Clean Comedy Chats
Join Drew Davis as he interviews members of the Clean Comedy Collective each week and gets to know each individual better as a person and as a comedian!
Clean Comedy Chats
Chrissy Iles
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Chrissy Iles is a standup comedian and holds the title of Funniest Baker in Tulsa, OK! In this interview, we are joined by her dog Sarge and chat about the Tulsa Comedy Scene, the big names that Chrissy has opened for, the importance of learning to say No, and more!
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When I got into comedy, my life was kind of chaotic. And the minute I stepped up there and I was doing comedy, all of the noise and chaos in my life just was quiet. I was in that moment. And for those 20, 15, 20, whatever I'm up there, for that amount of time I'm up there, I have nothing but peace. You're listening to podcasts, Clean Comedy Dad, with your data.
SPEAKER_03It's gonna be often will take a live forever. You're welcome. You're welcome. Welcome back to the Clean Comedy Chats podcast. We're here again. It's a new week. I have a new interview. If you've been with us so far, you know how it works. Uh every week I bring you a clean comedy collective comedian uh to chat and get to know them. Hopefully, I'm bringing introducing you to your newest favorite comedian. Um, or maybe if nothing else, you just enjoy listening to us talk comedy and you get to learn a little bit about how the the inside workings of stand-up comedy. I'm your host, Drew Davis. Uh, mainly, and I'll be honest, mainly the point of this podcast is it's just me making new friends, and you get to hear me make friends live on the spot. So thank you, everyone who's listening. Feel free to check out our website, cleancomedycollective.com, for all the things that you could possibly dream of, including previous episodes. Uh, I'm very excited about today. Today I'm interviewing a friend of mine. Uh, but this is our first, like, I think this is gonna be our first real conversation. I think we've had one conversation on the phone. Uh, but uh our guest today is uh Chrissy Isles, as in Walmart Isles. Uh Chris, I like that. That's gonna help me remember it. Uh, Chrissy uh is from Oklahoma.
SPEAKER_01I want to say you're from Tulsa or where are you in Oklahoma? I live in Tulsa. I'm from Kansas, and that's important to me, but I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
SPEAKER_03Gotcha. Where where in Kansas are you from?
SPEAKER_01Far western Kansas, like right on the Kansas, Colorado state line, a little tiny town called Tribune. Um, that's home for me.
SPEAKER_03That's cool. I um I did one show uh year or so ago in Kessington, Kansas. Have you ever heard of Kessington?
SPEAKER_01Um I honestly haven't, and I honestly thought I'd heard about all Kansas.
SPEAKER_03So I I I it was a it was just a strange show from start to finish. But Kessington, Kansas has about 400 people in it, and 300 of them were at this comedy show. So it felt felt like I was entertaining the entire town, and um it was their like big summer kickoff event for this little town. Um, and so I did one one of my ending bits. I talk about how uh I went on a date years ago, and my girlfriend at the time uh went home with the comedian we went and saw Adam Devine. And so I have a whole bit that I do about this, and uh and the this table in Kessington, Kansas, they all these women, drunk women, found Adam Devine's wife on Instagram and all sent her a message about this, which is highly embarrassing for me. Uh and uh uh then they but when I went up and talked to them about it later, and they're like, Yeah, we just want Adam Devine to know that when you mess with Drew, you're messing with Kessington, Kansas.
SPEAKER_01And so my gosh, that's that's small town life for you right there. They have their people's backs.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so that was something else. But uh well, Chrissy, uh it's so great to have you on the show uh from Oklahoma. You're a stand-up comedian. Uh tell me about the tell me about the uh Oklahoma comedy scene or the Tulsa scene. Uh based off of what I was looking at on your site, you've been you've been to a lot, you've done a lot of Oklahoma comedy. And so I'd love to just kind of hear more about that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um, so the scene in Tulsa is is really solid, very big, um, very diverse. Um, I I fit into a real small niche of it where I'm older, I'm cleaner, that kind of thing. So I definitely have my own little market, but um everybody's been really great and welcoming. I'm still what I consider newer. I'm in my uh going into my fourth year, but uh they we joke that I'm definitely the mom of the Tulsa scene, and and they've let me kind of I I'm take into that role. So um I bake for everyone. That helps me get booked too by the world. She'll bring bread, it'll be great. Uh but but it's been great. Uh, one of the things I think with any comedy scene, there's um there can be a lot of drama, and my age plays into the fact that I'm beyond that. I've lived a lot of life. I'm 52, I have a lot of family, I have a lot going. So I kind of stay on the outskirts of it. So I'm aware of everybody doing everything, and I'm just showing up for a show or booking a show or doing something and then just kind of moving on. But but the amount of talent that's in Tulsa, because you you're in Nashville, um, we hear a lot from Austin and these big markets, Chicago, New York, all that stuff. I'm always blown away at how much talent and diverse talent we have here in Tulsa. Um, from the dark and dirty all the way to the super wholesome family, clean, whatnot. Um, we've got all of the facets covered. And it it is a really good scene to be part of. Um, it's not overwhelming for me. I think if I was in some of these bigger markets, I'd be like, oh, I'm just such a small fish. I feel like a decent sized fish in this pond.
SPEAKER_03So I like that. I uh I remember years ago when I was considering whether I wanted to move back to Nashville or like try like a New York City or LA, my attitude was kind of like, I'd rather go be a medium fish in a medium pond than like a small fish in a big pond or something like that. But two things you just said that I I think are incredibly insightful. Uh one, the the being above any kind of drama in any scene, because I think all comedy scenes have uh their own their own particularities or peculiarness of with drama, but I do think that's a blessing of being an older comedian. Uh I've done I did comedy in my early 20s and I was all in the center of all the drama, and then you know, coming back and hitting it harder when I was in my later 30s. It's I can uh relate to what you're saying where you just don't care. Like you just you just and and you're better because of it. You're you're not bothered by that kind of stuff. Um right.
SPEAKER_01They'll they'll try to like I'm not saying I don't hear it, I definitely hear it. And I'm just like, you know, I'm gonna spend the weekend with my grandkids. So this really doesn't like I I wish you both the best. I hope you work it out, and then I'm I'm moving on. Like I've got a lot going on.
