Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 1066 | Phil Accidentally Comes up with John Crist’s Next Tour Name

Episode Date: March 31, 2025

Comedian John Crist returns to face the Robertson family's good-natured roasting, and Phil’s offhand remark about him has John seriously considering it as the name of his next tour. Jase, Al, and John swap stories of their best and worst moments on stage, including how both Jase and John unknowingly share the same “best audience ever” story. Jase also reflects on how laughter has been a vital part of the Robertson family's ability to navigate Phil and Miss Kay’s recent health struggles. — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashamed. A few podcasts ago, I mentioned that we had done something we had never done before in my knowledge. And Maddie didn't correct me, so I'm assuming I was right, that we were simul recording. I said simul casting, but we really weren't simul casting. We were simul recording our podcasts in the duck hall room next door. Remember me talking about that? Yeah, I do. Well, I remember it happening. Yeah, so.

Because I could hear Sye faintly. I don't think it was registering on sound. Yeah. Because Sye... They were just, every time he would be into a... He's a human noise maker. Yeah, he is. He's also an economic stimulus package when he's playing cards.

But he has a whole set of skills. Somebody came with the top 10 list and names for Sight. It was like ATM, you know, credit card man it was all these different things about money um so i found out a little bit more about it so i was going to get y'all's take on it so apparently what they did on this episode when we were in here deep into bible study and doing what we do on the other sham podcast they were breaking down the fourth wall is what we call it in the that's a production term production term that means they they brought in their their version of math

which is a guy named Hunter, to be on the podcast. Well, you know what's weird? I've never heard Hunter ever say a word. Well, me either. Yeah. That's what I found so bizarre. He's a quiet. He's very quiet.

So I thought, how would he be as a podcast guest? And then he was on for part of the podcast. And then they brought my daughter, my youngest daughter, Alex, who works for Tread Lively, our production overseer, that Zach is works is in charge of. And she does copy. And so she listens to podcasts, which, by the way, the miserable experience for me is when she comes over to my house to do her work, Zach, I was trying to do a little Bible study. And she had to you're listening to yourself.

Well, or worse, I'm listening to the, to the duck call room, but she listens to it at a faster speed than we actually talk. Yeah. Well, these people are, they got brain issues. I don't know what it is, but I'm like, how do you even do that? I can't even, I got so bamboos that I had to get all my stuff and go back to my bedroom to do my work, because I could not listen to that. Well, some people listen to our podcast and that they told me that. They say we talk super slow is what she says, but I'm like, well, we just don't.

Well, you get trained on. I mean, I listen to things in double speed as well. I think when you're having to go through a lot of content you do. Shock. But what's funny is Jay's always accused me of talking so fast. I don't know what I sound like on the ads if you listen to it and double-time. Are we going there again? Zach just went there.

You are the comedy relief for my life because when I need a break, you start reading ads at twice the speed that you normally talk. But now we know why he doesn't because he listens to stuff. I'm trying to get where I can read them at the speed of light. If I can accomplish reading advertisers in the speed of light. Well, my dad taught me that when anyone starts, talking fast, you better reach back and make sure you got your wallet. What did Phil say about the insurance salesmen and preachers?

They slick their hair back. And they talk real fast. They talk real fast. And their hair slick back, he said, and you know what that means? That means their hair slid back because they're running fast the other way with your money. I grew up hearing that. It says I became a preacher. Was it insurance agents and preachers?

That's what he said. That's what he put us. And I would always say it later in life as a preacher. And then he was embarrassed, you know, that he said it because his son was a preacher. So, but here's the deal. So they broke the fourth wall down. You said, why would they do that? Well, apparently, I don't know what role Alex played in this thing, but I know Hunter,

who is the other producer for the other podcast, they did it to give him relationship advice. Oh, really? Yeah. So they gave Hunter relationship. That was the reason why they brought him on the podcast so that Cy, Johnny D, and Martin could give him relationship advice, which I thought, right, when I heard this. Is this supposed to be helpful?

Well, that's what I thought, because when I heard the scenario, I thought you talk about a disaster waiting to happen. For those three to be. I need to have a, thank you for telling me this. I will have an HR policy on this. This is dangerous. Well, and let me tell you,

started. Let me tell you why this happened. And this did take me back to a moment. Jason might remember it might not, because we're going back years. If I'm not mistaken, six years to our own early, humble beginnings of unashamed. So Hunter comes in, so he's, so he asks all for work, which I hope I'm not getting him in trouble since we're talking to as a boss, but he asked all for work, apparently, so he could see a girl that he likes. But apparently Maddie tells me later, because she gave me some more of the 4-1-1 this morning, that his parents don't like the girlfriend. Oh, boy.

Is he still with her? He's still with her. I don't know if we ought to announce that to the world. I think we can because he's been on the other podcast talking about that. So he has talked. He's talked about this on the pipe. Yes, they talked about this on. Well, I hadn't even gotten to the funniest part.

So the reason why, so he takes this time off, he's away and he comes back. so he tries to nonchalant is coming back because he didn't ask the people on the podcast about it he just talked to the higher ups around here who would let him take a day or two off so he comes back apparently he has a giant hickie on his neck oh my gosh well this is getting this

this is what happens when you have podcast without a Bible exactly which is my ultimate point so he comes back with the hicky but instead of just owning it and sporting it because this has happened. Someone that's put a hickey, this girlfriend, a hickey on his name, he tries to cover it up with a band-aid.

