Clean Comedy

Posted on: 06/27/11 10:24 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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I really love good standup comedy. The problem today is that most standup is pretty raunchy.

It’s hard to find comedians that are appropriate, especially for the entire family. I can only think of a handful of truly great “clean comedians.” The two current “clean” comedians that rise to the top would be Brian Regan (uses “damn” or “Hell” every once in a while) and Tim Hawkins. Both of those guys have me in stitches the entire show. (I actually spoke after Tim Hawkins did a standup routine once… it was a hard act to follow, believe me!)

In my search for good comedy I have to admit I’ve enjoyed the Thou Shalt Laugh series. Each DVD is an evening featuring a gathering of Christian comedians. I’ll be honest… each DVD is hit and miss, but they always have a few good nuggets in there to make it worth it.

I just watched Thou Shalt Laugh 5 last night with my family… it was definitely worth it. (We’re giving away 5 of those DVD’s and 5 of my books next week in our little contest- make sure you join in. See here.)

When you watch it, don’t bail out early. I’ll be the first to tell you that Thou Shalt Laugh 5 didn’t start strong. The host, Chonda Pierce, took a little warming up. And the first comedian was completely forgettable. I don’t think I chuckled once during his entire act. It’s sad… because the comedians to follow knocked the ball out of the park!

Canadian comedian Leland Klassen was next, and he had Lori, myself and all three of my teenagers rolling! His antics were hysterical and his physical comedy was really creative.

Leland was followed up by my favorite of the bunch, Bone Hampton. Bone, who jests that he’s black, not “African American” was definitely the highlight. I’d pay to hear him alone. Hilarious and clean. Rather amazing.

The other guys were okay. Chuckles and laughs. And Chonda became funnier as the night went on. But Bone and Leland made the whole night worth it. I think you’ll agree.

Who are the current “clean comedians” that you enjoy?

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9 Replies to “Clean Comedy”

  1. My family and I were in the audience that night for the taping(We even got on camera a few times!) and it was definitely hilarious. I will tell you, it’s a shame, but part of Bone’s act was cutout. Not sure why, was pretty funny…agree with you about the first guy…and a lot of Chonda’s stuff got cut out. I would say that Leland was the best, followed by Taylor Mason(loved the Twitter routine) who I’ve seen at many a youth conference. It’s definately worth the $15…especially since you get to see my handsome self and my family!!!

  2. We love, love, love Brian Regan. Saw him in person abt a yr and a half ago. Sooooo funny and he used no rauncy words in that performance anyway. Highly recommend him. His facial expressions and the way he walks are signature!!

  3. I remember way back when, Jerry Seinfeld talked about not swearing in his act, feeling like if you were a good commedian, you didn’t need to rely on that. I haven’t seen him lately, so I don’t know if he still is committed to that. I respected him for that, and really liked his comedy. Of course, that doesn’t mean everything he said was g-rated. I’ve heard so much about Brian Regan, really need to check him out. AS for my favorites, it will always be Dennis Miller and Chevy Chase.

  4. one of my favorites is Jim Gaffigan. He is clean compared to most stand up guys. He does swear on rare occassions but mostly “hell” and “damn”. His humor is self depracating and he mostly makes fun of his weight. You may have heard his ‘hot pockets’ routine. very funny guy.

  5. i will second Jim Gaffigan…my favorite by far! also, john pinette has some hilarious stuff.

  6. I also really enjoy Brian Regan. Daren Streblow is an pretty good comedian. The guys from Triple Espresso do some stand up and they are pretty funny, Especially Bob Stromberg. I also like Jeff Allen.

  7. I really enjoy hearing Bob Smiley. Clean, humorous, and weaves his faith into his stories. I first heard him on XM radio and took a while to realize he was a comedian that was also a Christian

  8. I am a HUGE Tim Hawkins fan. I find it hard to laugh at most comedians because it involves so much “adult” humor, but Tim always has me laughing and I can watch his routines with kids around with no worries.

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