Comedy

Video Picks: The Rise of the Online Gay Comedian

Not so long ago, gay comedy sucked. Ellen DeGeneres, Will and Grace, and Rosie O'Donnell all seemed to be cut from the same Disney fabric. Even "edgy" gay performers like ANT and Margaret Cho came off more angry than funny. Gay comedy seemed to be cloaked in a "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and the self-imposed censorship, ironically, made successful careers for straight comedians targeting gay audiences (Bette Midler, Joan Rivers and Kathy Griffin).

Enter Perez Hilton. His larger-than-life persona made him a household name without ever having to dress in drag, and he inspired a generation of bloggers with his signature Miami sass. Perez paved the road for Chris Crocker to become YouTube's first gay celebrity by ranting "Leave Britney alone!" Then Antoine Dodson (of "hide yo kids" fame) dethroned Crocker, and now we have a weekly shocking-gay-moment on YouTube.

Today's gay comedian comes screaming out of the closet. Houston even contributed its own gems with Get Out! Of the Closet! and Inside the Loop.

Recently, YouTuber czg123 posted "The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger" and received over a million hits in a week. With the success of the video, we got to thinking, are gays playing gays the next big thing in comedy?

As evidence, we present these recently posted videos by the Sassy Gay Friend, Jeffery (of "Jeffery & Cole Casserole" fame) and Randall, who narrates National Geographic videos using his special talent.

Funny, or just plain GAY?




KEEP THE HOUSTON PRESS FREE... Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.
Vernon Caldera