Amid sheltering at home, comedian Michael Jr. gives people something to laugh about
Comedian and actor Michael Jr. is combating the stasis of coronavirus isolation by putting his latest comedy special on Facebook.
Across two decades, the comedian’s performances have graced the stages of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Late, Late Show” and “The Tonight Show,” but his latest endeavor, a special titled “More Than Funny” aims to provide a bit of relief during uncertain times. Michael Jr. said that the original plan was to shop the special to platforms such as Netflix and Hulu before deciding to make an attempt to provide some relief.
“I’ve had it, it’s done, but I’ve been thinking, ‘Man, what about all these people that can’t come together?’ So we just decided to make it available now,” Michael Jr. said. “There’s a lot of fear right now. There’s a lot of people who are afraid and don’t know what’s going on, and I feel that fear and laughter have a hard time occupying the same space.”
The comedian says that the special includes a phone call to his mother, interactions from a 4,000-strong Memphis crowd and a handful of feel-good stories, giving viewers a hint as to the origins of its title.
Michael Jr. says that the philanthropic possibilities of comedy struck him a decade ago, as he prepared to take the stage of a Los Angeles comedy club, where the comedian asked himself, “How am I going to get laughs?” But on this occasion, Michael Jr. says that he felt a higher power proposing another question. “How can I give people the opportunity to laugh?”
“That particular night, I saw a homeless guy outside the club. I had never seen him outside this club before, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t there before. It’s just that before, the question I was asking wouldn’t allow me to see him,” Michael Jr. said. “As soon as I changed that question I saw him, and I thought, ‘What about him?’ Then I started noticing all the other people around me, who couldn’t necessarily afford a ticket, but really couldn’t afford not to have laughter in their life. So instead of me just trying to get what makes me feel good, I just kind of took on this plight to look for those people as well.”
It was a revelation that has since seen the comedian sharing his talents with those who have had less opportunity for laughter than others.
“Sometimes when we’re on tour in a city we’ll stop at a homeless shelter, abused children’s facility or a prison. Our motto is to make laughter common in uncommon places. Now, it seems like laughter is an uncommon place in the world,” Michael Jr. said.
As many continue to quarantine or practice social distancing, the comedian himself has taken refuge from shelter orders and performing on the road through the company of his wife and children.
While his comedy special is free, Michael Jr. stipulates an unwritten rule that viewers relay its airing to two senior citizens and a healthcare worker, who the comedian says deserve added consideration.
“I haven’t really done this before. I’m used to being on stage, getting immediate feedback. I have a feeling though. I hope the response is good, but if not, it could be fun to watch,” Michael Jr. said.