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One of my favorite comedians, fellow “Apostle of Comedy”, world-champion juggler, and good friend – Ron Pearson – joins the show this week. Together, along with our host, Ryan Mischler, we talk about parenting, bringing up teenage girls and Family Game Night. By the way, according to Ron, Family Game Night sucks when you get teamed up with the five-year-old of the family. He doesn’t contribute to the effort in any way at all. He’s like the letter “K” in knot, the French in any World War, or the Indian guy in the band Black Eyed Peas – a complete non-contributory! When we play Pictionary, Ron’s wife and daughter draw clues for one another and it looks like Rembrandt. His five-year-old son’s drawings look like something Stevie Wonder would draw during an earthquake.
Then there’s the universal parental task of discipline. When my son was young, all it took was the one time of running him over with the car. From then on, whenever he’d act up, all I had to say was, “Don’t make me get the keys,” and he’d straighten right up.
Ron deploys the “Counting Method” in his parenting techniques: “You better get over here before I count to three: One… Twooooo… two-and-a-half…” Ron admits that he actually has never actually made it to three.
But what really bothers Ron in life are shows like “America’s Got Talent” or “Last Comic Standing”. The time restraints on the performers there simply only allow room for single punchline guys. Storytellers just don’t stand a chance to set the context of their humor. As for me, I learned from seven Star Search auditions that no matter how successful I may ever become at the comedy thing, whatever Hollywood wants for their comedy TV shows, I just don’t got it.
But enough about me. Ryan is not only an amazing comic, but a clean comic, and even more rare – an “outed” Christian comedian. I often say that Christians are the new gays of the entertainment industry, in that so many of us either choose to keep our faith “in the closet” for fear of retribution, or we shock people by coming out.
Ronn, on the other hand, is unashamedly tied to his faith, and still does well! He recently appeared on the Arsenio Hall Show (though it was cancelled shortly after Ron took the stage); and he’s the hero of his 11-year-old daughter with a guest spot on the season premiere of the Disney XD show “Liv and Maddie”, as well as guest starring spots on “The Millers” and “Raising Hope”.
You can see and hear more from Ron on his website: ron-pearson.com