But it's not a big enough band-aid. This sounds like something that would happen when you were in, like, seventh grade. Exactly. My thing was, when did, like, hickies were a big deal when I was 15. Well, I think that was the thing back in the 80s and 90s. I was just, I had an image of a Who's the Boss episode with, what was her name, Alyssa Milano got a, oh boy. Well, let me just tell you.

You talked about a left wing. They covered up with a scarf and Tony. Tony Danza was the dad and Angela was the mom. I don't remember this. Wow. That's sad. But that's, I remember an episode from the late 1980s of Who's the Boss? Episode where they tried to cover up the next.

Well, let me tell you about, since we're talking about who's a boss, I'm north of 50. And I've, I've been married. How long have I been married? 1990. 30, two or three years. It takes to be 35 years. I've never had a hickie. Yeah.

Well, you couldn't get to your neck now, Jay's. That has a lot to do with it. Maybe it's the beard. But no one's seen Jayce's neck in about 20 years, so it's no surprise. So I'm just throwing that out there. There's some things I'm proud of. I also do not have a tattoo. So I just skip that part in a lot.

No, is there any tattoos in your family? Vissy don't have them either, does she? Oh, Reed's got. plenty. No, Lizzie does not have a tattoo. Yeah, Reed has a lot of tattoos.

Al, you've got one. I've got multiples. I have two eras of tattoos. I have the predical al tattoos, which are... You have Donna? Is there one says Donna? No, it was a D that stood for that, or something else that I can't say on air that Lisa calls me from that tattoo.

But then I got one with Lisa that's on my wrist here. I don't know if you can see it on camera. It says forget. Gospel. Forgive. Okay. So it's forgiven. And Lisa wanted one when she turned 50.

It took me two years, or took her two years to convince me to get it. I didn't want to do it. I was like, babe, I got something I need to take off. I don't want to put any more home. But how did you, you know, get the Leviticus worked out in that? You just thought, there's an old law. Nail to the cross days. I didn't worry about that.

Old Testament doesn't apply. No, not the tattoos. And besides, have you seen people lately? this is pretty tame compared to most of our listeners. Well, those markings, in Leviticus, it was more you were marking yourself with... Yeah, this isn't about a false God. Although some of the early ones,

I could probably make that claim. I was definitely violating a lot of scripture. Yeah, that's where I was headed. Hearing that for you. Good job, Zach. So I will say, so here's what happened. I don't know anything about what happened

other than that on that podcast, about what they told him. I think Maddie said they all encouraged him to dump his girlfriend. I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. Yeah, that's what they said. I can't believe this is real life.

This is real life. I mean, apparently they've turned into Dr. Phil over there on the... See, I would have said... I mean, because it's like when I met my future in-laws, they didn't like me. Right. We all had that experience, Jay's. Yeah.

I said maybe Jeff. So, and, you know, I really can't blame them. And it wasn't because I wasn't following Jesus. I mean, they... You were hardcore. Oh, I was... I mean, just talking about following Jesus. And Missy's dad, who is a famed evangelist, I mean,

We Care Ministries led thousands to Christ. And you were doing that as a young man. So you would have thought. What was the beef, Jase? What do you think the beef was? Where's the beef? The beef was, what are you going to do to provide money? So they didn't see the ambition for, my daughter.

They were looking at you thinking he's not going to have the ambition. Well, winning people of Christ is one thing, but earning a. a living, you know, something else. I mean, you know what's funny, though, is he was a preacher. And still is. I mean, he's retired, but I mean, he's. And we have a great relationship now. Oh, yeah.

I mean, I would say, and I don't mean this in a celebrity way, but they are my biggest fans and supporters. I mean, they are awesome. They're team J's. But, uh, you want them over. You know, I just, I went the rich young ruler. That was my response. You remember when Jesus told that guy to sell everything?

thing he had. I said, I don't, five minutes. No, I said, I don't have anything to sell. Yeah.

I don't have anything. I said, so I just went ahead and just started off that way. And more preachers love when you use scripture. Well, what I'm saying is here I told a preacher, I said, I'm going to trust in God and do what's right.

And I'm going to love your daughter. And we'll work it out. I'd say the Lord worked it out for you. And he's like, nope, thumbs down. Drag him. And strike one.

So, yeah, it just, which, I mean, I get it when you're young. You think you're on top of the world. And, you know, and then I just thought, I mean, I was really trusting in God. And I think he just thought, this amateur guy. Yeah. I mean, it's like my dad used to say when people say, oh, we'll live off love. And he's like, you'll starve to death. Yeah.

But so there's something to that. But, I mean, I just went on. Well, best lay plans, right? I mean, Zach, when you went to Harding, you had no idea you'd be doing what you're doing now. I didn't have a clue. For the kingdom and for your living and everything else. I mean, you think a lot of things when you're 20 years old. Well, you know what's funny is you've got to be careful when you give advice because I said on this podcast, now I was kidding, but like not really, but it was a joke.

