good through Sunday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m., Tingle2018
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This news feature was published Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.
