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By Michaela Gordoni
Tim Hawkins is on the bright side of comedy and knows other comedians are looking for that too.
“These guys who are entrenched in the industry and in the world’s entertainment business, it’s a dirty place,” Hawkins told The Christian Post. “We’re finding out that with certain files and certain the way the world works.”
“Comedy is a lot of fun, but you’d be surprised; I did a little bit of club work starting out, but it was a very depressing place. It was filled with drug addicts,” he said. “It was filled with depressed people. A lot of comedians just have issues…we’re not the most positive people in the world all the time.”
Comedians like Joe Rogan and Theo Von have openly sought answers for their questions about faith.
“These entertainers…are realizing there’s more to it, that they’ve been down these roads, and it doesn’t end in a fun place,” Hawkins continued. “It doesn’t end in a good place. It’s like, ‘Well, what are the answers?’”
“It sets them on a journey for a purpose, because they know how to do comedy. But it’s like, ‘Why? What’s the point?’ I think it’s encouraging, and the more the clean performers succeed, that helps guys like me … it really is kind of a team thing,” he said.
Clean comedy not only gives him a bigger audience but a wider range of relatable content to talk about.
“There’s more opportunity if you’re clean,” Hawkins said, pointing out the most popular comedians like Nate Bargatze and Leanne Morgan are pretty family-friendly.
“There are a lot of people out there that can connect and relate to what I’m talking about,” Hawkins said. “We’re not out clubbing, we’re home doing family stuff.”
“People laugh harder when they relate to what you’re talking about,” he said. “Be the same person you are in your living room, making your friends and family laugh.”
He loves the reaction from the audience — they’re excited and know what to expect.
“When you walk on to perform, and they’re there in front of you and excited, it just injects energy and gratefulness,” he said. “I don’t do this just to get, it’s more of a service-based mentality.”
“Even if it’s one person who hadn’t laughed in five years or just needs this, they took the time to come see a show,” he continued. “That’s very flattering, and I’m very grateful for it.”
Hawkins hopes his jokes help people connect with something in their own lives—or something they’re searching for.
“I don’t think it’s as much escape as leaning into it,” he said. “Especially as believers, we have not just a philosophy, but a person we trust in. Something solid and real and true.”
Another comedian Jeff Allen turned his comedy around after he became a Christian.
“Tammy [his wife] at times would come out and see me work and leave in tears,” Allen recalled.
His life changed after he became a born-again Christian.
He was listening to some Bible tapes when he got to a passage in Ecclesiastes.
“When I read meaningless, meaningless, all in life is meaningless, I went ‘yes!’ And I felt if that was true, then there must be other things in that book that were true,” Allen explained.
After he read more, he wanted to give his life to God.
“I just got on my knees and said, ‘Jesus I’m yours,’” he said.
Bargatze said of his comedy, I just can’t imagine cursing in front of your parents. Still, even now, I’m 43-years-old, and I still just couldn’t do that. So that’s how I write.”
“I think I write my comedy to — a lot of it is to make my parents laugh. I want them to be proud and be like, ‘Oh, come watch my son do comedy,’ and not be offended by it. I just don’t have that in me to want to offend someone or make someone feel bad,” he said.
All of these guys know there’s something more to life — God’s influence — and are genuinely funny. They’ve figured it out, and we hope others, like Rogan, do too.
Read Next: Nate Bargatze On His Comedy: ‘I Started Clean And Stayed Clean’
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