Thou
Shalt Laugh! 5
Rating might be PG were it rated. Length 90 minutes.
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A cheerful heart is a good medicine,
but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 5 years since I
reviewed the first Thou Shalt Laugh in these pages. Now,
500,000 sales later, the series is up to No. 5. It is hosted by Chonda Pierce
who bears the title of “Queen of
Clean.” It is good that the producers sought a female comic, with
the six headliners being all male. She and the 5 guest stand-up comics prove
again that “clean” does not have to mean dull in a routine. Nor
that the delivery of the humor by a Christian has to be a matter of pious
restraint. These six yell, laugh, dance, sing, and whoop it up so that the
large Nashville audience was frequently clapping as well as laughing.
Joey I.L.O. led off, drawing on his family at first for laughs. He mentioned
church and singing in the choir, but most of his humor stemmed from experiences
shared by believers and non-believers. Especially funny is his marriage vow
skit in which he combines the words of the wedding vow with the reading of
Miranda Rights.
Next came Leland Klassen, a tall gangly guy whose extra large hands served
as the butte of his humor at first. A Canadian, he turned the inconvenience
of having to pass through airport security into a hilarious skit that every
traveler can identify with.
Third in the line-up is African-American Bone Hampton, possibly the most
frenetic of the bunch (though this is disputable, all of the performers giving
their all to the audience). He had fun poking fun at some of the foibles
of churches that try to isolate members by labeling every activity as “Christian.” “What’s
Christian about ‘Christian Karate’?” he demands. Also,
in Bill Cosby-style, he finds the Bible to be a good source of humor.
Daren Streblow also mines his family, especially his boys and the birth of
a baby, for hilarious observations. If you enjoy his family-based humor,
you can hear more of him this fall on his new syndicated radio show “The
Daren Streblow Comedy Hour.”
Gilbert Esquivel adds to the ethnic mix, striding onto the stage in a shiny,
silvery suit that suggests a prosperity gospel preacher. His funny remarks
also stem from family, mixed in with some sharp observations on race, ethnicity,
and, of course, his unusual suit.
Taylor Mason, as Chonda Pierce points out, has appeared on all 5 DVDs of
the series, and if you have not seen the others, you soon see why. A gifted
ventriloquist, he pulls out from a container marked “Bob’s BBQ” a
small puppet pig and enters into dialogue. Next comes his Romeo, a smug,
tuxedo-dressed smart guy who thinks he is more important than Taylor. Lots
of digs back and forth, with Romeo’s “twiterizing of the Bible” being
especially hilarious. I suspect that buyers of the next DVD in the series
will be outraged if this ingenious comic isn’t included.
This is one of those DVDs to put on after a hard day, the laughter being
infectious. It could enliven a party, and if you have friends who think that
Christian and humor have nothing in common, this is the DVD to get them to
change their minds. One thing all of the diverse stand-ups have in common
is that they are not arrogant nor sweetly pious in regard to their faith,
nor do they limit their humorous remarks to “religious” topics.
For them life, and human beings in particular, are funny when looked at from
a skewered angle, an angle emanating from the belief that life is not tragic,
no matter how dark, because of the resurrection of a special Man.
Available at Christian bookstores and at Amazon.com.