And I said, hey, these people meeting online, getting married, that ain't going to work. Look, the last three events I've done, I bet I've had a hundred. people come up there and the only reason they came to that event was to get in close proximity and say, met online seven years of joyful bliss. I feel like I told you that. I feel like I said on that podcast. I would say 90% of people meet that way. So back to my earlier discussion, this was a throwback to the early listeners of Unashameda.

We're fixing to test you. And I know you're out there because I met, I met Jay at the last event. you've been listening since day one. We used our very first guy we ever had, well, I guess he was second because Cole got to start it. But the very second guy was a young man named Connor that dad called no name. He just didn't take the time to learn his name or whatever. And so Connor was our engineer back then, our producer, young guy had just gotten married

and he came in one day. I don't know if you remember this, we were at the lodge back then filming. And he walks in and he's got to. a big hickey on his name. He had been married a few months. He's in newlywed. And, you know, he's doing his stuff. He's laying out copy for us and made some coffee. And I'm watching him. And I thought, was he going to say something about this giant hickey on his neck? Just because he's sporting it. So I thought he said nothing, which in his case, it was actually a professional way to do business, I guess. But I thought,

well, he's not even going to make a joke about it because that's kind of what we do. So he sits down. He counts us down. We started in the podcast and the first thing I said to you and dad, I was like, did y'all notice Conner's neck this morning when he came in? And then we spent about the next 10 minutes. I don't even remember. Yeah, it was, I'll never forget it. And Connor was like Maddie, our current producer, whenever you embarrass them, they turn a shade of red that she's doing it now. So they turn a shade of red that's like glowing red. And when I looked over at him behind the bank like Maddie is, it was, was a glowing red.

And so... That's strange. And then I was like, so Connor, so Connor, you can't cut that out because you're the editor, but you cannot edit what we just said about you. And he said, oh, I said, wait until you tell your wife. And he said, oh, I texted her while we're talking about it. I mean, it's kind of different if you're married, I guess. But, you know, what are you doing?

I'm just saying one of the odds that we would have two podcasts stretched out over six years, and we've had two producers that came in with giant hickeys on their neck. Means we need to have some private Bible studies, I guess, on not wasting time. So, Maddie, the gauntlet's been laid down. If you come in here with the hickey on your neck, get ready, Jay. They say, every trend makes a return. I didn't know that was back, but I guess it is. Oh, man.

Unless I'm missing something. Am I missing something, Zach? I mean, I'm just, as a, yeah, I'm processing this entire conversation. Like, you need a meeting. Yeah. Yeah, I think we need to have a meeting. So I'm not sure how we're segueing to anything spiritual. We have good news about that, Jay's.

We're fortunate today because we have a guest who we've been waiting on to come here to be on our podcast because he's doing Sadie's in the duck hall room. And he's the perfect man for a conversation that we just had. I'm not going to tell you who he is until he shows up. But we're going to take a break. We come back. We're going to introduce our guest. and we're going to see what he thinks about Hickees.

So welcome back to the podcast. John Chris has appeared literally out of thin air. Come on. His plane just landed. So he was this surprise guest, Jace, that I didn't tell you about, that I knew it had an opinion on Hickees. And you're actually a return. Yes.

I'm back. Has there ever been two in person? You know, not. I'm sure there are. Maybe so. We've done over a thousand. and podcasts. Maybe some local guests.

Nobody. But I don't know. Big names like you. I'm not sure. Well, I'll tell you, the studio's been upgraded. Yeah. Yeah. Well, the first time we came on our podcast, so you drive out in the middle of nowhere.

Middle of nowhere. So you thought you were an extra in deliverance, too. I didn't know where I was. I was calling my agent secretly. I go, I think he got me into something over my head. And then there's like, we're showing him around the layer. There's that deer hanging in the freezer. Dead animals.

Yeah. Jace comes in. He's got blood off. All over. Somebody was telling me, yeah, the house, is the house there? Yeah.

Yeah, they're like, come on up to the house. There's some other people. And I was like, I never know who's like in the family or who's not. It's very confusing. I don't either. I'm like,

so is this person like, and they're like, oh, yeah, she's a cousin or like what? Yeah. You could like wander to a meth lab or the lair and he with equal enthusiasm. No,

that is true because you're like, what about that house there? I'm like, no, don't go there. And you're like, why? I was like,

they might kill you. I mean, this is a dangerous place out there. They're not family. But I will say, like, a tree fell the last day or two, and one of the guys, the redneck showed up, cut the tree. So there's good and bad. You've got to take it all. Well, I have to say, because my dad is no longer, you know, doing the podcast.

But after you left last time, he said, I don't know about that boy. Sounds like my dad. That was his take on you, John. I was wondering how Phil was going to handle this, like, John, since he's, or if he would pick up on it. Every time John would say something funny, dad would be looking up scriptures in his Bible, and John finally said,

he's making me nervous because he looks up. He never said anything. He just listened to what I said, and he goes, you think you have people at your shows like that that are just out there with their Bibles out of saying. They claim this guy's a Christian comedian, but people are definitely leaving going,

I don't know about that boy, for sure. That should be the title of my next tour. I don't know about that boy. That would be good. It would be pretty good. I don't know about that. So I was uncomfortable. I didn't think it went well.