SPEAKER_03So I love that. I I think that's very healthy. And another thing you said that is actually advice I give to uh comedians when I teach classes is is you found a a little something extra to make yourself stand out by by by baking and bringing that to the shows. I uh I'm gonna I'm gonna add that to my list when I tell people try to find something different to do because I'll talk about how sometimes people bring in their own sound equipment or some people you know take pictures or videos. I knew I knew a comedian that offered legal advice to comics, she was a lawyer by day, and so uh but I think baking for the comedians is a another good way to win them over.
SPEAKER_01So and they and they love it. We uh one group just had a big telethon this weekend for a uh festival that they're trying to put on, and they had gotten a grant last year, and that money's gone, so they're trying to re and so I made bread for them to sell at their bake sale, and then uh they wanted me on the telethon, and I I was busy yesterday, so we videoed a little baking segment with me and the one comic I toured with quite a bit, and we he and I have a very brother-sister kind of relationship anyway. And the video was quite funny, and so that was but that's what they all know me for. I actually got I actually got a message from one of the comics the other day with a picture of some muffins, and he said, Hey, I just want you to know that I am coming for your title as funniest baker in Tulsa, and I was like, Well, good luck, good luck, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Man, that what a good title, funniest Baker in Tulsa. That that could be like a uh comedy special album title right there. I love that. Um, so do you have a favorite like comedy club or place to perform in Tulsa? Uh and in and and you can expand on that if like in general, what has been your favorite place to perform in the past four years? Like, do you have a like a really favorite comedy moment?
SPEAKER_01Well, here locally, I love getting to work at the Looney Bin. It is literally a mile and a half from my house. Oh, my dog is joining us.
SPEAKER_03Welcome, welcome to the podcast. What's your dog's name?
SPEAKER_01This is Sgt. Floyd Pepper, and he just goes by his rank, so he's known as Sarge. Sarge, well, he's definitely my best buddy.
SPEAKER_03What an honor to have Sarge on the podcast. We might have an extra because each episode we put down who the guest is. Uh, I might make him one too, just a guest on the podcast.
SPEAKER_01Sarge actually, he was a rescue, and um, I babied him for a really long time because he came from a bad situation, but he actually literally got neutered about a month and a half ago so he could come to my first uh comedy show because I was doing a show at a dog park type thing, and I was like, Well, if you want to come see me do comedy. So he gave up a good sacrifice to come watch his mom.
SPEAKER_03No one has ever given up as much to see as a comedy show as Sarge did.
SPEAKER_01I think it's safe to say I when I put out the I was like, come, don't make my dog sacrifice be in vain. He can't see mom's not popular.
SPEAKER_03What a hero.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So so uh Looney, Looney has been in Tulsa. I've been there before, it's a lot of fun. Tell us about it.
SPEAKER_01And um the team there is doing such a great job with the club, it's locally owned, so I really enjoy that. Uh Mason and his team, Amanda, they're doing great things there. So I love working my local club, but other little places here in Tulsa, there's uh there's um my friend Brett does a show at the place called the at Riff at Heirloom Raster Girls. I love that. And then I do uh buy every other month show at a little uh brewery called Good Cause. And that uh place puts back a lot into the Tulsa community, so I always really, really enjoy that. But locally, um club wise, it's definitely the Looney Vend. I love getting to perform there. I did two shows there this past week, so it was super fun. Um but my favorite today where I've been, I mean, like, gosh, they've all been. Um, I did get to do the Addison Comedy Club or Addison Improv, and that was fun. But I just did one the other day, and I was like, this is the funnest show. And why am I just drawing a blanket was so fun. Um I've been very, very fortunate to get to do some really fun shows. Um, I'm getting to do there's a theater in Muscogee, Oklahoma, of all the weird places called The Roxy. And I did a show at it, I think a year before last, in the middle of a tornado. And they went ahead and had the show, and we had over 200 and something people there. We were blown away. But I'm getting to do that again on the 13th of June. I'm opening for Carolyn Milevajek. Um, and I say her last name wrong. I'm gonna have to learn how to do that, but I'm getting to open for her, so I'm really looking forward to that one.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome. Hopefully, there will be one less tornado.
SPEAKER_01Although I guess uh for Oklahoma people, you're tornado season right now, so we'll see.
SPEAKER_03You guys are probably like, ah, whatever, go to school, go to the comedy shows.
SPEAKER_01Tornadoes are just little, they're like, Yeah, we're not gonna until the sirens go off, we're just gonna go ahead. And I was like, the sirens didn't go off until I was driving home. I was like, Well, that figures.
SPEAKER_03That's funny. I uh the only thing I know about tornadoes is like what I've seen in the Twister movies. So it's like I'm like, I would never, but uh of course in Oklahoma, you guys are probably used to it. Now you mentioned um opening up for someone, and that was another thing I noticed on your website is uh you've you've had an opportunity to open up for several pretty good comedians. Um, yeah. So uh I was wondering if uh you wanted to share about some of the people you've opened up with, and then especially I know whenever I get to open up with uh national headliner, open up with as if I'm sharing with them, open for uh what is what I meant to say. Uh I always love the insight and wisdom and uh just experience I gained from them. So I was wondering if any of the uh share about some of the people you've opened for and then maybe talk about if anyone has given you a lasting comedy insight or something.
