Clean comedian John Crist loves Katt Williams, and is loved by Denver's dirtiest standups

Do you ever write material that specifically appeals only to a church-crowd, that wouldn't work in a mainstream club?

I have probably an hour of jokes like that. I was raised in the church, went to a Christian school, I used to work for Focus on the Family, I used to work Chick-fil-A, bro -- anything you hate about Christianity, I got it.

You sporting a Jesus fish tattoo somewhere?

Oh yeah, I got bible verses in Greek on my back, a fish on my ankle.

Seriously?

No, I'm kidding.

I always have to ask when talking to a comedian.

As you should.

I'd never make fun of Christianity. If a comic is making fun of something like Jesus on a cross, that's offensive to me. As a believer, I can't sit back and laugh at that. But at the same time, I will be the first guy to make fun of Christians for being judgmental, or make fun of Christian comedy. Because I'm on that team. It's like a black comic making fun of how black people act -- I couldn't do that, because I'm white. So if a mainstream comic is making fun of Christianity, he's against it, but in the church I can make fun of Christians.

What is an example of that?

Oh shoot, I write for this blog called Stuff Christians Like, it's basically a satire blog on Christians.

I have a joke about the story of Job, from the bible. I say, "As Christians, the first thing we do whenever we have trouble is compare ourselves to Job. This guy lost his home, his family, lost all of his possessions, his health and his wife -- you overdrafted your checking account." It's making fun of the way Christians are always like, "I've been reading Job lately, and I can really relate because my coffee was lukewarm this morning." Now, if I did that joke at Comedy Works, nobody would get it, but in a church it kills.

I had this one joke I was warned by a pastor not to use anymore. It was about me trying to join the church leadership team, and the pastor asked me, "John, do you have any leadership skills?" And I said, "I've been leading girls on for years." Now, that's not a great joke, but he said it was inappropriate. Or there was this one where I was asked if I had any spiritual gifts, and I told him, "My girlfriend says I have the gift of tongues." That's probably the dirtiest joke I have. I would never say that joke in a comedy club, but in a church I kind of want to get under their skin a little bit, push the envelope. But only at church.

John Crist will be hosting the Funny Final Four Round One at Comedy Works, 1226 15th Street, on Wednesday, February 20. Tickets are $12 (18+). For more information visit www.comedyworks.com

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Comedy Works

1226 15th St., Denver, CO

Category: Music

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