Before entering the world of comedy, I assumed that the word “clean” meant it was comedy that was suitable for all ages and would be pretty light-hearted in nature. I didn't realize there was church-clean comedy, It didn’t take long for me to see that there are some very different definitions of “clean!” I’m not super interested in making this post about the merits of comedy or freedom of speech or any of that. This is for the average person looking to book comedy at their church.
Hint: Watch their videos BEFORE booking! You can also ask if they are "Disney clean."
Here's what I’ve learned performing comedy at churches.
Church people laugh when they know they can trust that you aren’t going to cross the line.
Church people don’t laugh at mean-spirited remarks.
Church people love it when you poke a little fun at their Pastor. They really, really love that!
Church people don’t laugh when you make fun of people. I’ve learned that they don’t even laugh when I make fun of myself. I need to keep it light-hearted when I tread into those waters.
Church people love inside jokes about church culture.
Church people love a well-told story.
Church people really do love to laugh and have a great time! I LOVE church shows!
These are all generalizations of course. Let me tell you just one more secret…
I LOVE when church pastors want to do a little comedy before I get up for my set. First, generally the church loves it because they love their pastors. By performing, the pastor lets the audience let their guard down a little so that they can loosen up and laugh.