SPEAKER_01I've been very fortunate. I got to actually open up for Yakov Smirnoff, which ironically my parents and all comics and people my age were like, that's so cool because they all know who he was. My daughters, who are 32 and 33 at the time, they're like, whoop? Uh it's like, yeah, it's it's just like I got to open up for him at our local club here at the Looney Bin, which it was interesting because he's been he's had his 2000 seat uh theater in Branson for a long time, and he was going back out to clubs and just kind of reintroducing himself to a whole new market and then getting, and so it was it was a different experience for him, but it was it was a lot of fun for me, and he was very, very kind. Um, I got to open for Pauly Shore in Las Vegas. I had gone out there Oh, it was I had gone out there for a new kids on the block concert. They have a residency out there, and I just got this opportunity to over him. So if if somebody would have told 1991-year-old Chrissy that that would be my life this one weekend, I would have been like, no way. But it was awesome. He was great, he um he is in a weird spot in his life. He still does comedy, but he's not real comfortable with how he looks. So he um he's kind of standoffish, but he was very, very gracious. He thanked me for being on his show, told me to have a good time, and then met me as I came off stage, gave me a hug, told me he was really glad he'd had me on the show, and I was welcome anytime I was gonna be where he was to let him know. So that was really awesome. That's awesome. Um I've opened for Adam Hunter, which was a total fluke. That was fun. Um, but Gasper Randazzo, which he was on the Netflix show, The Trust. He was the very first national headliner that I opened before, and it set the tone for me. He sat in the green room and kind of like really gave me valuable time. Like, these are good things to do, these are not good things to do. Uh, you're on the right track with this. I mean, it was so helpful. He's so kind. And then when he and then that was in Dallas, and then when he came through and told us that he had me open for him again, um, just a great, great guy. Uh, but the the the um AGT greats like uh Orlando Lab, Cam Bertrand, who by the way is now on tour with Matt Reif. So um Cam Bertrand and Ryan Nee Miller, I've all I've got to open for all of them, and they're so great because they've they've had a different experience than me. And so they were always really super willing to share that with me. So um lots more, but those were kind of like the highlights that I can think of off the top of my head.
SPEAKER_03So I love that, and I love hearing your perspective as a four-year comedian. I I think you you might notice this as you continue to do it and as you interact with uh there's there's uh there's just uh once you get to four or five years in stand-up comedy, there's a bit of a humility that comes back in. Like uh, I think uh when we first start our first year, we might be brand new, first six months, everything's new, but then there's something that happens about a year to three years in where you're just like look at me go, I am becoming a star, I am doing all these cool things, and then but I just feel like about four or five years in, you just start kind of settling into reality a little bit with comedy, and then but then as a result, when you're working with people, when you're on the scene, when you're interacting, when you're talking about it, uh it I I from my perspective as some you know, someone who's I mean, I I I've done it for about 15 years, so uh just talking to people that kind of uh at some point they stop being like, I'm the greatest thing that's hit comedy. Uh and I I I do think it comes into four four years, and and and then it becomes more fun, though, because because you do get to work with these awesome people or do these awesome things or perform in these awesome uh venues, and instead of having this attitude of like they are so blessed to have me, you can just like sit back and take it in a little bit more.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_03Have you now starting comedy older? I'm wondering now if that was your experience as an earlier comedian. Did you have a bit of an ego, or has that ever come in, or has it ever like not been?
SPEAKER_01It was funny because I I know people say this all the time, but fell into it. Like I'd been told my whole life, oh, you're so funny, you should do comedy. And and I was busy doing life, you know, and I was like, oh, sure, I'm just I'm the funny friend at a at a get together or whatnot. And I had a friend who had a movie theater and they had a comedy club in there, and he had me come and I was doing social media for them. And so I'd been to a lot of the shows and I was helping with all that, and uh he called me. I was taking my granddaughter to visit her dad one weekend, and um he called me while I was driving saying, Hey, I'm gonna host the comedy show this month. I was like, Oh, that's a great idea, keep all the money in the house, no worries. He goes, and then he goes, I want you to do a set. And I said, actually do the show. He goes, Yeah. I said, he goes, you know you can do it, right? He's like, Yeah, I guess. He goes, and I said, How long do you want me to do comedy? Now, here's a man that's never run a comedy show in his life, right? He never like he never booked at Rainer or whatever. And I'm somebody that's never even done an open mic. And he says, do 10 to 15 minutes.
SPEAKER_02And I'm like, okay.
SPEAKER_01So I go and I sit down and I write a 15-minute set. Nobody got him, nobody told me you can't do this, you can't do this. So the day of the show, it's a sellout. I have tons of people, like we sold out over a hundred people there, and um, I have the little powwow with the other comics before the show, and they're like, So um, so who are you? And I said, Well, I'm brand new, I've never done comedy before. And they're like, Um, never? And I was like, No, this will be my first time. And they go, You haven't done open mic? I said, No, just tonight. And and I will never forget because Casey is the one comic I work with regularly now. He goes, Oh, okay, so how long are you gonna do? And he's expecting me to say three to four minutes, and I said, 10 to 15. And he's like, Oh, okay. And then I walked away, and Casey will tell the story now. He's like, I looked at the other three comics going, We know she's gonna last three minutes, run off stage because this is hard, so be ready to fill. And I got up there, and if I would have taken a breath, I would have gone 15 minutes, but I went 11 minutes and some change, and I walked off, and they were both like, there's no way that's your first time. And I was like, It was. And so in that moment, it was really hard for me. Now I need to go back and pay my dues, right? Like I need to go and do open mics and get a chance, and it was really hard coming from 10 solid minutes of material to try to be able to do these three to five minute spots on open mics. So I had kind of a struggle. I never thought I was all that. I just thought, well, I can do more than three to five minutes. But now I've definitely worked a very solid set and I've taken my original set and I only keep bits like so. It was just a weird place to come in. I um and also at my age, I have no problem asking for things. Like, can I have a shot on your spot? Like um, the worst thing I'm gonna get told is no, and then I'm no worse off. And I think younger comics are so intimidated that they won't do it, and I was just like, I'm not gonna get it. Who knows how much time I've got left? I mean, I might as well ask, kind of thing. And so it was a weird beginning for me. And so now I'm just coming into I've paid my dues, I'm doing this, I've kind of really um put in some time to realize what a solid set is versus just getting up there and winging it. And um, and I've never thought I was the best comic on anything, but I'm a solid comic and I'm way okay with that.
SPEAKER_03I'm like, you're okay, solid, consistent, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I will be good for any show because I'm solid and but dependable.
