The Hammer is a 2007 film written by and starring Adam Carolla. It is the story of a Los Angeles construction worker who achieves success in the boxing ring through an extraordinarily serendipitous twist of fate. It’s basically the story of Adam Carolla, whose comedic talent was discovered only after he answered an ad placed by Jimmy Kimmel, who was looking for a boxing trainer to get in shape (Carolla is a skilled pugilist in real life).
After stints on The Man Show and radio, Carolla now hosts “The Adam Carolla Podcast,” which he’s essentially bringing to the stage on his current tour. Speaking by phone from Denver in advance of his Friday-night appearance at the Moore, Carolla offered his opinion on a range of topics, including Juggalos, Mexican accordion music, and the beards of Kenny Rogers and Michael McDonald:
SW: Does Kenny Rogers’ plastic surgery make you sad?
AC: The whole thing about being in country music and having a beard is not getting plastic surgery. You’ve got the beard and cowboy hat—that’s 80 percent of your head. What do you need to get your eyes done for? It’s a little sad, but it’s sadder we haven’t been able to figure out how to do plastic surgery where you can’t tell. You think Kenny Rogers wouldn’t get laid otherwise? He’s got a billion dollars.
Why hasn’t conjunto music caught on among Caucasians?
It’s a horrific art form that is degrading and annoying to all people with ears and a brain. It’s a sonic scourge, the most annoying music on the planet. I’ll listen to opera and Lord of the Dance. I’ll listen to salsa. It’s not a cultural thing; it’s just fucking horrible. I don’t think enough people complain about it.
What was Tila Tequila doing performing for a gathering of Juggalos in the first place?
I don’t know who would have been a better fit. Ann Coulter? I don’t know that Violent J needs a female presence at those shows. Who would work, Sally Struthers? They’re insane and they’re clowns and they’re a posse—that’s a horrible group to go after.
Why did you do Dancing With the Stars?
I thought it was nutty, scary, kind of weird—so I thought I’d try it. If you’re scared, it’s probably a sign you should try it, unless we’re talking about arson or something.
Do you think Michael McDonald takes himself too seriously?
I don’t know a lot about the man. I like the idea that he’s had the beard since junior high. He’s another good example of a guy with a lot of hair and beard who doesn’t need plastic surgery. His hair and beard style haven’t been touched in 30 years, it just completely changed color.
Do you have a particular affinity for Tecate beer, which was featured prominently in The Hammer?
I do like Mexican beer, I must say. I wouldn’t say Tecate’s my favorite. I’m not really much of a Corona fan. When you do an independent [film], here’s how product placement works: You say “Hey, man, can you give us a couple of boxes to prominently display your product?” And they say “No, but we’ll give you a 12-pack.”
Are the Klitschko brothers bad for boxing?
It’s hard to say when guys dominate if they’re bad for the sport. Not fighting each other is kind of boring. By the way, brothers fight all the time; I don’t see why these guys can’t go at it. It’d be the biggest pay-per-view ever.
