BODY IMAGE PROBLEMS & USING HUMOR TO HELP

I like to refer to myself as “Beef Cake” or a “Buff Muffin”.

I have food names for different body parts that I joke about with Leila.

I refer to my ass as the “Butter Milk Biscuits.”

I’ve accepted I may not ever have the best body, but this also makes me look more human and makes other like me feel more accepted and confident, because they see someone else just like them. It’s not that I don’t try to work out or put the work in, but I do a lot of things and I’m pulled in multiple directions with various projects, and sometimes there just isn’t enough time in a day to do it.

I got a lot of confidence from watching someone like Chris Farley on SNL do the Chippendales skit with Patrick Swazey. Here is a man who is much larger than me, just letting it all hang out next to a guy who has all the looks and body that girls want, and everyone is laughing their asses off. It’s known as one of the best all time skits in SNL history and it was only his 4th show on SNL when he did this. Chris Farley was bold and fearless. He’s known as one of the all time greats of SNL. There is positive “magic” and energy behind being bold and fearless, and I knew I wanted to be like that.

Fun Fact: I started doing stand up comedy at the Laff House on South Street in Philly when I was 18, because humor helped me get through a lot of tough and lonely times as a kid. Comedy Central on TV was basically my baby sitter growing up. My dream job was to be a writer on SNL. I challenged myself to face my fears head on, because there is nothing more terrifying than standing on a stage, late at night, with a room full of strangers, bright lights in your face, and trying to make them laugh. And if you don’t make them laugh, it’s awkward as FUUUUUUUCK! And there you are, in the spotlight, owning your own shame, and all eyes are on you.

Comedians are bold, and it’s very primal. Kill or be killed. We try to see the world how it really is. There are only 2 outcomes from a Comedy show: You either “Killed” or you “Bombed.” If you bombed, maybe the material wasn’t good, or maybe the material was good, but the timing wasn’t right yet.

Life and Comedy are all about timing.

For all the Stand-up gigs I tried, I balanced out and broke even. I had some great shows, and I had some horrible shows, but trying comedy taught me a valuable lesson. Face your fears head on, own your own shit 100% and fuck anyone who tries to stand in your way. Ignore any negative comments or hecklers from the outside who try to put you down, and with practice you can even defuse these types of people with humor and win them over.