SPEAKER_03I like that. I like that. There's that there's something to be said about the com comedians that you know when you're booking, you're like, I know this person will be good, you know. Right. So yeah, but that's interesting. A lot of I and I noticed that in talking to several comedians with this podcast and just in general, um, it feels like a lot of people have the story of the very first time they performed comedy, and when they got up there and they did it, they didn't know to be nervous, they didn't know that there was a set way that to do things, and it just kind of uh the authenticity and the vulnerability and the just the first timerness, for lack of a better word, uh, where it ends up going okay. And I think we need that because then that motivates us to keep going. But I can speak for myself when I say that I had a pretty good first open mic set uh several years ago, and then it I struggled for the first year or two trying to figure out how to be funny and trying to, you know. And um, I I know a previous guest that we had her her first uh her first show was a sold-out theater show. Uh, and then the second one, someone at the sold-out theater show uh booked her for a K Love comedy special after that. So her first two shows were pretty big deals. Uh and then she then she had to get into like, okay, how do I do comedy kind of thing? So um, so it's that's an interesting uh I and I don't know. For me, uh, I'm grateful for those kind of moments because it it shows you kind of what to look forward to. And then if you need to do the work to get to that point, you will, you know.
SPEAKER_01Right, exactly. It at least let me know I definitely wanted to be part of that. I I was it was for me. Uh, a lot of times people will do comedy and they're like, oh, it was fun, but that's not for me. The minute I stepped on that stage, I was like, this is it. I've been waiting my whole life to figure out what I was supposed to do, and this is it. Too bad it waited till I was 50 almost to come into my life, but I'm super grateful for it. Um, but from that moment on, I knew I want to figure this out because I want to do this.
SPEAKER_03I love that. And when I teach, I tell the comedy students you'll know from the minute you get on stage whether you're gonna want to keep doing This again, or whether one is fine, like one set is fine. Uh, which is why I always try to encourage people if they start doing like wanting to learn how to do comedy, because a lot of people will find me like I want to take lessons, and even in the first lesson, I'm like, you have to hit an open mic as soon as possible because you may get up there and do it and decide this isn't for you. And I hate, you know, I don't want to, I don't mind taking their money, but I feel like I should at least warn them, you know. Um, but so now do you uh do you have any long-term or short short-term comedy goals for yourself? Uh now that you're doing this, you're four years in, so you're kind of you're kind of committed. So it's this is part of you now.
SPEAKER_01So long-term, and I don't know, long-term, midterm goal. I I definitely would like a dry bar special. I that fits who I am. I would love that. That's kind of a goal. Um, but my short-term goal, the goal, the end, the thing that I keep doing is I've said this from the beginning. When I got into comedy, my life was kind of chaotic. And the minute I stepped up there and I was doing comedy, all of the noise and chaos in my life just was quiet. I was in that moment. And for those 15, 20, whatever I'm up there, for that amount of time I'm up there, I have nothing but peace. And it's such a good feeling. And so, and I've been at comedy shows where I was completely entertained, and the entire time I'm there, again, same thing. I'm just present in that moment. And if I can give anybody, you know, little moments of peace and and levity for five to 25 minutes at a time, that's my goal. I'm doing what I'm here to do as long as I'm doing that.
SPEAKER_03Oh my gosh. I love that because that is literally uh so the brand that I created called Quarter Mile Entertainment, which like Clean Comedy Collective and this podcast and all the other things I do all fall under that. Uh, that is the basis of it, is we're creating what we call quarter mile moments for people. And it's it's based off of a fast and furious quote where Vin Diesel was saying, like, I live my life a quarter mile at a time. For those 10 seconds or less, I'm free. And it's basically that it's like when you're finding that thing that you do, whether you're on stage is providing you that moment where like you're free, you're not stressing, you're not worrying, you're in your you're in your happy place, or as comedians, as creatives, uh, we get to create that space for other people when we perform, which is absolutely just a beautiful thing. So it is. Um, so me, you, and Vin Diesel have something in common. How about that?
SPEAKER_01There you go. Hey, I knew I knew someday he and I would be, you know, two piece in a pod. Um short other this is funny. This is a very petty little goal. I definitely want to perform in every town. I have an ex-boyfriend so they can see I've done something good with my life.
SPEAKER_03I love that. I think that's a fantastic goal. I think you should you should have like some kind of board where you're marking them off as you go.
SPEAKER_01Well, I've already gotten like four down. I'm I'm doing it.
SPEAKER_03How many, how many more towns do you have for this?
SPEAKER_01Uh it it's undisclosed amount, like that's funny.
SPEAKER_03That's cool. That's fun. That would be um that would be a fun little mini-series where like you were where you're you we're following you as you go to all the different towns where you have ex-boyfriends.
SPEAKER_01I actually did a show in Kansas City, and I used to have a bit where I uh talk about my heart problem. Like, well, every ex-boyfriend I've ever had would say that checks out, and from the very back of there in my hair, that checks out. And I was like, Oh, he came. Good deal.
SPEAKER_03That's funny. I actually I did a show one time, uh, and I was at the time I was living in West Tennessee, and I came back to Nashville for a weekend to do some shows, and uh I did have an ex-girlfriend show up, uh, like at the time, my most recent ex-girlfriend. And um, I was I had jokes about her that I was doing, and I was doing them, and then I looked back and I see her. Uh, and you get in that moment you have to choose are you gonna you know shift gears to a less awkward topic or just dig in? The jokes were doing well, so I just dug in and I and uh but then I talked to her afterwards, and the first thing she said was like, you know, those like you weren't telling the truth up there. I was like, Well, yeah, it's stand-up comedy.
SPEAKER_01I wasn't like we get a little bit of creative license here, yeah.
SPEAKER_03But it ended up being a really good conversation because we we used that opportunity to like work out some stuff and like just had some weird closure for the relationship. And I I've always been grateful for that weird and random experience.
SPEAKER_01So isn't it funny how how therapeutic in all facets of our lives comedy can be sometimes?
SPEAKER_03Absolutely. I I do it. I mean, it's literally one of my like my favorite thing that we get to do. So um that's cool. Um, now what would you say has been maybe one of your biggest struggles or hardest things you've had to deal with in stand-up comedy since you've begun?
