Clean Comedy

Clean Comedy 
By 
Allen Edge 




 Funny can be Family Friendly.

 I am still mystified at how people automatically assume that stand-up comedy has to be vulgar and offensive. Have we forgotten Flip Wilson, Nipsy Russell, Phyllis Diller, and many others? The answer is, obviously, yes. There was a time when you couldn't even say "But" or "Damn" on network television and yet these giants came to America every week with side splitting stuff that the entire family could enjoy. It did, however, require a little more talent, skill, creativity and work. It is the "Entire Family" factor that bookers and clubs are reluctantly realizing equates to more seats filled and that equals more money. Duh, Hello!

There are many mega-churches with populations between 10-25,000 people who have no viable, professional, quality entertainment outlet. I know because I am an ordained minister and it took me a while before that fact dawned on me. I might be slow, but I ain't dumb. That's why churches have so many "programs". They have nowhere else to go that will not offend them and turn them off. An event with one of these churches could make your bottom line in one event and, believe me; they will plug you in for the future as well as pass the word along to their affiliates. Steve Harvey witnessed this first hand at Bishop T.D. Jakes' Ministry.

 It's not about religion. 

Regardless of your religious or non-religious beliefs. Business is business. It's not just church folk. Even non-church folk are turned off by the constant proliferation of vulgarity in entertainment, particularly "Baby Boomers" who, by the way, have substantial disposable income at this stage of their lives. Hello! Hollywood has gotten a clue. Family oriented films have been steadily out grossing the sex and violence projects for the past ten years. This is a documented fact. Regardless of what you think about Mel Gibson and Jesus, Mel grossed $770 million dollars in the first six months of release of "The Passion of Christ". Hello!


I am not a Christian Comedian. I am a Comedian who happens to be Christian. 


Club owners are naturally concerned about the loss of revenues at the bar. No problem. You can make it up on food and an increase at the door and if you book a sold out house in advance it's all gravy. I am not a Christian comedian. I am a comedian who happens to be Christian. Fear not. I will not break out in a sermon in the middle of my act, no more than a Jewish comedian would start chanting the cantor, or a Satanist would break out a goat and do an animal sacrifice. I am a professional just like any other professional. Audience consideration is speaker 101.

I actually have no church material as part of my regular repertoire. My material is, however, clean and appreciated by multi-ethnic audiences from ages 8-80. This is a proven fact. I can show you better than I can tell you. Just check out the clip on my profile page and judge for yourself. I will go anywhere, for a financial consideration, as long as it's reasonably safe and the audience is receptive to what I have. I also have a valid passport in good standing. I am ready to go oversees now! Just remember...more patrons equal more money.


https://youtu.be/UHoseO8xRv4



 Other options? Comments, questions, considerations, ideas? Hit reply or email the author at LeviteToday@yahoo.com. 

 Allen D. Edge is an actor, comedian, professional speaker, performance coach, ordained minister, and author of The Levite Today, The Levite Today uncovers the power of the arts in biblical communications in the past and the present. Allen blogs regularly at his blog site, http://tepinc.blogspot.com/ 

 Copyright @2015: Feel free to share this post with whomever you believe will appreciate it. If you’d like to use any part of it (up to 200 words), please give full attribution and this blog site, http://tepinc.blogspot.com/

Artists,Image Makers

Artist, The Image Makers
By Allen D. Edge

What you see is what you get.

*It is said that a pregnant mother could mark her unborn child by exposing herself to certain visual or other sensual imagery. This belief is regarded as an old wives tale from the “Old Country”… Miss., Arkansas. Some say that apparently my mother spent too much time at the Zoo when she was carrying me. I resemble that remark. I’m refended.

