D.L. Hughley at The Comedy Catch

Bullies serve a purpose in the eyes of comedian D.L. Hughley.

"Schools have these anti-bully campaigns, but bullies actually served a purpose. Everybody dealt with them. They taught you that everything wasn't going to be easy. Sometimes you had to learn to stand up for yourself. They teach you that life can be hard.

"I would say if you've never been verbally, emotionally or physically abused, you'll never really be ready for marriage.

"We are a nation of men that has been raised by women, and we act like it."

The 48-year-old Hughley will appear at The Comedy Catch this weekend. One of the most successful comics over the last 20 years, Hughley, who has been married to the same woman since 1986, also is known as one of the nicest.

"I do take pride in being cordial, and I do take pride in the fact that I'm humane and not just in my industry. I mean in general. There is a difference between being weak and being a gentleman. I have an affinity and respect for other human beings because I like people."

Hughley has always worked stand-up, earning superstar status thanks to the Original Kings of Comedy tour and movie, but his career has included film, television and radio, and he is writing a book that will include commentary on things like bullies.

"It's about the difference between what we are and what we say we are," he said.

He compared the United States to siblings that avoid being picked on because of their older brother's hard-earned reputation for being a tough guy.

"We now are basically a country that is living off the reputation of our parents," he said. "They did these wonderful things, and we act like by osmosis or something we are entitled to what they earned."

In 2008, Hughley was hired by CNN as a political observer. He said doing "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" was "like landing on the moon. A Yankee in King Arthur's Court."

He said covering and commenting on the presidential election was an exciting learning experience.

"I learned I could work in almost any kind of environment, and I literally watched, and to some extent, was a part of history. It was an experience I'll never forget."

In addition to working on the book, he will be shooting an HBO special in December, plans to restart his radio show at the end of the month and is pitching a late-night show to networks.

While it makes for a busy schedule, finding material is not a problem, he said.

"Are you kidding? With everything that is going on, it's almost like cheating."