SPEAKER_01Um, you know, uh there people will say there's not a line in comedy, but for me there was like I I like to not necessarily poke fun, but I mean, I I am very relatable. Most of my comedy is like, um, I write about my life. I and I don't ever want to cross the line and and put somebody's business too far out there or hurt my mother. She's the most sensitive one's feelings. Um, my granddaughter, who is a huge source of my material, one time at the very beginning, she came up to me and said, You need to quit talking about me up there. And I was like, I kind of can't. You're like my bread and butter right now. And then she came to a show we had back in my hometown. And you talked about that. My hometown's about six to eight hundred people, depending on the year, depending on the harvest. And um, at that show, we had over 160 people there. And the and so it was a really good show. And Olive sat right at the front and literally didn't watch me as much as everybody's reaction to the stories about her. And that puffed this girl's head up. Now she calls me and gives me comedy advice all the time, which is very humbling when a seven-year-old calls you and says, Hey, you need to say this.
SPEAKER_02But that's delightful.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So finding a fine line that doesn't like expose or or cross any lines within my family. But and then also, uh, because I'm so family oriented, really um, I've missed birthdays and stuff, and I'm like trying really hard to uh prioritize that at the same time keeping the momentum of my career going. So that kind of thing. But um also, and this was right at the beginning, because this was happening a lot at the beginning. Um, I would have people be like, You could you could make that darker, you could do this, and and staying true to who I was as a person became the most integral part of my journey because I don't want to change my comedy to panda to an audience. Uh because every time I leave the stage, I want to be feel very, very good about what I did up there. I don't want to be like, oh, I can't believe I did that. So standing my ground and being like, no, that is not for me, turning things down. And when you're first starting, saying no is so hard. And so it was learning to say no to things that didn't fit my brand or who I was, my character, and um, and knowing that it's okay, that opportunity wasn't for me. The right opportunity will come. You it's okay to say no. And um, I see so many young comics, especially I get to watch it firsthand. I'm like, you should have said no to that. Or they'll say, and I did this once, I said yes to headlining way too soon because who doesn't want to headline, right? Yeah, I was like, well, and so I was like, Oh, I should not have done that. And I'm watching people do that, like I'm coming and I'm excited about this show, but the person doing the show doesn't like producing it, it's just comedy adjacent. So they're randomizing that, and I'm um I am actually featuring for someone that's had like a fraction of the experiences I have, and my heart, um, I have no ego problem with it. I just feel bad for her because she's setting herself up for very difficult sets.
SPEAKER_03Sure, sure. Yeah, you will in that for her, you will be a tough act to follow. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I know that, and that's not me being egotistical, that's me being realistic. I have four years in, I've had very many experiences, I have a very solid set. Um, I would at one less than one year in, I wouldn't want to follow me. I wouldn't want to, you know. I mean, so yeah, I so those are But you know what?
SPEAKER_03We also we learn as we go. And there's this this might be one of, you know, one of your her experiences where she learns, you know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um a lot of it is just learning as you go. That's why I have not said anything. I'm just like, I'm excited to feature, I'm I'm doing whatnot. And I figure that's how I learned that lesson. I did headline and it did not go well, and that is a very humbling experience. And I was like, Well, you know what, girly, you went too soon. It's okay to say no. I'm not ready.
SPEAKER_03I really like that advice. It's okay to say no, and I gotta tell you, uh I don't know, I I don't know if I would have listened to it back in the day, but more people should have told me it's okay to say no because I actually went by the entirely different philosophy starting comedy, which is like say yes to everything. I've I've told that to people before. I just and I think it might depend on people's personalities, and and you said you knew you kind of knew your brand, you knew your character, you knew what you were building. Um, I think when I first started, I I what I was still figuring it all out, so I was kind of shooting all the shots and seeing what would land and kind of thing. But um, I definitely I love I'm learning now that it's okay to say no to things. Um, but I feel like when I first started, uh I would bend over backwards and say yes to everything because I didn't want to miss an opportunity or I didn't want to, you know, uh let someone down or something like that. But uh especially now that um in this current season of my life, comedy is not my only full-time job. Uh and so ever since I got the other full-time job, I um it's so great to say no to the the the gig requests that you know are gonna be like terrible. Like the, hey, can you come do a roast show at my 16-year-old daughter's birthday party? Like, there's a point where I was like, this sounds terrible, but I need a paycheck. And now I can be like, I'm good.
SPEAKER_01Like, yeah, be like, uh, that's not for me. Yeah, that's I'm in the process of starting my own production company now because I don't fit everything, but I know so many comics that do. Um, and I actually had I was booked on at a club in um Columbia, Missouri, and I had gotten asked the small town that uses me a lot. They wanted me to do their after prom. And I was, and I was like, I said, if you trust me, I'll book it. I won't be there. And they're like, fine, it went great. And I was like, I'm really good at finding people for things. So I'm working on that so that I can say yes to more things, but not in the right format, you know?
SPEAKER_03And that and I love that, Chrissy. I I'm also kind of in that boat too, where like with running productions and then finding people, and um, I'm leaning more into that now. And I'm and I'll tell you something I love about this that I think you'll find as well. Uh, it is so awesome when you help someone else get like paid work. It is so awesome when you, because of the work that you're doing, it creates opportunities for other people. Um and I think I that's a that is like a uh really big benefit of like producing shows is you're creating space for more entertainers to entertain. So I think you'll I think you'll really get it. I'll think you're really good. So yeah. So um I'm gonna I'm gonna shift gears a little bit. Uh I'm I'm I'm wanting to backtrack to your uh baking, honestly. So what like the like uh uh what what are what is like the best thing that you bake? What are your specialties?
SPEAKER_01Well, so funny is I for the longest time is these cookies that I made, my family loves them. It has chocolate chips and oatmeal and all this stuff. And I kind of crafted a recipe. My family loves them. I move into this house and it was built in the 60s, and I swear on my life, the oven that's here is the original oven. And it I I struggle with it so much. So I kind of switch gears. I make incredible no-bake cookies. People are always like, Would you please make those again? Um, but I make my own vanilla and that helps. And then um, but recently I've started making this beer bread uh with dill pickle beer, and I make this really amazing crust and uh it's become so popular. It's become 90% of my personality. He's like, Hey, Chrissy's coming. Do you think she's bringing bread? Um, it's it's what everybody knows. My husband actually just took a couple loaves over to his best friend. So he's like, Kevin's been asking. I was like, okay, you can take this.
