The Groggy Squirrel

It is not unusual for comedians to do research for their thematic shows, but when I spoke to Justin D Lodge about his 2007 Fringe Festival show, ‘Why I Lived the Life of a Homeless Vagabond and Other Stories’ I was astounded at the lengths that this comedian had gone to for his art.

Justin spent a total of 20 nights living out on the streets of Sydney and Melbourne (five days in a row being the longest stretch) to challenge his own perceptions of homelessness, all in preparation for a stand up show with the aim of providing some opposition to popular stereotypes.

If you are unfamiliar with ‘Bum Fights’, it is a video depicting homeless people fighting each other or being made to get tattoos on their foreheads, in return for a few bucks. What’s even more disconcerting is the fact that in the past few years it has made millions of dollars.

Sadly it is things like Bum Fights that many people today think is comedy, says Justin. We live in a culture that values people according to their wealth. Homeless people are dehumanised in popular culture. In the US, killings of homeless people are at an all time high. It is mostly done by teenagers who have been brought up by our culture to see homeless people as worthless. I hope it (the show) humanises homeless people and provides an alternative to all the media out there that perpetuates stereotypes.

Justin explains that his show is all about the people he met during his time on the streets and volunteering in soup kitchens. It’s about real people and real experiences. Many did not meet his preconceptions, as quite often you cannot tell a person is homeless just by looking at them. For example, he never expected to see men in business suits lining up in a soup kitchen.

I knew that not all homeless people would meet the stereotype. Of course some do. There really are people who spend their days foraging for food in bins. And there are addicts and mental illness is rife. But these are people with feelings and stories and hopes and I think society should be more compassionate. Stuff like ‘Bum Fights’ wouldn’t be so successful if we were.

With loneliness being the toughest challenge of all, Justin recalls;

I was in Melbourne a place I was unfamiliar with and knew almost nobody. My girlfriend was the only person who knew I was there and she was in China. In addition I lied to my mum and told her I was staying in a hotel and she kept messaging me asking me to message her my address…

And I could hardly message her back…

{Hi Mum I am staying on a park bench in a park in St Kilda… LOL… Justin}

Justin’s only possessions were a sleeping bag, mobile phone, the clothes he was wearing and a sketch pad, which he used to draw pictures in the botanical gardens to try and rid his days of boredom.

At first I went to the art gallery too but as my clothes got dirtier and I got smellier, I started to avoid public places. By the fourth day without showering or changing clothes, and sleeping outside I felt like everyone was looking at me and judging me. I became extremely paranoid.

Yet even after his experiences, Justin still plans to go back out there over the course of another year to give his show as much substance as possible. He admits however, that he is aware that no matter how long I sleep out it will never be truly authentic because in the end I have a home and friends and family to go back to.

All of this aside, there is no denying that homelessness is a dangerous and lonely situation filled with everyday struggles to survive. So, this all does beg the ultimate question of… why? Why would someone place themselves voluntarily in this position?

Just reading books by Kerouac, Rimbaud, Hunter S Thompson and William S Burroughs. And also listening to Richard Pryor. The darker side of life and also the lives of the downtrodden and real stories intrigue me as does the thought of turning your art into your life and vice versa. And yet it is just research. Compared with what real people go through every day, spending a few days on the street is just so inconsequential.

Many thanks to Justin for his time. ‘Why I Chose to Live the Life of a Homeless Vagabond and Other Stories’ will be showing at the Tap Gallery Theatre – 278 Palmer St, Darlinghurst from Tuesday 23rd of June until Sunday 29th of June.