Josh Blue will headline this weekend at Comedy Cabana in Myrtle Beach, with two shows each tonight and Saturday.
Who | Josh Blue, with Eric Grady and Cooter Douglas
When | 8 and 10:15 p.m. today-Saturday
Where | Comedy Cabana, 9588 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach
How much | $20 advance, $23 day of show
More info | 449-4242 or http://www.comedycabana.com/
Taking a call for an interview on a leisurely Sunday afternoon, Josh Blue can't help but weave in jokes in his answers, even on serious topics.
Born in Cameroon, between west and central Africa, and raised in the North Star State, he lives in Denver, and has family in Japan. He's used to encircling the globe, and nothing gets in his way.
Blue, who won the fourth season of NBC's "Last Comic Standing" in 2006, will headline this weekend at Comedy Cabana in Myrtle Beach, with two shows each tonight and Saturday.
Relaxing before the finale of his five performances from a weekend in Omaha, Neb., he reflected on what has motivated him as a person, and how, coping with cerebral palsy, a central nervous disorder, he radiates only a happy, positive outlook.
Question | How has humor provided medicine, not only for your audiences, but as an extra way to help you in being comfortable in showing people that cerebral palsy does not pose a barrier to goals one wants to reach?
Answer | I think laughter is the easy way to administer the medicine. ... When you're laughing, you don't know that you're learning anything.
Q. | What extra characteristics about cerebral palsy have you learned that you might not have come across if it had not become a component of comedy in your career?
A. | A lot of it can be very funny. I think I've learned not only to fully embrace it, but to understand how for people, being disabled can be to your advantage or disadvantage. ... It's interesting because there are so many disabled people out there.
Q. | What aspects about cerebral palsy do people still need to understand or clear misperceptions on?
A. | A lot of times, people will see, not just with cerebral palsy, but any physical disability - they just assume that if you're disabled, that you're emotionally disabled. You just can't assume that.
Q. | Has the world gotten easier for people with disabilities, or at least, are public awareness and care greater?
A. | Yes, look at me. Other disabled people are making it into the mainstream media, and making it more comfortable. Thirty to 40 years ago, they were lumped into the same category. I think we have come a long way from that, but there is a lot more to do.
Q. | What makes you laugh? What certain style or delivery among your colleagues in the profession catches your attention?
A. | My favorite thing is when someone can insult me in an intelligent fashion - when someone is mean to me, when someone can zing me pretty good.
Q. | Who have been your favorite comedians?
A. | Chris Rock. Mitch Hedberg was awesome. Dave Chappelle. Jon Stewart. Ellen DeGeneres. Greg Giraldo was really good.
Q. | What extra kudos do you draw for little, if any, need to use foul or inappropriate language? Is that approach becoming more rare?
A. | Our society is getting dumber and dumber; they need more help. I do enjoy an "F-bomb" here and there, but I can work clean. When you working cleanly, you're more accessible to everybody. When you're swearing, you knock a few people out of their comfort zone.
Q. | How much of your skits are the result of dedicated, sit-down, creative writing, vs. off-the-cuff realizations you never saw coming?
A. | About 95 percent is off the cuff. I rarely sit down and write.
Q. | It's that easy?
A. | For me, yeah. I realize I have a rare gift, because I've never written anything down. ... Fortunately, I remember what I said the night before ... .
Q. | What humor has been inspired by your play and involvement with the U.S. Paralympic soccer team and Paralympic Games?
A. | A lot of jokes come from just being with a bunch of other guys with disabilities. It's funny when we get together. ... At the airport, people just get out of our way.
Q. | What other sports consume your interest? Will you miss American football this fall, the way things are going in negotiations between NFL players and team owners?
A. | Yeah, it's pretty much the only other sport I like.
Q. | Having grown up in Minnesota, were you moved to create any Brett Favre jokes, after his last two years with the Vikings?
A. | He was a one-of-a-kind to watch. When you tackle him, you're tackling an antique.
Q. | On a serious note: Two days after the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, what communications have you had with your in-laws in their homeland?
A. | We finally got through to them, and everybody's OK. Thank goodness, you know? Those must have been scary moments. It just shows you the power of the ocean and everything.
Q. | When was the last time you were in the homeland of your wife, the former Yuko Kubota?
A. | I was there for my birthday [Nov. 27]. My sister-in-law got married on my birthday.
Q. | How has parenthood changed your perspective on life at age 32?
A. | Our boy turned 3 last week, and we have a 9-month-old girl. ... I have more to worry about, for sure. Definitely, a lot of jokes come from those kids.
Reach STEVE PALISIN at 444-1764.
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