SPEAKER_03So how's it no? How does it feel to know that you're the reason that your husband and Kevin are friends?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's probably the only reason because it's not Mike's personality. No, just kidding. Um, but yeah, and that's what I did make for the the telethon bake a thon bake uh the bake sale for the telethon was this bread. But um, I baking has been really fun. I am a good cook as well, and people like a lot of people that cook, they're like, I like cooking because you can um like make like subtle changes and you can play with it a little bit. Baking's such a science, and you can't, and I find that very, very not true. I will add things in, I will like play with it. I get like my banana bread, nobody can replicate my banana bread because I've started doing different things to it. And um, so I just like to have some fun with it. Um, kind of like that's my whole life motto. Have fun with it. Bake like if it doesn't taste good, it's still got sugar in it, somebody's gonna eat it, right?
SPEAKER_03So yeah, yeah. There's the baking has to be like comedy in that there's like an audience for whatever you make, like they're like someone will enjoy it. Uh, because people might say, like, I don't like chocolate or I don't like cake or pie or whatever, but I don't think I've ever met anyone who's like, I don't like desserts.
SPEAKER_01Right, exactly. Across the board, there's something in that category they like. Now, I have an interesting situation in that fact that my my middle sister has um had to change the way that she eats completely because of allergies. And so all of a sudden she's gluten and dairy-free, which the day she told me she couldn't eat cheese anymore, I was like, you might as well just give up because what's what's the point?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But but I have found a local bakery that makes the most amazing gluten and vegan um gluten-free and vegan things ever. But watching her actually get to enjoy something that I also thought was good, and I was surprised. Um, I'm gonna start trying to make some things that she like I'm gonna try to bake a few things that she can eat that fit into. And so it's a work of progress because I use a lot, a lot, a lot of butter in my baking. And that's gonna be the hardest thing to kind of um adjust to not for her. But I do want to be able to bake something that when I show up to something, I'll be like, hey, I made something for you. You can eat this.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and it's that and I'm sure she'll appreciate that. Or or she might just be like, you know what, for your for your desserts, I'll just take the hit. I'll just eat it.
SPEAKER_01I I I know yesterday she really I I watched her trying to look at my bread because she's only heard how good it is, how good it is. And I I came in, I was like, hot bread coming in, and and I was like, Oh, I felt so bad, but just life, life how it works, I guess.
SPEAKER_03It's just how it works, yeah. Well, uh, so we're gonna transition to the part of the show called uh Ask a Comedian. So here I I forgot to tell you this ahead of time, uh, but basically it's not it, it's not a I feel like I'm about to drop a bombship. It's not that big of a deal. Like that like we actually have people at your house right now that are coming in to ask. No, um, so uh online people have submitted uh questions on Facebook, on Instagram, on threads. Uh they're random questions. I always let them know. Uh it doesn't have to be comedy related. A lot of them end up being comedy related, which I guess it makes sense because the title of the segment is Ask a Comedian. Um, so uh I have uh questions that have been given to us, and just a friendly reminder to anyone listening. Uh you can submit a question in any basically any way you want. Yeah, on any of our social media, any of my social media, Drew Davis Comedy. Uh, and I frequently, about once a month, ask people to send in questions. So if you're waiting for that, it'll pop up. Um, you can send a you can just text a question in. There's actually a link on anything that you're listening to us that says like send us mail or send us a question. I don't really remember what it says, but it's on the notes section. And if you press that, you can send us in a question. I've had people email me questions before, so you can do that if you want. Uh, I imagine if you know me personally and you want to just walk up and be like, hey, add this question to the list, you could do that too. Um, so the way it works, uh, Chrissy, is I'm gonna give uh you're gonna pick uh three numbers um between one and twenty nine. Okay, and that will dictate which questions I'm asking. So whenever you're ready, go ahead and uh give me some give me some numbers.
SPEAKER_01Okay, 17, 8 and 24.
SPEAKER_03All right, 17, 8, and 24. All right, great questions. I think I haven't actually looked at them yet. So all right, we'll start. I mean, I have looked at them when I wrote them down, but like, okay, 17. Uh what a great random start. Um, 17 comes from uh comedian Joyce Lyles from Alabama. She's also in the Clean Comedy Collective. Um, and her question is, how do you handle constipation?
SPEAKER_01Oh, um luckily for me, I have not struggled with that much, but I I just I've lost 176 pounds and so my diet's really changed. Um, I noticed when I used to eat just hot garbage, I never had a problem with it. Now it's a little bit more. Um, I definitely use these little like um mirror chews. And um, I spend a lot of time, like I will take my time, I take a good book in the restroom or my phone, and I just give myself time to work things out.
SPEAKER_03Just let the let the body do what the body does, right? Yeah, all right. I use it as an example to eat more like Taco Bell. I'm like, I'll get it. We'll open up, it'll it'll work out.
SPEAKER_01It'll work. That'll that will definitely do it.
SPEAKER_03So, okay, uh, thank you. That was a random question, but a good answer. What?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, 17. I will never pick that number again.
SPEAKER_03There we go. All right. This one uh comes from Joe Whitey, also comedian from the Clean Comedy Collective. I want to say she's from Arizona.
SPEAKER_01Um I think that's right.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yes, so so uh and you you two would probably get along real well. Uh what um what comedian would you love to collaborate with and why?
