by Noah Armstrong
Daily Lobo
Oscar Solis thinks of himself as a comedian and an opportunist.
Solis, a recent UNM graduate and regular performer at Laffs Comedy Cafe, describes comedians as opportunists and said they take the optimist glass-is -half-full mentality and make the best of any situation.
"You've just got to listen to the situations people go through," he said. "You've got to listen to them and find the funny out of it. You can't be so negative about things."
Last year Solis was a finalist in the Southwest Great Laugh Off held at Laffs, and this year he will perform again against two other comedians.
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Solis was born in Anchorage, Alaska, although both his parents are from Mexico.
"All of a sudden, I was a Mexican in Alaska, the only kid eating salmon enchiladas," he said. "People would ask me if I was a 'meximo,' which is ridiculous, but I guess I am."
Solis said his family inspires most of his comedy, and the characters in his act are all based on members of his house.
"You basically have to sit with me at a dinner to understand exactly what the material is about, because everything I talk about on stage has occurred in a dinner at my family's house," he said.
Solis has always been into comedy. When he was younger he wanted to write for "The Simpsons," and he would like to write for "Saturday Night Live."
He first started doing stand-up while attending UNM.
"I was doing class presentations at UNM," he said. "It was a summer interviewing class, and a girl in my class told me that there's open mics at Laffs. So I came, I saw, I did comedy."
Eventually, Solis got a job at Laffs so he could be closer to comedy.
In press releases, Solis uses his manager, Rico Ildefonso, as his contact. Rico Ildefonso is actually Solis's alter ego.
"You can make alter egos," Solis said. "Man, that's the beauty about comedy. You can create different characters, whatever you want really."
Solis said he created Rico because doing comedy is like storytelling.
"You're telling your own stories, or you're telling them with a twist," he said.
Solis said his jokes "are basically about situations that occur on a daily basis that I see with crossed eyes."
"I talk about public bathrooms - I can't stand them. I talk about what I would love to do, people who annoy me, Espa§ola. I think I got like a half hour on people from Espa§ola."
He also talks about culture differences more often now because he spent four months just outside of Mexico City.
Solis believes true comedians aren't just about the humor.
"You have to tell the difference between a comic and a comedian," he said. "A comic is a person that can make people laugh. A comedian is someone who can make people laugh and leave them with a message."
What: Oscar Solis in the 2nd Annual Great Southwest Laff Off
When: July 18
Where: Laffs Comedy Club
Info: www.laffscomedy.com