I told you that when you walked in. I thought, oh, surprised to see you back. But because it was awkward, because I kind of have a little vein in that, I'm like, hey, we're doing a Bible study. But my dad is that times 10. Yeah. So what, and that's why I'm glad you're here because I wanted to talk about something. And we haven't prepared for this. Well, wait a minute.

Before you get to that, I got to. it. Just to tie off that last story, do you have an opinion on hickies one way or the other? Because two of our producers in the last six years, one was married, one is not, came in to work with hickies and wouldn't say

anything about it. One tried to cover it up with a two small band-aid. And so On your neck? Yeah, on the neck. These people are in their 20s. Yeah, they were both their 20s. The most concerning part is married. What are you doing? That's when you're not allowed to do stuff.

He's agree with me. Y'all were, I thought... I didn't even hear y'all... He missed it. I was saying, this is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. If you're married, and you go, babe, let me take you out to a nice dinner, and we're going to go home and... Hickie's going to come from that. That's not good.

No. That's not... No. There are way more interesting things than you can be doing with your time. They disqualified my opinion, because I have a... beard because nobody looks at my neck. No, we didn't disqualify. We never disagreed with you. I think I don't, I don't get it.

No, run it back. You disagree. Al said, you have a beard. You're disqualified. No one. Well, I just said nobody can get to that neck for 25 years. You have no expertise on Hickies. He disqualified. John's got a beer, but you can still get to the net. Yeah. Well, I guess, I think there's a tipping

point where you go, a kid in 6th, 7th grade comes in, you're the, you're high-five and everybody. Exactly. That's what I said. I agree. Then you go, 20s. No. Married? Married.

So, Maddie, passed that along to your co-worker. That was our assessment. Let's get the wife in here. Let's talk to her. Exactly. All right. So now I ask you a question. Sorry, I had you.

Oh, so what I was going to say is, you know, we're viewed. We had a comedy show. It was comedic. The problem is that me and my dad, and I'm throwing him in there now since the breaking news. We're accidentally funny. Because every time I try to be funny, it's cricket. But if I say something, and I'm being serious, sometimes people laugh.

Yeah. And it happens a lot. I think I'm the one that coined that phrase about you. No, you're right. Because I just did an event for Willie. Because he'll stay stuff in a sermon or speaking. and about a lap, but he wasn't trying to be funny. He's looking around.

But then I thought, well, if I do their speech again, I need to remember that because they thought that was funny. So that has now become my bit because you get up and people, you say things that are funny. So I was wondering, are you accidentally funny? Are you purposefully trying to be funny? Well, I think what it's funny because a lot of times you get like a pastor or like a speaker that is if they are being booked for, you know, an encouraging message or an inspirational talk and they're funny, it's like an added bonus. Right.

If you go to the comedy club and you're like, this guy is booked as a comedian, we better be here. Yeah. We better be. So if you go, we joke around sometimes with some of the Christian comedians that if the comedy's not really going well, they're just kind of go into a message. Yeah. Yeah, and they're like, well, yeah, and they're kind of like, what happened to the comedy? Well, that's what I did. So in that case, you're accidentally a preacher.

Yeah, I tell you a preacher. You'll see that a lot. The other night, the other night I cover for Willie, I told this on another podcast, but I'll just give you the high points. So when I, you know, usually like church groups or something spiritual invite me, because I'm doing a podcast where we studied the Bible. And so I, but I'm taking Willie's place. well, I get there in the first 10 seconds, I realized this is not a church event.

And I don't have to point out the obvious things, but I was pretty sure that I was one of the few people that was sober, number one. Oh, really? I instantly got that feeling. And just based on the way, you know, the women who were hosting an event were dressed, I thought, okay. So when I got up, well, it was such a distraction because they, There was a lot going on.

There was a lot of people. It was over 1,000 people. And you're supposed to be doing what? Preaching? Well, they just... They said on appearance. They were, they had us there. They had Willie.

He's a last minute filet. He's not sure what he's... They were basically trying to get people there. And they really said, you know, we don't care what you say. Just do it quickly. Wow. Because they're here, you know. And Willie's, is Willie funny?

He's pretty funny. Well, yeah, I think he's funny. He's a good speaker. In that environment, I think he would have struggled because... No wonder he said he couldn't go. He's like, you go. Exactly. So I got up.

I think the whole thing's a set up. I told two or three jokes right off the bat about Willie that are proven to be funny because I've done them at other places. And guess what happened? Nothing. Nothing. Crickets. Nothing. So I thought that, that I know was funny because other...

But they were louder than me. me. And so then I told this famous story that's always funny, and it's a true story. It's not like I'm trying to be funny. Just the actual story is proven to be funny because they always laugh. And I tell the story about when we were outside of A&E pitching the show. Willie was pitching the show for Duck Dynasty, and me and Willie are drinking $5, $5 cups of coffee. But we look like we do. And, you know, in New York, everybody's just. going fast and a guy dropped some coins in Willie's

cup, which was actually coffee, which is funny. You know, I mean, it's like, they thought he was homeless in that two seconds, and he's mad, and I was laughing. And Jay's laughing because he thinks that Willie looked worse than him because

he didn't put it in his coat. Well, I'm like, this guy determined that he's worse off than me, and I said this line to this audience, I said, this guy can included very quickly that despite him being 50 pounds heavier than me, he's worse off. Look, nothing. Then you go.