SPEAKER_01Uh it's so funny. And I actually just told a club owner this, and they're like, well, you guys, but Fortune Femster has always been like, I I love her comedy. I love how relatable she has real strong family roots as well, um, and has worked them into her story. I would love to sit down and um and talk to her and just kind of pick her brain and work with her. Um, I don't know that our like we have the same demographic, but I definitely, definitely enjoy her. Also, um Andy Woodhull um is a comic that I just he makes my heart happy. He um he laughs at his own jokes. I love I love that stuff. So I've actually gotten to talk to him. I would like to work with him as well. And then Shane Smith, who is so vastly physically different than me, but watching him take such a crazy life past and turn it into clean comedy, um, I just think it's amazing. And to look like he does and still be able to sell out clean shows over and over and over, I just I find that amazing. So um there's probably fewer comics that I would not like to sit down and collab with um than there would because I feel like I can learn something from almost anybody. But um, I've been very fortunate with those who I have got to chat with. Uh, but um it's funny because anytime anybody says who would you like to work with? I'm like, fortune always comes up. I just have always liked her style. But of course, you have Leanne Morgan who's doing so great right now. And he's like, Well, you're so much like her. And I'm like, Well, I am not the southern genteel woman that she is. I am from the wheat fields of Kansas, but um, but I I love what she's been able to cultivate. I love how she and and she's also at that time in her life where like she has a lot coming at her right now. How is she balancing it all with her family? Because you know, um, so those are the kind of questions I want to ask um in those situations. But more than more than a handful of comics are are on my list to talk to. But if if somebody said um one shot, you get you say their name and you'll work with them, it would be fortune.
SPEAKER_03That makes sense. That's cool. Mine's a toss-up between on one hand, uh, Jim Caffigan has always been my favorite comedian. I mean, from from college, maybe even before then. Uh so it'd really be cool to like go on the road with him or tour with him or work with him. But another one that I'd really like to work with is uh Pete Holmes, not just because I like his stuff, but um I I was uh the TV show that he produced and starred in Crashing, which was about a former pastor who became a comedian. Yeah, uh, like it was the last straw to give me permission to be like, I want to do full-time comedy. Like it was a big thing for me, and I've had the opportunity to work with a lot of the comedians on that show, but not him yet. So it's like I really want uh really want to do that. Um I'm gonna ask a bonus question because I I meant to ask it earlier and I didn't. And if I don't ask it, then I'll just think about it for the rest of my life uh and never be able to sleep again. Um uh so uh obviously you're in the Clean Comedy Collective, which means you work clean. Um do you uh do you exclusively only do clean shows and do you only work clean? Or do you like Uh, do you do like not clean shows but work clean on shows, or do you do like clean when you're on a clean show and not clean when you're on not clean?
SPEAKER_01I I don't work exclusively clean, predominantly clean. We'll do that. And I have what I call like G, I can do for everyone. And I do those, I get asked a lot for family-friendly shows. That's it. I have I have quite a bit of PG 13 material. I don't really, I don't swear much in general, and I leave that out of almost every show. Um but if it is like a a later show and it is not, it's like they've put 18 and up and whatnot. I have a little bit of material that's reserved for those shows. Um, so I can do adult friendly, or not they're all friendly, but um, it kind of was one of those things. My very first two shows that I did, my parents were at them. And I even ran a couple things by my mom. I'm like, I'm gonna say this. Is this a problem? No, no. And after that, it was like I started hearing everybody's like, Oh, I hear you're so wholesome. I hear you're so wholesome. And when I told my mom that, nobody laughed harder than my mom. I was like, mom, that's great. That's but um I got to thinking about like what is coming across that? It's like, oh, my parents were in the audience at the first two shows. I don't want written out of their will. I was on my best behavior.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah. I remember, you know, you still gotta show up to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, right?
SPEAKER_01Like, yeah, but it kind of falls through. It doesn't like my adult stuff, it's still never again. I fall in line with it. If I wouldn't say it in front of my mom, I'm not gonna say it in front of a a random mix of audience. Unfortunately, in my first year when I was um kind of finding my footing, I um filled in for somebody at something and I hadn't really set my tone yet. And I actually use language that I don't ever use, even in real life or ever on stage anymore, in it. And it is honestly one of the only Googleable things about me you can find because whoever recorded it put it out there for the masses, and I can't get it taken down. And I'm like, that doesn't fit who I am. Don't go off of that. That's not because I did a show at a church, and a couple of the board members were trying to find out some information about me, and that's what they saw.
SPEAKER_03Oh man.
SPEAKER_01No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that's not me, not my heart. I apologize, don't base any assumptions of me on that. But um, so no, I don't work exclusively clean. Um, I do kind of tailor it to the audience. Um, I and I have worked completely clean on a show, and it is always funny, especially here where everybody knows each other. Um, all I'll perform and then someone that like I love Terrell Norton so much, he's so great, but he's definitely not a clean comic. And he'll come up after me and be like, what a juxtaposition to go from sweet peaches crissy here to this. And it's always so um, but so I will a lot of times be clean even on a show that I don't need to be, just because that's what I want to do that night, you know?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you can relate to that. I I'm I'm I'm a variety as well, but I do feel I I've learned long ago I do not have the face for crass comedy, like and and like it just I it just doesn't work uh for me. Uh but uh it does seem like a lot of my better stuff ends up being the clean stuff. So I think part of it isn't leaning to what's authentically you, and um, but yeah, so I I I I'm always interested in that. I like um uh I like like the answers of that because uh I don't think people ever have to be exclusively clean, but it to an extent though, you also have to know who you're marketing yourself to. You know, I uh I I've I have had more than you know more than a few people who know that I, you know, I'll I'll apply for a very clean show, but that you know, they'll see all the stuff that I do and they'll think like, oh, we don't want this person. And now I know I know for a fact I can go on that show and be the kind of clean they want to. Uh, but I also have to be okay with the fact that like when you look at my act in its entirety, some people who want the people who want the cleanest of the clean or the people who want the dirtiest of the dirty are not going to be impressed with me. Right. Uh but but you know that's okay. Uh all right. Last question. Uh this comes from to us from Facebook, uh, from Susan, or excuse me, Susan Horn, who's also a clean comedy uh collective comedian. Uh, and we'll have her on this podcast at some point. Um, and it's simply what do you do when you blank on stage?
