It’s kind of funny that Ross Mathews‘ May 7 memoir Man Up! has Chelsea Handler and Jay Leno‘s fingerprints all over it. Because the 33-year-old multi-media star is the rare exception to the general rule that Handler’s talk show is now the vehicle that mints fresh-faced young comedic talent, rather than the place Johnny once ruled in that manner.

Handler’s eye for stand-up and quirky talents that will stick and grow with the public is uncanny. Mathews has been making the publicity rounds for his upcoming literary debut, including a CNN.com Q&A. Here’s what he told network intern Tess Gilbert when asked to back up his book-claim that one person can change the world:

“Listen, I know it’s true because I’ve lived it, and I’ve done it, OK? I brought butternut squash back. There was a restaurant, they took an item off, I fought, they brought it back, and they named it after me, OK? And I’m just one person. And of course it’s silly to say that it’s changing the world, but it’s just an example. It’s the little things you do to say, ‘No I’m not going to stand for that! I’m not going to stand for it!’ Those little things add up.”

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Greetings loyal Fishbowl readers. It’s holiday time, and we’re feeling the Hanukkah spirit. So all you fans of Chelsea Lately (or of comedy in general) listen up. We have five pairs of tickets to giveaway to see The Comedians of Chelsea Lately perform at Club Nokia on December 16. Ross Mathews, Heather McDonald, Josh Wolf and Jen Kirkman will all be performing.

First five people to email us will get tickets. The show starts at 9. More info here.

*Three of our winners have since told us they can’t make the show. So keep emailing if you’re interested. We have three pairs of tickets left.

Legal mumbo jumbo after the jump.

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All these years of doing bits for Jay Leno, and Sunday, February 27th turned out to be the first time Ross Mathews finally crossed over from the red carpet into a big-time LA Oscar party.

His report from Sir Elton John‘s fundraising bash at the Pacific Design Center aired Monday and features a range of celebs including Jamie Foxx, Glee‘s Jane Lynch, Paul Rudd, American Idol judge Steven Tyler, and Modern Family‘s Eric Stonestreet. A running gag had Mathews asking each famous interviewee to donate an item to Jay’s “gift bag.”

Things took an unexpected turn for the X-rated when The Tonight Show correspondent ran into Tori Spelling. The combination of her crotchless panties and the venue’s mirrored floor actually led to some brief NBC blurring:

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