This week on Unlocked, Savannah Chrisley sits down with John Crist, the hysterically funny and quick-witted stand-up comic and viral video sensation. An insanely funny conversation touching on everything from growing up in the church, comedy's clash with cancel culture, performing stand-up in federal prison and how comedy comes from pain and heals our pain.
John Crist is one of today's fast-rising stand-up comedians, with more than one billion video views, over five million fans on social media and sold-out shows from coast to coast making Pollstar’s Top 100 Global Tours list in 2019 with over 197,000 tickets sold. Widely known for viral videos like “Honest Football Coach,” “Every Parent at Disney,” “Brands that need to be CANCELLED” plus hundreds more. John Crist has performed all over the world and in 2023, he will begin his multi-city national “Emotional Support” tour selling out theaters all over the United States. John has been seen on ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, Barstool Sports, and Buzzfeed just to name a few.
In 2022, John released his second special “What Are We Doing?” on YouTube and also released his best-selling book “Delete That" in the fall. He has been featured on podcast episodes such as This Past Weekend with Theo Von, Nateland with Nate Bargatze, and Whiskey Ginger with Andrew Santino. John also has his own weekly podcast called Net Positive featuring special guests every other week. When asked where he finds the inspiration to write jokes, Crist says, “I grew up in the deep south, my dad is a pastor, and | was the third of eight homeschooled children. My first job was at Chick-fil-A. Coming from a background like that, how do you NOT write jokes?!”
And he’s on tour now!
After a brief stint away from the spotlight, viral comedian John Crist is back in full force. He is reflecting on his love for the Church and how he navigates the often tricky waters of humor within the Christian community. The 39-year-old pastor's kid said he has a deep belief in the transformative potential of the local Church. He sees his comedic role as a mechanism to keep everyone honest. And like the court jester of yesteryears, Crist said his comedy is crafted not to belittle but to foster a sense of self-awareness. Crist is one of today's most visible comedians, both in the Evangelical world and beyond. His videos, with titles "If Bible Characters were Influencers" and "If Noah's Ark Happened in 2022" have over 1 billion views. A Georgia native who currently resides in Nashville, Crist also pokes fun at Southern culture, country music and, frequently, Chick-fil-A.
His latest video, "Every Christian Music Video," comically pinpoints the stereotypical elements found in many Christian music videos — the conflicts, the spiritual epiphanies and the almost instantaneous resolutions. As with most of his comedy, Crist said that among viewers, there's often a dichotomy between private enjoyment and public endorsement "depending on what kind of denomination or how deep you are into the game."
Crist shared how having faced his own public scrutiny and "cancellation" gave him a unique vantage point from which to observe the ebb and flow of public opinion. Crist said that while experiencing a public cancellation was "the worst thing on planet Earth" and "horrific," it saved his life. "I don't agree with the way it was done, but it did save my life," he said. "I'm now three and a half, four years past it, and I've been sober since that day."
He released his latest special, "John Crist: Would Like To Release A Statement," via YouTube. The video has already received over 1.8 million views. Since January, he's been on his sold-out "Emotional Support Tour" performing across the country. The comedian revealed that the inspiration for the tour's title and theme stemmed from the isolation and challenges faced by many during the pandemic-related...