No giggle. So you know what I did in that moment? I went to my dad. No, I reached over and picked up my Bible. Yeah. And I started. Look, look, see. And it became quiet as a church mouse.

Really? Yep. I shared Jesus for 10 minutes, but now here's what's funny. Then I did my dog call really, because now I had them. I've shared what I'm about. Well, then they started laughing. And I thought, well, now I'm not trying to be funny. Yeah.

And we got engaged through the power of the spirit. It's interesting that it's live. Because when it's live, I mean, every comic has stories for a whole decade of what we call bombing. Like, well, I mean, I've done, I did a church down here in West Monroe like in 2018. And, like, I've done youth groups. I did a kid's, like, correct.

Roddy birthday party. And they will see, it was like, like the people that book you will. That seems like that would be a tough crap. It was kids. What are you doing when it bombs? It bombs.

What do you do? It was at the, it was in the community center at the Air Force Academy, like some kind of side room. And they will see my videos online, probably what y'all watch. If I come do this here.

Yeah. And you go, like Kevin Hart couldn't do it. It's impossible. But they go, oh, do the magic trick at this thing. And that's what you're saying. Sometimes if people are standing up when they should be sitting, if it's too buttoned up, nobody's drinking,

that's not good. But if everyone's drunk, that's not good. You want to kind of get them... Somewhere in the middle. And they're like, oh, well, do it at a concert, like in between the bands. I go, well, if everybody's standing, that's not...

Not really conducive to... Yeah. That's interesting. But it's live. So you've got to... You're kind of trying to present, but also thinking in your head, okay, that didn't work.

Yeah. Should I go this way? I just kind of went spiritual warfare. He said, okay, you don't want to laugh? Yeah. Which, I will tell you this. The guy, they auctioned off an item that Willie,

I called it a guilt offering, which nobody laughed because they didn't know. I was like, he couldn't be here. I said, so he sent a guilt offering. offer, and we're going to auction this off. Cricket. Because it's not the right audience. They don't know what a guilt offering is.

Going Old Testament probably didn't help your current cause. But I'd already shared Jesus at that point, so I didn't care. But the guy who got it when he got up there, I mean, he could barely stand up and just was rocking inside. Sludge Beach. Every other word was a four-letter word. He's bought the, he just spent $15,000 for something. and Willie probably had 50 bucks in.

But now it was cool. It was four signed duck calls and all that. And his wife, you know, she's looking at me. It was kind of awkward. We're going to take a picture, you know. And I was like, well, just grab a hold of me. See you can. Yeah.

And then he looked up and he just burst out bawling. Trying. And I looked at his wife and she was like, why are you crying, honey? And he said, I don't know. And I said, well, I think it's the Holy Spirit. Which then they laughed. And I thought, no, I was serious. Yeah.

You know, but anyway, I mean, that was. You got, how many go-to jokes do you got in the holster? I have zero. Well, I thought he said he did a couple jokes. Oh, well, I made fun of Willie, which is usually funny. You know, I said the reason he deer hunts. But you wouldn't have used that had you not been filling in for Willie. I wouldn't have used it, but I've used it before.

I have used that story before. Well, I just, what I said was about the. joke is no I said Willie is into deer hunting and I'm into duck hunting so this is this is going to be a different presentation and I said and it's it's pretty obvious why he's into deer and I'm into ducks I was like he views ducks based on body type as an appetizer

so here I am I was like and Willie is into deer because that's all you can eat just look at him he looks like he swallowed a whiskey barrel That was my, the whiskey barrel was my, that's it. It looks like you swallowed a whiskey barrel. Nothing. No chuckle. But were they paying attention yet or no? No.

I mean, obviously, because that's funny. So I have some stuff I open with. So I usually open with something along the lines of, look, my wife says I'm the best looking Robertson. And if she's with me, she's like, hey, man, that's right. You know, and everybody kind of chuckles. And then I pop a picture up of my family. and I was like, but you know, I got to be honest, look at this picture. This is my family.

It's not hard to be the best look at Roberts. It takes just this much effort, you know, and then I go in it. I hear that, I think she needs glasses. Right, exactly. And therefore the joke works. So it's funny, I mean, because of the picture that you, you know. Well, if you think about Joel Osteen, if you ever watch one of his messages, what does he start with?

A joke. Yeah. Every time. Yeah. And it's something from the internet or a knock-knock joke or a funny joke about the, you know, it's, and I remember when I was on, you know, the tour Winter Jam, the big Christian tour. We did it in 2018, and I was, Carrie Job did her set right after me. So I do 20, I do 12 minutes. Carrie Job would come out of lead worship. What?

Could they not have a further. Well, yeah, well, chasm happened. So I don't know how they decided on that lineup, but she came to me, that. The tour is three months. She came to me about a month into the tour. She goes, I'm going to be honest with you. It is so refreshing to lead these people in worship after. Because what you've done, there's all these strangers that have come to, you know,

Shreveport or wherever we are, nobody knows each other. You have brought them all together. And comedy is a very, like, you can tapping the guy next to you, and everybody's laughing at these things. Right. And you've also, she said, what it also does, it brought down the walls where everybody was feeling nervous about how they looked in front of everyone else. And she said, you brought all that down with humor, brought everyone together. And then it was so refreshing to lead words about that.