SPEAKER_01Well, I am 52 and I blank a lot. Um, I also have ADHD. So I am one of those that I bring up a little note card with what I call a set list. Mike Barbiglia did that, and I was like, and that legitimatized it for me because everybody's like, don't take notes on stage. And or I'll see these young comics with their phones and they're doing I'm like, I wouldn't, but when Mike Barbiglia brought his set list on stage, I was like, I can do that. So if I blank, I am real good at just casually looking over and I can kind of grab myself. But a lot of times um I'm terrible at ums and butts. I say that a lot, and I am trying so diligently to get away from it. Um, I hardly will ever take a drink on stage, but I always take something up there with me, a water or a soda, so that if I blank, I stop, I take a drink, I kind of recognize myself, and it gives me a moment to kind of get my bearings. That's also why I'm not good at crowd work because that plays into the whole ADHD. I've got a plan. I have a plan when I come up there. That's why I got a set list. I have a plan. And if you mess up my plan, then I'm all like, oh, squirrel, and I'm trying to regrav. But that is why the set list is key, because I can just casually look over and regroup.
SPEAKER_03So and there's nothing wrong with taking that moment, either taking that drink of water or taking that quiet, the to kind of collect yourself because a lot of comedians will get flustered and then they'll say things and they'll say some like things that typically take us out of the act a little bit, like, oh, what's next? Or hold on a second, I forgot what I was to say. But taking a moment, like I like the drinking of water because that can kind of hide the fact that you're looking to your notes. Um, but even just pausing and then figuring it out and moving on. There's nothing a good quiet moment between routines uh what during your set, there's nothing wrong with that.
SPEAKER_01I did get a really good piece of advice from a comic once. Um, they're like, don't be afraid of the silence. Like it's okay, like you don't have to feel every second of like it's okay to take a pause and take a breath and like regather yourself. And I do very, very diligently try to stay away from what else do I have for you, or oh, let me see what's next, or oh, I lost where I was. I try not to pull the curtain back too far, um, and just kind of nicely segue into like I'm gonna just take a drink, take a minute, figure out where I was, and go from there.
SPEAKER_03So I had a I had a friend who uh he used to produce a show and it was called like what else? And one of the side rules of it was a showcase is like if any of the comedians say what else, then they're then their routine like they get the light. So yeah, so just kind of but you know what everyone who got on the show knew that that was a rule, and I don't think I ever saw anyone accidentally say what else or whatever, but it was it was just a fun little little uh thing. So um cool. I appreciate you answering those questions. Friendly reminder to anyone listening, you can send in your questions and we'll ask whoever our next comedian is if we pick your number. Um, so uh Chrissy, first of all, thank you so much for uh being on this show. Uh and uh the the people listening may not know this, uh, but you you saved my butt this week. I needed an interview for Saturday, and uh I'd asked a few people and I got tired of individually asking people, so then I just kind of put it out the the all the clean comedy collective comedians, and you were the first to respond. So I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_01I was super excited to do it. I've I've looked forward to getting to work with you in any capacity. So this was fun for me. So thank you.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, this you this is a great interview, and you you have such a you have such a positive, uh approachable energy too. So and I think that's probably why you're so good on stage, is from the minute you get up there, people just like your vibe. They like you, and so um I appreciate that. Um, and now do you have anything you would like to promote, or where can people find you, or what do we got going on that we can point people to?
SPEAKER_01Let's see. Um, I um I'm going to be opening up for Carolyn uh in Muscogee, Oklahoma on June 13th at the Roxy. I'm super excited about that. Um, I'm going to do my very first next stop comedy show in Newton, Kansas, um, on the 12th of June. So that weekend's big for me.
SPEAKER_02That's a big weekend, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And um I don't know. Oh, I we're doing a clean comedy show at the Looney bin in August, August 2nd. It's the first Sunday in August. So I'm pretty excited about that. Those are the kind of shows that and Carolyn shows are shows that I'm pushing to everyone because from my my um parents' church group to my kids' teachers, um, my grandkids' teachers and everything, like, come to these shows. I know you won't be offended. I know you'll find some of us funny. It'll be a good show. So always like being able to do that. And I am gonna try to get down your way into um Tennessee. I'm going for a family reunion, so I'm gonna try to grab some comedy out of the way back. And uh, so I'm all over my uh social medias are Chrissy Isle C H R I S S Y I L E S comedy and both Facebook and Instagram.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yep, that's right.
SPEAKER_01I said you can tell I'm in my 50s because Instagram's always an afterthought to me.
SPEAKER_03Right. It is, but you know what? Like they keep coming out with new social media, like an Instagram just had a new thing that I'm like, do we is this something we have to? I wait until everyone else gets into it before I I try it. Um but um and if you're ever in Nashville on the last like the last Thursday of the month, I produce a uh a regular show the last Thursday of the month. And so I always like it's a clean show, so I always like to let clean comedy collective comedians know that. Hey, if you're ever in town, it's not like I wouldn't say it's worth you won't get paid enough to you know to validate the travel from Tulsa, but um it's a fun show.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I do want to come down to that area, so I'm gonna try to do that first thing is once school goes back into session this next year.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, that's that's wonderful. And for everyone listening, just a friendly reminder check us out at cleancomedycollective.com. Uh, you can see all the comedians that are in the clean comedy collective. We currently have about 239 from or maybe 230 from 39 different states. Um, Chrissy is in the Oklahoma section, I'm in the Tennessee section. You can check out what shows we have uh uh coming up that are in the Clean Comedy Collective umbrella. You can listen to previous episodes of this podcast. If you're a comedian and you're interested in applying for the Clean Comedy Collective or learning more about us, there's a section for that too. Uh and uh if you're just like, man, these guys are so cool, I wish I could just give them all my money. There's a donation section as well. So uh lots of different cool things you can do on the website. Uh thank you so much, Chrissy, for being on this podcast.
SPEAKER_01Um thank you for having me. I appreciate it. It was a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, this is a great chat. And uh for everyone listening, we hope to hear or hear you. We don't hope to hear that. Sounds mean. It's like, don't talk to us. But what I mean is yeah, we hope that you hear us next week when we come back with a different comedian. That's what I meant. This is the weirdest outro ever. You all have a great day. See you later. You're welcome.
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