This act is no bleeping joke
Comics clean up act for area Christians
BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE
Date published: 8/23/2008
By Flowers Umble
BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE
Have you heard the joke about the man who gets saved?
He finds Jesus, gives up the world to save his soul.
And finds himself really bored for the rest of his life.
The Rev. Timothy Jackson saw nothing funny in that joke. So he avoided Christianity for years.
But when he got saved 13 years ago, Jackson discovered the punch line: His newfound faith gave him more joy.
And he learned Christians can have good, clean fun.
But Jackson did avoid some things from his previous life, including comedy clubs, where he no longer felt comfortable with the excessive cursing, sex jokes and degrading humor.
Earlier this year, he discovered a comedy act that told jokes without the raunchy stuff. Jackson, pastor of Trinity Fellowship International Church, recruited the team for a monthly show at his church on State Route 3 in Stafford County.
Catch the Spirit of Laughter brings Christian comics from Washington and Maryland to Fredericksburg the third Saturday of each month to entertain local audiences.
Sometimes, patrons don't know what to expect from Christian comedy, said Mike Washington, a comedian who emceed last week's show.
He had been a comedian for 16 years when he decided to clean up his act. His kids, now 21 and 16, provided the main inspiration. They'd see his show, and Washington, a Christian, got tired of having to tell them they couldn't talk the way he did in his act--with multiple expletives.
But when he told people his act would be "Christian comedy," many were skeptical. They thought that would mean hokey jokes about the Bible or the pastor.
Washington, however, still wanted to provide edgy repertoire. He jokes about Michael Jackson, Saddam Hussein, the D.C. snipers.
"I tell people I don't do Jesus and Mary jokes, because it's not that limited," said comedian Yvonne Orgi who performed last week.
She takes her act to both church shows and secular clubs. She said she draws laughter in both places.
If you're funny, the audience doesn't even notice the clean act at first, Orgi said.
"You get a little tired of the masturbation jokes, the drug jokes, someone dropping the f-bomb," she said.
During last week's act, which featured four comedians, jokes did reference drugs, drinking and sex.
For example, when referencing Viagra, the comic starts with, "For you married men in the audience "
And comedian James McArtur III joked about the consequences of his past drug-addicted life: time in prison.
"I'm going to put something on your mind to get you to change your life," said the Washington resident.
Behind his jokes always lies a message, McArtur said. He wants to tell audiences to stay away from drugs, strengthen their families and work on their marriages.
"It was so much fun, my stomach hurt from laughing," said audience member and King George County resident Carol Richards. "It makes you laugh, and it gives you something to think about too."
godaintnojoke.com
Amy Flowers Umble: 540/735-1973
Email: aumble@freelancestar.com
| Yvonne Orgi joked about being a 24-year-old virgin. "Saying a virgin doesn't think about sex is like saying a homeless person doesn't think about homes."
She also talked about the presidential elections and John McCain's ads accusing Barack Obama of being a celebrity: "So you're saying not only will he win the electoral vote, he'll win the popular vote, too?"
And she joked about life in her native Nigeria. "It is so hot people get saved from birth. [Nigerians say,] 'You say hell is hotter than this? Jesus, I can't take that.'"
--Amy Flowers Umble
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Date published: 8/23/2008
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