And I never thought about something like that. No, and I agree 100%. That's pretty much what Lisa and I do, because we do our testimony, but her story is so heavy and impactful that I open up with the jokes about. about the looks, about the family, and I got some visual stuff I do. And everybody's laughing. And you're right, I watch the walls come down. That's kind of loosening them up a little bit.

Yeah, they were all, I think that's what Joel Osteen does, however you feel about him. He does great about connecting. And if you laugh, if me and you were in the airport and somebody does something silly, what are you doing? You're looking around to see if someone else goes, yeah. Do you see what happened?

Did you see that? And then your buddies with that guy, Because you go, that's... And then somebody goes, and then you go, oh, thank you. And then everybody, it kind of brings people together like that. Have you ever done like a great joke that nobody laughed but you, so when you mentioned Joel Osteen, I remember we met him in a green room. Dad was on right after him on one of these Fox News programs.

So we're back there and he's like, Mr. Phil and he comes over and I mean, he is polished. He's gleaming. His bodyguards have matching suits with Joel Osteen. how they look. And so he wanted a picture with Dad, and I'm like, sure. So he gives me his phone. So I frame up the picture. Here's Dad and Joel Ostey. I said, you guys look like twins.

And which I thought was funny, but nothing. Nothing from Dad. Nothing from Joel. The bodyguards are like two gargull statues. And I thought that was a good lie, but nothing. What was Phil's line when he saw Joe? Well, so

after he took the picture, Osteen's walking away, he said, because then he said, Joel, do you tell him to repent, to come to Jesus? Is that what you're preaching to him? He said, Phil, my message is just like yours. He said, you got to tell him to repent.

So he's walking away down the hall with the bodyguard. He says, hey, Osteen, tell him to repent. He's literally yelling at him down the hall. Calls him by his last name. Hey, Osteen. It's a high school on the recess. Hey, Olstein. It happened.

Nobody has any stories about, why don't we tell the stories about how we all been killing with our jokes? It's the best that's ever gone for you. Do you remember? When we're killing it? Yeah. When everybody was just like, this guy is hilarious. I never remember because I, that's the same, dude. Because I walk off thinking, why are they laughing? You know, I guess that was funny.

But, yeah. Oh, I can tell you mine. I still remember. well. And it's an odd place for it to happen. Lisa and I spoke at a women's conference. I was the first man to ever speak at this conference. Now, I was with my wife, so it was a tag team, but still, I was the first man that ever let in front of these women. And there were 3,000 women, a thousand at a time. So it was spread out of three events. It was on Mackinnell Island, Michigan. And I mean, they were so into this conference, because I have to admit, it wasn't me.

they were into the conference because they came in there every joke, every something you said about your wife would have, oh, like you were getting reaction and respond, but I'll never forget, like I thought I could be a committee. Like after that, I was like,

I got it. And then I go down here and Rustin, which is my hometown, 30 miles up the road. And I was so excited because I'd never spoken in the town of my birth. And it's a big men's event. There's probably about four or five hundred men there. and I go into my stuff

and it is just nothing. I mean, the stuff that I always get laughs on the road, nothing. And so I thought what Jesus was right, the prophet is without honor in his own town. Can't do miracles in his own country. I mean, I could not get a laugh. I think the best crowds are when

you tell a joke and nobody laugh, you thought it was going to be funny. And then I'll say, you know, I'll tap the mic and say, I thought that was funny. Then they all laugh. And I thought, okay, it's a good crowd. out of night, you know, so it's like, but I think maybe I can't remember because I don't use notes

or, I mean, I have one message, but I never, it's not like I'm going down a list. It just kind of happens. Which I'm curious that with you. So, because I've, you know, Jason, I don't know that I've only seen a handful of comedians in person. Jason and I went over in South Seinfeld in Shreveport one time. I wonder, how do you like your material? because the memory, is it just from telling stories

and then you just kind of remember it? Because you don't see comedians hardly ever look at notes. Yeah, so how do you do that? Because you're talking about what? Sometimes an hour show? Hour plus. Oh, I mean, that's a lot. How do you sort of keep the flow going in your mind?

How do you do that? I would say, so it depends on what city and what sometimes there's a, like, sometimes you use the same city and you got a four o'clock show, a matinee show, and a seven o'clock show. So, and those could be wildly different. Exact same stage, exactly.

But 4 o'clock, 7 o'clock, if I goes on sale in Shreveport, that's the one that sells out first. So those are the rabid fans. Yeah. 4 o'clock is the ones that go, oh, yeah. And then that one sells us. So those people are by nature less enthusiastic.

Yeah. But the thing about these crowds that you guys are talking about, they don't know they're bad. Yeah. You do, because you tell those jokes or those whatever. You know they work, right? Somebody could, sometimes we have the highest merch sales ever after a horrible show. Yeah.

