Mormon Life - Stephen Jones tag

LDS comedians keep it cool while keeping it clean

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:05:00 -0600

by Briana Stewart - LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: In 2012, comedy is filled with four-letter words and smutty jokes more often than not. But plenty of comedians are finding success away from the dirt.

Stand-up comedy that’s a stand-up act? In this 2012 comedic world of shock and smut, there are, indeed, living, breathing comedians cleaning house on the laugh track to success. You know the big-timers: Brian Regan, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Bill Cosby. But what if we told you that dozens of LDS folks are bringing the funny to the fold and to the masses?

And we’re not talking “a guy walks into a (juice) bar” funny. We’re talking comedians inspired by their faith to be cleaner and cleverer than they have to be. All of these comics are in different stages of their careers, have different styles, and have different comedy dreams. But they all share one passion: Make ‘em laugh.

LDS Living caught up with a handful of these LDS comedians who are making their mark in the comedy world. Read on to find out what it’s like to balance comedy and religion, what comics are really like when they’re off stage, and what advice they have for aspiring comedians who want to be both funny and faithful.

A Peculiar People

LDS comedians—like all comedians—are hardly cut from the same cloth.

Jason Hewlett grew up making his lips dance. Lisa Valentine Clark worked overtime to make her siblings laugh. Stephen Jones was the charming class clown who never got in trouble. And Steve Soelberg was the non-comedian.

“I’m not the loud guy from high school, I’m not the awkward Woody Allen guy, I’m neither too tall, short, fat, or thin. Oh, and I’m white and nice,” Soelberg says. “It really is a horrible combination for a person trying to get known in this industry.”

But that’s exactly it: When it comes to comedy, there is no “type.” There’s talent, originality, desire, and a ridiculous amount of determination.

“The fun and infuriating thing about stand-up is that it is very up and down,” says Jenna Kim Jones, a script production assistant for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and a part-time stand-up comedian. “Some days, I’m on top of the world—my career can’t be stopped! And some days I feel like I am going absolutely nowhere. It’s the occasional highlights (like opening for Jim Gaffigan in 2010) that keep me in the business.”

Even if there isn’t a mold, there is a common code among these LDS entertainers: keep it clean.

But it’s a punch line easier said than delivered.

Funny vs. Faith

Hewlett knows big. He’s got a big mouth (his observation, not ours) with which he crafts funny faces and belts impressions.

He’s had a big career, performing for more than one million people around the globe. And he’s got a big testimony of staying grounded to his faith, even when presented with morally questionable offers that would have made him even bigger.

“[When I turned down offers,] many said I missed a great opportunity to influence millions in the name of the Church,” Hewlett says. “But I’d rather keep my standards I know to be true and leave a legacy of faithfulness for my children than possibly lose my chance at spending eternity with them because I was willing to dip my toe in the waters of compromise.”

For Bryson Kearl, a performer with The Left Field Comedy Stand Up in Utah, faith has kept him on his comedy toes.

“Being LDS has kept me focused on writing legitimately funny things—not just taboo topics that get a rise out of people,” he says. “Also, it’s easier to tell jokes you know your mom won’t be ashamed of.”

And Heath Harmison, a comedian from Boise, Idaho, says writing clean material has made him a better comic—and a happier dad.

“There’s something so satisfying about being able to perform in front of my kids and not worry,” he says. “I actually pray about my material and ask for guidance in creating content that is both enjoyable and appropriate.”

Which is not to say it’s always been a barrel of laughs.

“I don’t pretend like I’m this perfect person,” Harmison says. “It hasn’t always been easy to reconcile these two worlds. I’ve struggled and I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve learned from them and tried to change.”

This crossroads is a common one for LDS comedians. Not only is there a temptation for low-brow comedy, there’s an enormous amount of travel and alone time (which doesn’t always lend itself to raising a family), and compensation is decidedly meager when you’re starting out. Plus, there’s the potential for ego inflation.

“You feel like a rock star up on stage,” Harmison says. “And that mentality can go straight to your head.”

But all these LDS comedians concur: A foundation of values is imperative to keeping yourself in check when the laughs get loud and the lines get blurry.

