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Jim Norton: I'm dangerous to other comedians

By Jarrett Bellini, CNN
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This JEST In: Jim Norton
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Jim Norton is a fine example of a completely self-loathing comedian
  • He is best known as a co-host on the Opie & Anthony Show on SiriusXM Radio
  • In 2007 Norton published "Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch"
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Editors note: Comedians are talking funny to CNN about various topics and we offer them for laughs in this feature of This JEST In.

(CNN) -- When CNN met up with Jim Norton in Chicago he was a little under the weather, battling a bit of a cold. However, that didn't stop the in-your-face comedian from doing what he does best: Being brutally honest. And spreading germs.

Perhaps now best known as a co-host on the Opie & Anthony Show on SiriusXM Radio, Norton is another fine example of a completely self-loathing comedian who, to some, might seem to enjoy taking out his personal aggression on the world.

But Norton refuses to call himself an angry comic, nor does he consider his routine to be "cringe" humor. Quite simply, nothing is offensive to him. Follow @JimNorton on Twitter for taste, but hide your phone from the kids. And your pastor.

If you need more proof of Norton's fearlessness and honesty, just consider that in 2007 he published a book called "Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch," in which he talks about "being a complete pig" during the two years following the cancellation of the original Opie & Anthony Show, receiving regular erotic massages and spending time with prostitutes. Buy it for your mom for her birthday -- she'll love it!

In 2008, Norton followed up "Happy Endings" with another book called "I Hate Your Guts." This time, inspired by what he considered "phony outrage" after the firing of Don Imus, he attacked public figures who he hated.

Norton calls the experience "satisfying" and says he never caught any flack for what he wrote. He says, "It was all opinion. I mean, I didn't come out and say Al Sharpton's a pedophile. I listed what I did not like about people and made fun of them."

In addition to his current work on the Opie & Anthony Show, Norton is also a frequent contributor to The Tonight Show.

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