James Gregory Leaves Them Laughing | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Rubber faced comedian James Gregory, self-billed as "The Funniest Man in America," took to the boards of the Turnage Theater on April 24, 2010, and gave this near capacity crowd their money’s worth.

    The man runs a clean show, and no one is safe from ridicule - especially the “calorically challenged,” rednecks in trailers, ardent and fatalist environmentalist and other sissified men. Before the end of the show I was even feeling a bit uneasy. Am I next?



    Fortunately, I survived the ridicule. Thankfully, I work-out, saved up a down payment and bought a real house, generally make up my own mind on issues important to me and my community; especially as to my sexual orientation and how I raise my brood; however, I never did successfully shake that redneck moniker. Fortunately by the end of the show, rednecks measured a passing grade, so I did remain unscathed.

    And that’s his show: He reminds us as to who we are, pokes fun at us, and tells us its okay by exhibiting he is no different than we are - possibly worse. He laughs at us, not with us, and then we’re afforded the opportunity to take a good poke at Mr. Gregory.



    Toward the end of the show Jim tells about his family after the Sunday lunch. He draws a bead on his hefty aunt, and well represents her as he sits in the symbolic Sunday chair, suffers her gastric maladies by demonstration and then in summary, loudly and grotesquely burps on command to signify her position in life, and symbolically, how we must all know our place - our personal limitations. I suppose it is better when it is your expanded family (an obese aunt), rather than your immediate family, however, sometimes his aim may strike close to home.



    The rather rotund comic initiated his set this night regarding the victims of tornados. As insensitive as this seem to the overly sensitive, James Gregory queried: “Why does the media always rush to the first trailer park they can find, and then interview a woman who is over 300 pounds, with her husband that has never been to the dentist?”

    Mr. Gregory continued, “And have you ever wondered why it is the trailer parks are the neighborhoods that tornados hit. Recently in my hometown of Atlanta, a tonado came right downtown, and I thought to myself wouldn’t it be more practical if the city had put a trailer park just on the outside of town to act as a decoy."

    And that's his show: One must be careful where they place their feet in the audience, because James is sure to stomp on some toes. If you don’t think you can share a belly laugh at your own expense, you should best stay at home when the comedic maestro comes to your town.



    Is Mr. Gregory’s humor really necessary? I think so; however, the comedian offered a practical alternative as to how Americans should treat themselves, and their respective funny-bones. “Humor is really important in people’s lives, but you can’t always run out to see a comedian. Your have to, from time to time, do your part to inject some humor in your own lives. Next time you find yourself as the lead car in a funeral, why don’t you just take a right turn into the Walmart parking lot. Now somebody’s going to find that to be funny.”


    Comedian Gregory in a live show, exhibing the unsightly truth of some families after the traditional Sunday lunch.

    This article is provide courtesy of our sister site, Better Angels Now.