FLAWLESS - August 2007 - Nkosi Brown

Mmmmm…why do I like to make people laugh?

I guess I’ve never like tense situations and have often used humor to diffuse them. I especially hate arguments and in my ideal world people would converse for the sake of understanding—which has a very different energy than an argument and/or debate.

In general, I love the power of humor because I think it is the great equalizer. Like everyone can laugh at my material and I’m sure for very different reasons. As a comic, I have learned that neither my race nor sexual orientation limits me to a particular audience or market. I really want to stress how big this realization is for me.

Here’s a quick story: I was asked to perform in front of a late 20s--early 30’s straight urban crowd out in Brooklyn. I hesitated for a few weeks because I was really scared for every reason one could imagine. It turned out to be a tough room—but their response had nothing to do with my sexual orientation. There were those who were focused on their drinks and conversation, but I had a core audience who laughed with me, loved me, congratulated me, and encouraged me.

After the show this PHNYE Jamaican…who I had really hope was on the DL and trying to holla… said, “Listen, I’m gonna tell you as a yardie, if I think you are funny then you are funny.” Despite his arrogance and my disappointment and soaked underwear, I took his statement to mean: I’m supposed to be homophobic by my culture and you made me laugh. That’s the impact I am to have in this world—to move beyond the societal limits that are supposed to be in place in this world and comedy is my vehicle.