* It is written: “Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.” (Genesis 30:37-39)

* Imagery is the most fundamental language we have. Everything you do, the mind processes through images. When we recall events from our past or childhood, we think of pictures, images, sounds, pain etc. It is hardly ever through words. Images aren’t necessarily limited to visual, but can be sounds, tastes, smells or a combination of sensations. It is estimated that an average person has 10,000 thoughts or images flashing through his mind each day. *(Guided Imagery or Visualization)

Psychoneuroimmunology
Psychoneuroimmunology describes how thoughts or images in the mind affect the immune system. The three step sequence below is the scientific theory that basically says that a thought, image, or muscle movement changes a cell and helps us heal.

Psycho: Mind Neuron: Nerve net of the brain Immune: Immune system.

* The Physiology: Images held in the right brain activate the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus activates the autonomic nervous system and results in arousal or relaxation of a double balancing system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) that impacts the whole body, touching virtually every cell.

Second, we have the hormonal flood that bathes every cell in the body as the imagery of threat or passionate creativity lights up the neural nets in the brain. As the nerve cells discharge like a loom of light flashing through the brain, the hypothalamus sends messages to the adrenal glands to release epinephrine adrenaline, and other hormones. These hormones travel throughout the body and are picked up by receptors that cause some cells to contract, others to relax, some to act, others to rest. So our entire physiology is changed a second time by an image or dance movement held in our brain, our consciousness. The second change is chemical, resulting from hormonal shifts. It is slower, but it is just as profound in that it affects almost every cell in the body.

Finally we enter the realm of neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters relieve pain and make the immune system function more efficiently. This is the third way art changes the body’s physiology. Images cause specific areas of the brain itself to release endorphins and other neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters cause killer T cells to eat cancer and white blood cells to attack AIDS viruses and generally change the body’s ability to respond to illness. Endorphins are like opiates or mind-altering drugs and they make a person feel expanded, connected, at one, relaxed, vibrating, and tingling, at peace. The release of endorphins during passionate creativity may be the major healing force. It is psychoneuroimmunology at its best.

The Arts Heal.

The Society of Arts in Healthcare has an annual conference to network artist. Artist in Arts in Medicine are salaried in England and Australia. Art and healing is being integrated into the patient’s healthcare in many settings including bone marrow transplant units, adolescent diabetes units, adult oncology units, and outpatient cancer units. Here are a number of Institutions that have art as part of their healing policy: Art In Medicine (AIM) at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Art for Recovery at University of California, San Francisco, Cleveland Rainbow Babies Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Bristol Hospital in England, Lombardi Cancer Center in Georgetown, Maryland and Duke University started twenty years ago with performances in the atrium. Now performers come to the patient’s rooms to play music. (*Creative Healing by Michael Samuels M.D. and Mary Rockwood Lane, RN.MSN.)

Per the 'Champions of Change, the Impact of the Arts on Learning' study; - 82.6% of 8th graders who were involved heavily in fine arts earned mostly A's and B's, versus 67.2% who were not. - Students who are not heavily involved in fine arts have more than double the chance of dropping out of school by the 10th grade. This re s e a rch has followed more than 25,000 students in American secondary schools for 10 years . The work addresses developments for children and adolescents over the period spent between the 8th and 12th grades , i e. late middle school through high school.

Reassess Our Values.

You would think that such transformative power would be as coveted and valued as weapons grade uranium or limitless green energy. But alas, arts education has declined in this country and totally eliminated in some educational centers. I encourage you, I beg you to pressure your elected officials and community leaders to not only restore Arts education, but to elevate it to the stature that it logically deserves.

Oh by the way, I strongly advise pregnant mothers to stay away from the Zoo.

Other options? Comments, questions, considerations, ideas? Hit reply or email the author at LeviteToday@yahoo.com.   Allen D. Edge is an actor, comedian, professional speaker, performance coach, ordained minister, and author of The Levite Today, The Levite Today uncovers the power of the arts in biblical communications in the past and the present. Allen blogs regularly at his blog site, http://tepinc.blogspot.com/ 

 Copyright @2016: Feel free to share this post with whomever you believe will appreciate it. If you’d like to use any part of it (up to 200 words), please give full attribution and this blog site, http://tepinc.blogspot.com/