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Writing at The Red House Podcast # 226

 

Finding Your Comedy Voice

 

 

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Kathi – Well, hey friends. Welcome to the Writing at The Red House Podcast, where we gather at the table to break bread, and tell tales with some of our favorite writers and speakers, who love to share the story of God’s extravagant love. Back with me is my friend Jason Earls. He is a profession comedian. He travels all over the United States. If your pastor needs a Sunday off, and Lord, we know he needs a Sunday off, I have seen Jason fill the pulpit. Let me tell you, your church will be singing your praises for a long time to come. Jason, welcome back to the podcast.

 

Jason – Thank you. Thank you for having me. Yes.

 

Kathi – So, we’re going to be talking about finding your comedy voice. I know there are some people who are like, “I don’t have that voice. I am mute. I can’t tell a joke. There’s nothing there.” Here’s the thing I know. There’s a big difference between being a funny speaker. I would boldly say I am, most of the time, when I’m having a good day, and a professional comedian. Right? Here’s a random question. Of the comedians who are out there right now, Christian, non-Christian, who are you loving right now?

 

Jason – That’s a great question.

 

Kathi – I know it’s a hard question, ‘cause you have lots of friends. None of them listen to this podcast, so you can be truthful.

 

Jason – I really want to give you the best answer. I like different people for different reasons. So, I would have to say… You want Christian or non-Christian?

 

Kathi – I want it all. Everybody’s in play. You are in charge of comedy right now. You get to pick and choose.

 

Jason – Alright, so let me play to my audience first. I know we all on the same page. I would say the comedian who I’m closest to, as a brother, as a friend, and we are consistently sparing partners, that would be Michael Junior.

 

Kathi – That guy is deep, too. He’s funny as all get out, but like you, he’s not stopping at funny.

 

Jason – Not at all. If anybody pushes me to be less funny and more serious, it’s him. We know each other so well, so he’s like, “Jason, there’s so much more to you than you let your audience know.” He’s like, “Dude, you gotta show that.” A lot of times, especially in the past when we’ve worked together, he’s helped me balance. Sometimes I could tell some Bible jokes, or just make some Bible references that I think are hilarious. He’s like, “Dude. Nobody knows that reference. Dude. You’re the only one who really knows who is Obadiah. All we know is it’s a book we can’t pronounce.”

Kathi – The two guys that are reading commentaries from the 16^th Century for fun, they’re cracking up, but the rest of the audience?

 

Jason – That’s exactly right. Sometimes I’ll throw that out there for those guys. I like him. Mike Goodwin is another guy. Oh my goodness. A lot of substance but just strong.

 

Kathi – I don’t know him. I’m going to go look him up.

 

Jason – My guy Dustin Nickerson is another guy. Me and his old youth pastor, our children went to school together and he called me to help him out. This dude was a young comedian, but now, woah! Woah! Oh my goodness. You will see him on some of the Tonight Shows. He’s killing it. So those are the guys who are really inspiring me right now. Then, in a secular sense, don’t shoot, Christian people, but Dave Chappell.

 

Kathi – He’s a genius. He is a genius.

 

Jason – So, I teach this class at conferences called, “Standup and Preach”. Looking at the art of standup comedy and how it can impact and enhance your preaching. I challenge the pastors. All this stuff going on in society, and you’ve got only one person who is speaking out? Or people who are saying, “I don’t agree with that, but that is a great perspective.” I know that other people are doing great work in other places, but Dave Chappell is hitting social issues like nobody’s business. I ask myself, “Where’s the church on this?”

 

Kathi – It’s so true. Because he is funny, he has permission to say things that other people cannot get away with. He is a genius. I never watched the Dave Chappell Show when it was on. It wasn’t in my Ethos. Man. First of all, that stuff is so funny, but now what he’s doing? Yeah. No. You are correct. It’s very edgy. Don’t put this on instead of Sunday School, just because it’s on a Christian podcast.

 

Jason – When he came out with his one before this recent one, I had been talking about doing stuff like that for the body of Christ, but I’ve just been so hesitant, because I’m like, “Well, they’re gonna shoot me.” I did a show called Seven Jokes I Couldn’t Tell at Church. It’s to talk about things that we, as adults, need to talk about. This is not children/family kind of stuff, even though I’m God-honoring.

 

Kathi – You’re trust worthy.

 

Jason – Absolutely. But there are certain things that we need to talk about, where the kids aren’t around, where we can address those things. A lot of times, when I’m at my home church, when I preach, they’ll say, “Man, only you can say it and address that stuff, ‘cause you said it in a funny way, and we don’t mind you saying it.”

 

Kathi – Right. When you can see yourself as the problem, but you can also laugh at it, that’s a beautiful thing.

 

Jason – Absolutely.

 

Kathi – Anybody besides Dave Chappell?

 

Jason – I enjoy listening Comedians in Cars getting Coffee. I love when Jerry Seinfeld talks comedy. I love when Steve Harvey talks comedy. I love when Chris Rock talks comedy.

 

Kathi – Him and Jerry Seinfeld on there. When he gets pulled over. When Jerry Seinfeld gets pulled over with Chris Rock in the car? Chris Rock said, “I’d be really nervous, but you’re in the car.” Again, you can have conversation. It’s so good. All of it. So smart and so interesting to see these people who are doing dep things and shining a light on things that are hard to talk about. It’s like, the comedians come first, they open the gate, then other people can have conversations.

 

Jason – It brings the guards down. “Okay, that’s not so hard to talk about now.”

 

Kathi – Because if I tried to talk about it with my uncle, there would be bloodshed, but we can both laugh at Chris Rock. I just wanted to know who you were watching. Who got you going and who made you think? I think that’s so interesting, and now I’ve got Mike and Dustin I need to go look up. Very cool. Okay, so we talked about the difference between being a funny speaker and a professional comedian, and on this podcast, we talk a lot about finding your voice. You say, there’s a comedy voice, too. So, how does someone who is not a professional comedian, is it even possible for them to find their comedy voice? We talked a little bit about it last time, but if you are really saying, “Hey, I’ve got things that I want to talk about.” These are sometimes hard things. Maybe we’re talking about racism in the church. Maybe we’re talking about sexism in the church. Let’s just say, the church has a lot it needs to talk about.

 

Jason – Even just the subjects you just talked about. Yes. Yes. Yes.

 

Kathi – Yes. Yes. Yes. I want to talk about those, but I know if I come guns ablazing, nobody’s going to listen, right? Nobody’s going to want to talk about that. So, I need to find my comedy voice, because comedy gets people on your side. It gets you on the same team, and when it doesn’t, you get heckled in Dallas. We won’t go there.

 

Jason – And, if you’re not funny, you just use the opportunity to bring it over to the Lord.

 

Kathi – Preach. Just bring it over to the gospel. There you go. How does somebody, who this is a new thing for them, but they know that comedy is a tool. How do they find that voice?

 

 

 

 

 

You’ve been listening to Writing at The Red House podcast. Thank you for spending a little time getting better at what God has called you to do.

 

 

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*see show notes in podcast post above for any mentioned items