Joke’s on Us

So what’s it really like to be a comedian? Let us count the stereotypes . . .

1. Are all comedians weird and quirky?

Nope. In fact, Clark cringes when she hears the word comedienne.

“It brings images of a loud woman with a frizzy perm wearing a bolo tie in front of a fake brick wall complaining about men and childbirth,” she says.

The mother of five and co-founder of the improv group The Thrillionaires would rather be known as an actress who doesn’t take herself too seriously.

“I just observe what I see and I love to people watch,” she says. “Real life is funny.”

2. Are comics always hilarious?

Not so much.

“People always come up to my wife and say, ‘I bet it’s crazy living with this guy!’” says Stephen Jones, star of the viral BYU Old Spice-inspired commercial as well as a member of The Left Field. “They think I’m always at my house tap dancing on the table.”

“I am on when I need to be,” Hewlett adds, “but I can’t keep that up. I am always happy, always smiling, always friendly, but not always on. I used to feel everyone expected me to do the show off stage, too. I tried to accommodate. Then I got burned out. Now I wiggle my nose when they ‘tell’ me to do it (they don’t always ask politely), and then I refer them to YouTube.”

3. Is performing comedy really as fun as it seems?

That’s a yes.

“Besides my wife, kids, and the gospel, nothing feels better than getting on stage and making someone laugh so hard they snort or pee their pants,” says Harmison, whose career highlight was performing at a comedy festival in Scotland. “Both have happened at my shows. I’m still waiting to make a woman laugh so hard she goes into labor. That’s a goal.”

“It’s incredible to think people will pay me to do the things that landed me in the principal’s office as a boy,” Hewlett adds.

As for Soelberg? He’s partial to the undeniable connection humor instantly creates.

“Humor connects people so quickly, almost as fast as music,” says Soelberg, who has been doing stand-up part time for four years. “Think of how loved President Hinckley was and how one of the first traits people will always remember was his sense of humor. It is a quick human connection that is so important to every relationship in our life.”

Come One, Come All

Clean comedy isn’t just for Mormons. When you’re funny enough, a good clean time can be had by all.

“Funny is funny,” Stephen Jones says. True comedy success comes down to originality—and deciding what type of comic you’re going to be. Do you want your comedy to be a part-time or full-time gig? Is LDS-centric comedy your thing? Or do you want to appeal to all audiences while maintaining your morals?

The laughter’s the limit.

“Yes, it’s difficult, and yes, it’s challenging, but even more than that, yes, it’s possible to be a huge success by keeping it clean,” Hewlett says. “People all over the world love clean comedy, want it, appreciate it, and pay a lot for it. I have made my hallmark that of being clean, and I receive incredible compensation for it. In other words, I call it my chance to pay a bigger tithe.”

On Your Feet: Taking a Charge (Episode 4)

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:15:00 -0700

source: youtube.com

Mormon Life says: More BYU funny business with Stephen Jones.

Just Asking: Stephen Jones

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:03:00 -0600

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Find out about Stephen Jones, comedian and star of the hit "New Spice" commercial for the BYU library--his greatest accomplishment, his favorite comedians, how he deals with a tough crowd, and more.

Q: You starred in one of the most viral internet videos for 2010 and you just graduated; what’s next?
A: Originally I was going to get a nine-to-five job, but I’m finding I can’t do it. Sitting at a desk would kill me. I’m getting more into entertainment. Right now I’m doing a Youtube Channel for fun to see where it will go. I’m trying to get into corporate entertainment. I do standup comedy and I’m putting together a show that’s more universal that is a mixture of standup comedy, dancing, and singing.

Q: Who’s your comedian-hero?
A: I don’t want to be cliché but I’d say Bill Cosby. When people think of comedy today, they think of profanity. The ones who are mainstream and who make the most money are universally accepted because they are clean. You could take a 5 year old to a Bill Cosby show and it would be okay. He’s an innovator when it comes to comedy. His style is completely different. He uses stories but he intertwines little small jokes between the stories. That’s what makes it great.

Q: Who do you think is hysterical?
A: I think Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy are hysterical. Hysterical. If you can watch a clip of somebody on your computer in your room by yourself and they can make you laugh out loud, you know they’re hysterical and both those people can do that. I think Kevin Hart is hysterical.

