Stay In Your Lane!

Have you ever been driving on 495 or I-95 and some nim-wit, (that's not a curse-word is it?), veers too close in your lane? What was your first reaction? Uh, wait, don't say it; on second thought, let's just leave that to my sanctified imagination, okay? LOL!

We were at an out-of-state comedy engagement and this very thing happened to me. It wasn't on the highway, but I experienced the same feeling. I was booked to emcee a community event and do stand-up comedy. One of the people on the program was booked to do something completely different. Next thing I know, they start telling jokes! I'm thinking, (head-on collision coming, three o-clock!) I wanted to say, what in the love of our Savior are you doing? That's my job. STAY IN YOUR LANE!

If you want to do comedy, then take all the steps that I did, go to school, graduate, cut your teeth at a few open mics, maybe find an agent like I did, and do it legally, don't cut me off when I'm in my season and in the lane God called me to!! (I think I'm beginning to get road rage on the King's Highway so I better logoff now. I'm out. God bless, later, Cinnamon.

Where's the Beef?

That commercial during the 80's was so funny. A tiny, shriveled up old lady goes to a burger joint, orders a hamburger that looked twice as big as her, lifts the top bun off and there's a sausage-sized burger on the roll. WHERE'S THE BEEF? This is the question that I would like to ask some of my fellow comedians in the industry.

Profanity, bathroom jokes, jokes about bodily functions, raunchiness, insulting other human beings --- to me, these are not funny. I challenge you: Write and rehearse a 15-minute set with none of the above in it. Now that would be beefy. I don't know; maybe I'm old-fashioned, but, if people are going to pay good recession money to come and see us perform; they should go home with something that sticks to their ribs!!!

Here endeth my beef about the beef.

Amen.

Clean or Christian?

There is a debate out there in Christendom's comedy world. The question is, can you be a clean comedian and still be Christian or to be a Christian comedian, should you use the title "clean" to characterize what you do? Well, DUH! If you're a true Christian, I would hope your comedy is clean! HELLO! In my opinion, all Christian comedy should be clean, however, all clean comedy isn't Christian. Take your Dennis Regan's for example. As far as I know, he doesn't name the name of Christ, but his comedy is clean and family-friendly.

Just because a comedian who is a believer chooses to do clean comedy and work secular venues doesn't mean they've "sold out", (what, are there no more copies of them available or what?); or that they're no longer saved. Our redemption would be mighty flimsy if that is the case. Now on balance, playing secular venues should inspire certain disciplines and absolutes in order to avoid compromise --- to be sure. Of course there are a few whose "crossover" to the secular market orwhose efforts to work both the Christian and secular are motivated by greed and the pursuit of "fame"--- but I believe they are in the minority.

We should be careful not to judge others in what they are doing, Matthew 7:1. We don't know where God has called people to go, or what purpose He has for their lives. Our infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent God is not limited by any genre, discipline, or field. He cannot be muzzled, stifled, or excluded from anywhere. If we believe in and have accepted the name and sacrifice of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Righteous; then we carry Him wherever we go.

Good Night Girlfriend

I am saddened to announce the passing of a fellow Christian comedienne, Brenda O of Baltimore. I didn't know Brenda that well, however, we were scheduled to share the stage for the second time in May when I heard the news.

Brenda's website says: "I don't have to cuss you out, cuz I got jokes!" She said in one sentence the reason why I do comedy today. Some curse in their set for "emphasis." I can't do that. Profanity is a crutch to avoid perfecting good material --- but that's another blog. This one's about Brenda. At one of my first major gigs, when I bombed more than I landed, she was very supportive and encouraging. Of course I land more than I bomb now, (tell the Lord thank ya! TELL HIM THANK YA!) = D

Girlfriend, while you rehearse your heavenly set for the Lord, remember, we love you in the Christian comedy community. You left your mark. You will be missed. Good night girlfriend.

Mission Field

Hey! Happy New Year everybody! Phew. Anybody remember what their New Year's resolution was on January 1?!? Don't feel bad, neither do I. Did I even have any resolutions? I resolve to resolve to not do anything I know I'll keep for two weeks and forget the rest of the year. There. I'm glad that's resolved.

Been thinkin, you know, as a Christian comedienne, I, along with my fellow comedians of the faith, am a missionary. No, don't laugh, for real, I am! I thought about that the other day. My mission: To bring joy and laughter in and outside of the Body of Christ; The mission field: The industry and members/patrons of the 'comedy world', (be it ever so flawed). Just like missionaries to the nations, the Lord has allowed me to represent 'another country,' the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. My message is simple: Serve the Lord with gladness, (Psalm 100:2, NKJV); A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.(, (Proverbs 17:22, AMP). God is not some cosmic kill-joy just waiting in heaven with Freddy Kreuger eyes holding a lightning joystick waiting for every opportunity to zap us from the sky. He sits in the heavens and laughs at this enemies, (Psalm 2:1-4).

Father, may I be faithful to remember the purpose of my mission, prayerful in the field, and never forget whose kingdom you have called me to advance...

HOT OR COLD?

I heard a popular and successful secular comedian's radio show the other morning. I was thrilled when I heard him interviewed on PBS. He shared that he was raised in church, his Mother never heard him perform, (she's deceased), because she was a godly woman and didn't want to see her son curse on stage. It was impressive to hear him say that before he agreed to the nationally syndicated radio show that he hosts, he insisted that the executives had to allow him to give God the first 15 minutes or there was no deal. WOW! that's an impressive stand for the Lord, (even for a sure-nuff believer).

When I tried to listen to the program, the first 15 minutes was fine, but , WHOA! what I heard afterward seemed to erase the effect of the first fifteen minutes. I had to turn it off, it was grieving my spirit. I got to thinking, the Apostle John writes by divine inspiration to the Laodicean church in Revelations 3:15,16 -- ..."I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, becuase you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." That's graphic, I know, but God is like, look dude, either you're a cold Christian comedian or a hot Christian comedian -- I don't have lukewarm Christian comedians. I spit those out. So decide. Are you hot or cold?

Experiencing a major SELAH moment here people.

Comedy Drive-Bys

Hey everybody!

I was doing stand-up for an 85th. Church Anniversary at a local hotel recently. There were two sisters seated at my table. Friendly, great company. Then one of the sisters leans over to me confidentially and says, "You're not going to call us out up there are you?" I thought, Wow. Is that what people think about comedians? That we just indiscriminately do what I call 'comedy drive-bys?' Shout-out to Table 20 over there and my two sisters in crime, you know you should be arrested for that crazy hair don't you? NO WAY!

Improvisational comedy is one thing. Embarrassing and humiliating people is another, and it is not at all funny to me.