The Grapevine Q&A: Shaun Majumder

The Grapevine Q&A: Shaun Majumder
By Emily Leeson

You might know Newfoundland comedian Shaun Majumder from his time on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, or his reality show Majumder Manor. Currently, he’s performing stand-up on a cross-Canada tour, and he’ll be visiting Wolfville’s Festival Theatre on July 8. Shaun took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for our editor, Emily Leeson:

The Grapevine: Your new show is about hate — here at The Grapevine, our collective grandmothers want to know, why not love?

Shaun Majumder: Love is so boring! I am just trying to follow the trends- HATE is hot right now, and despite growing up surrounded by a loving family and being taught to believe love is the highest choice, it seems HATE has been given a bad rap. So like Darth Vader, I am going to embrace the HATE and talk about it on this upcoming tour. There’s been so much hate on the go lately, whether it’s coming off of Trumps twitter feed, or the haters who attacked me on Twitter for calling out white supremacy, these people need a voice. So I am going to talk about it. I am looking forward to spreading the HATE and see if my HATE speech will inspire others to join the HATE train.

GV: What food do you hate? Like, not dislike, but it actually angers you to see it on a plate?

SM: There’s not much I won’t eat, but for some reason my body chemistry has created a hateful inner environment towards OLIVES! Man, it’s bad. Like a whiff of ’em makes me gag. My wife Shelby will try to slip a few into a salad to see if I am being dramatic. Then I throw up in the salad and say, thanks for teaching me a lesson love. Here’s a bowl full of puke now. Mmmm Olives.

GV: This tour is taking you across Canada — coast to coast — how do the audiences differ from place to place? What are you expecting in the Maritimes?

SM: Unfortunately I only have time to visit two little pockets of this country on this particular tour. Select towns in BC and then the Maritimes. But yes, every region has its own nuances, and I have to say playing the Maritimes is one of my favourites. I know these people so well from working here so much. 22 Minutes shoots in Halifax, I am from Newfoundland, I surfed the BORE in Moncton, St. John has great architecture firms like ACRE and on and on… I love it here and only expect fun good-time-Charlie audiences!

GV: You grew up in Newfoundland — what Newfoundland turn of phrase or saying do you think doesn’t get the recognition that it should in the rest of Canada?

SM: I really like describing when things are not going as planned by saying “d’arse is gone out’uvver!” That needs to be embraced and used more: “the arse is gone out of her!”

GV: What’s life like for you while you’re on tour?

SM: Driving driving sound check eat show have a drink driving driving sound check eat show drink– repeat.

GV: If this whole comedy thing hadn’t worked out for you, what do you think you would have done for a career?

SM: There are too many to count: professional traveller, coach, photographer, explorer, dive instructor, surf camp creator, carpenter…

GV: Have you ever been to the Annapolis Valley before? Is there anything, in particular, you are keen on seeing or doing while you’re here?

SM: I loves me some Digby! The whole place is so stunning- the entire Valley- from Wolfville all the way down. This trip is going to be in and out, but to golf eat drink surf is always on tap when I am in the region.