Q: What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to deal with as a comedian?
A: Some people are uptight too much and sometimes you have a crowd where you have to let them know it’s okay to laugh. There’s a difference between satire and reality and comedy gives you a chance to break away from reality. Some people are so conservative sometimes that they fight you a little bit. As a comedian you have to take risks. You have to be vulnerable and true to who you are.

Q: How do you deal with it?
A: I feel when you break that barrier you’re good. You’ve got to get people to trust you. I think there’s a lot of trust when it comes to comedy. You have to tell yourself, “Hey I’m just gonna be me,” and you have to have thick skin sometimes. You have to be able to accept the fact that some people are going to love you and some are going to not like you.

Q: When you’re not on the stage or thinking about your next act, what occupies your time?
A: I’m pretty chill as a person. People would be surprised. They think I’m crazy all the time but I’ll just be chillin’ at my house. I like to exercise a lot. I like to sing, dance. I spend a lot of time with my girlfriend.

Q: What do you want to be known for?
A: I want to have a positive influence on the world. That intertwines with comedy. I want people to know that comedy can be a positive thing. They can see comedy and it doesn’t have to be known as something vulgar. You can be who you are and you don’t have to be something because that’s what the trend is. You can be honest with yourself and people will like it. I can be who I am and people will like it. I don’t have to be fake.

Q: What is your advice for aspiring comedians?
A: Be who you are. People can tell when you’re being fake. It turns people away. At some point people are going to realize it’s not you. Be honest with who you are. Half of the stuff I’ve done is just me being me. You definitely have to follow pop culture. People want to hear my twist on it. Recognize what you’re good at and do it.

Q: What is the essential element to stand-up for you?
A: Apple juice. That’s like my stage drink. I perform better when I don’t think about myself. The more I worry about what I’m going to do, the worse I do. My biggest element is physical comedy. I think that’s what makes it more universal. I can have a clever joke, but if I’m dancing, it can cross cultures more than a specific insight. I’m very personality based. It’s more than just a joke.

Q: Do you feel like you always have to be in “perform mode”?
A: I think people expect me to always be like that. I think some kid one time was like, “Oh, I had a class with Stephen Jones, and he seems really quiet.” We’re talking about biology, man. I’m trying to listen in class. I’m pretty balanced. I know how to turn it on when I have to turn it on. I would die if I was always as crazy as I am on stage.

Q: What has been your greatest accomplishment?
A: I’d say college. Statistically, I should have 5 kids right now. I’m a single, 27-year-old man. I come from a divorced family and my dad has never been to college. There are a lot of people who’ve been through what I’ve been through and they have four illegitimate kids and they’re just doing whatever. I should be a different person and I’m not and I think it has to do with the examples from Church. When I say college, I don’t just mean some piece of paper, I just mean, I should be somewhere else.

Q: What gets you out of bed every morning?
A: No matter where I work, the fact that I can make people smile. I’m always entertaining someone. The ability to make people smile keeps me going. Interaction with people is what gets me going. I’m an extrovert at heart. I’m an ENFJ [Myers-Briggs personality type].

Q: How do you hope to improve as a comedian?
A: Everything I do I critique. I record everything I do. I listen to it and try to make it better, even the jokes I feel are successful. I hope to make more people laugh. The more universal I can make it, the better I’ll improve as a comedian. The more I can cross-culturally relate.

Q: If you could be a master at any hobby or sport, what would it be?
A: I wish I was good at math, man. I’m terrible at it. I wish I were better. But I really wish I could play the piano. I’ve always wanted to play the piano.

Q: When did humor become a big thing for you?
A: Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been the kid who would imitate things on TV and movies. I would leave funny messages on the machine. In third grade, I had this message: “You have reached 3857803. We’re not home right now as you can see. So leave a message at the tone and we’ll get back to you on the telephone. Peace.” My mom would wake me up in the middle of the night to entertain. I would imitate stuff and dance. I was always an opinionated person and I was always loud and I’d have my own twist on things. My mom would say, “Do that thing you do,” and at first I was kinda shy, but I got used to it.