They go, that was unbelievable. That was the best thing. I'm like, why didn't you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think you just, there's, we have, I would say I have, in an hour long show, I got six, six like pillars of topics. Yeah. My nieces and nephews, dating, my parents. And so if you go into one and they're not.

giving it to you, I'll just go. Go to the next. Shift it. Yeah. And if they love it, Seinfeld would say, use a bad show to edit and use a good show to explore.

Oh, okay. So if they're into it, keep talking about the topic. So do you discover new material during a show? That's the only way to. Oh, okay. I got you.

So it's not like you just thought all these things all the way out. Like yesterday, we were at the, one of my buddies was telling me about how he goes, you ever not like a guy? and then he wanted to introduce you to his kids,

and you're like, by default, you're like, I'm like, I kind of like these kids because I don't like the guy. And I just thought there's a funny idea. And the kid's probably great. Yeah, but I don't like the guy. Yeah, and see, y'all, I said that to y'all too, and you all have a knowledge of that idea. Right, right, right.

And so I would just kind of flesh that out. Play around, and then I would record it, and then I would watch that part to see if I had that conversation with my wife. That's a good sign. But he has good. kids. Oh, yeah, that's confusing. You see what I mean?

Yeah. It's like, we're coming back, and I'm like, I didn't like the guy. I thought he was out to know good. He's got good kids. This was great. Well, I think maybe, I mean, family's always funny. Yeah, there's always. I mean, look, we're going through the worst time in our lives with our parents.

Yeah. And we've used accidentally humor as a way to just deal with the situation because it, you know, it's so sad. It's the way we've always. It's so sad, and if people saw us laughing about something, they think, well, what are you doing? But it's like, well, they're laughing too. My parents are laughing too. Oh, Mom, thanks.

It's so funny. And, you know, they just, they can't remember anything. And my dad is calling everybody nicknames that are new. Really? Oh, he is. And it's just funny. Yeah. And what do you call Willie the other day?

He called him Scratch Daddy. Scratch Daddy. Yeah. He's never been said before. Yeah. Then he was like, and that Scratch Daddy. his daughter, which was my daughter, which was Al's daughter. And then his daughter, he said, she's, uh, that's, uh, what do he call her? He called her a nurse man. I was like, well,

he got the sex wrong, but she is a nurse. So, well, you know, how are you going to out laugh at that? And he's chuckling with us because he's thinking, don't you think those are funny nicknames, but he couldn't remember everybody's real names in the moment. And, uh, you know, you just kind of got to laugh. I think it would have to be in priority. Like if somebody made fun of my mother, I would fight them. Exactly. But if my brother makes fun of my mom, it's okay.

That's right. Because you know that those people love her. Yeah. So like when I remember when I first started making jokes, everybody was like, is this guy a Christian or not? Yeah. Well, that was my first impression of you. Being brutally honest, I thought I need to check his conversion after this segment.

So if I was making jokes about Christian music and how, because the big con, it was like, if this guy is a Christian, this is hilarious. Because he's talking about our culture in a way that no one else could talk about it, unless just like Donald Trump Jr. He wouldn't know, he has to have hunted. But then he goes, well, if this guy's not a Christian, these same jokes are very offensive. Yeah.

So about your, you know what I'm saying? You're like, it's so heavy dealing with parents getting older and I deal with the same. It's so heavy and so serious. Some levity does need to be brought to the situation. But without that first, I think it can get, it can go be across. No, there's a, there's a, in the culture, the same way. I mean, you think about how, like, a comedy really kind of went away for a few years.

You know, then Dave Chappelle had that Netflix special that kind of, you can't say anything that he said, but yet it was like this release valve on like the pressure cooker of the tension of the time. So I think it's like, it seems like we're kind of like, I don't know if you're saying that. That's more your world, but it seems like comedy, at least the comedy that I grew up with in the 90s is kind of like coming back. Got it coming back. You can actually talk about stuff. All right, I remember my best audience now. You triggered?

Sorry. You triggered? Thanks, John, for going there. To Ohio, and they wanted me to speak in a 100% Amish group that all arrived in tractors and buggies. And I've shared this before, but when I got up there and I knew that it was against their religion to watch TV. But when I stood up to, as they announced me, everybody. cheered. And I said, well, it was my opening line.

Because I just wanted to see where I was at. I said, the reason everyone clap makes me realize that somebody is lying. That was not following the rules. Well, and nobody laughed. Right. Because, you know, they didn't know what I was meaning by that. I said, but the fact that you know who I am means there's some secret TV somewhere. And they all roared, died.

Oh, yeah. Which was true. Perfect. Perfect. And so then when they all laughed, I just doubled down on it and said, well, I'm going to talk to something that's foreign in these parts. It's called grace. They all laughed again.

And I thought, what an audience. They can laugh at themselves. And this is going to be great. And it was a wonderful experience. Yeah, you could take that. You could take that everywhere you go. You go, this is an honor to be here. Last week, that's what a comedian does.

Last week, I was at an homage convention. Just tell that exact story. Exactly. You got it. That's exactly right. And, you know, I found out after the event, because somebody broke, you know, broke the code of silence and said, you know how we watch your show? They said, we rented hotel rooms and watched your show as groups. And I said, that's probably the greatest reason to everyone.

ever rent a hotel room with a group of people that I've ever heard. That's the most wholesome way. Nobody came out of there with a hickie. See, you got to be a comedian to do a callback like that. That's good. Yeah, and so now, Amish everywhere is like, I don't know what happened. I went into a hotel room. I watched Duck Dinescent and I come out there with a hikie.

I don't know. We've got to revisit our family beliefs. Now we're laughing about it. But a group of Amish people. Yeah. Sometimes you can't inject yourself like this. It's like Larry the cable guy came here one year. And so we went backstage and talked beforehand.

He comes out and he's like, well, I'm glad to be here. And Monroe, Louisiana said, I bet nobody's ever said that before. Yeah. Well, right off the bat, everybody's like, we love this guy. Oh, it was funny. He ripped this town apart. And I was laughing so hard. I barely hold my bladder.

He said, you know, I mean, I know I'm not carrying underwood. But good Lord. I mean, look at the place they put me in back here. Can you not have a chair with a cushion on it? You know what was really funny is I met him with Willie somewhere? And he's like. Yeah, with his Nebraska. Well, he's like, I'm David, whatever.

Dan Whitney. Yeah, from Nebraska. And I was like, oh, you're not really Larry the cable? I mean, and he wouldn't get into his thing. Do you need or done. Get into the thing. I thought this is. He's off work.

This is very awkward to me, and then I found it just as funny as time went by. It made it funnier to me, yeah. It's like, you know what? You could yard do a bit about demon possession because you are totally a different character. And look, he could snap it on. Like, we were walking along, he was talking to Willie. He's like, you know, I've been thinking about May retiring the character, and he's doing all this in Nebraska day, wouldn't he?

And then somebody says, there in the cable, he goes to Canada, and he goes right into his thing. Switches on and on. Yeah, I mean, it was like a finger snap. He's, I think, when I used to tour with Tim Hawkins, you know, Tim Hawkins, you know, as Christian people. Tim is hilarious. He would say, I mean, I've seen this joke kill a hundred times.

He's like, oh, West Monroe, a great place to raise a family or bury a body. It was just, it killed everywhere, dude. That was your first impression of the lair. You were like, no weather. And a Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing. I sometimes I would say if I go to a way out in the middle of nowhere, I have a, man, it's great to be here. I got the, I got the chance to visit the home of the child I sponsor, the statue. I've been sending 40 bucks a month down to West Monroe.

It's good to see how he's being raised. That's hilarious. But you want to go, like when you first walk out, I got the benefit of the doubt, I guess, because I'm a comedian, but it doesn't always work too because you think I did a marriage conference. And I was right after the guy that did a presentation on the five love languages.

You know, and there was all these couples in there. They were taking notes. oh, it's so good. Oh, and your quality time or your gifts and everybody's learned. People are crying. It's the guy that wrote the book. Smalley.

Yeah, very small. Yeah. And I'm after it. And I'm not, first of all, I'm not, I was like, I have no, I don't even know why I'm here. And so I come out and I go, that was a great presentation. I actually, my love language is physical acts of quality touch. Dead silent, dude.

Dead silent. No, not. And I go, just like you go. no, this is going to be a long 30 minutes. Yeah, we have that in common because I got a bit I do about sex in these groups, no matter whether they're sober. Does anybody really want to hear that? No, I'll say now to this section, I want to talk to you about how to have the greatest sex on this planet.

Well, they all laugh. And I'm like, so you've looked at me and made a decision that I know nothing about sex. hilarious. And then I do a bit about a book. Does it involve the woods? Yeah. Yeah, I do a bit about it because I was a virgin when I got married, which is interesting and funny.

Yes. Because basically I tell them, it's like me and my wife, we did it God's way. And I said on honeymoon night, I hate to tell you this, there were no sunsets, rainbows. And I said, it was a biological experiment. and it was horrifying to my wife. See, if you'd only have him with you.

I said, basically, it can be summed up with one line, get off of me. Wow, I didn't see that coming. I got a show. I've heard a lot of these stories. I hadn't heard that part. I got to show. John brings out the best. I tell, I tell people all over the planet, because the funny part of this is like all

my buddies who ridiculed me for saying, wrong with you, you know, because they made fun of me for not ever having sex with a woman when I was in high school. And I say, but I saw these guys much later in my life and I say, look, I got three kids. I figured it out. Must have figured it out. Because their whole deal is you're not going to know what to do. And they were right. Yeah. Turns out they were right. So, John, when you see the big number go up on the screen, and that's Maddie's way of saying, it's time to wrap it up. That's what that made. Give us the X. So I know you got your YouTube. special emotional support.

That's your latest thing that you got out? Just came out on YouTube. Good. I look at you and I think, I need some emotional support. Well, that's what comedy is. I like everybody's, yeah, emotional everybody gets together. I got a show in Shreveport, I think.

Okay, you come out and tell that story. I'm sorry to hear that. No, I don't go through Shreveport. Bozier. It's a joke. Yeah, see, I don't go through there. John, Chris, always a pleasure. I'm going to have you on the Unashame.

I know you're doing the other podcast today, so it will all like. You got the best one first. Yeah, that's what I say. We'll see you next time on Unashame. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcast. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube.

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