Josh Blue
A Denver veteran who treats his cerebral palsy as an aggressive prop.
4 specials · 2016–2024
Get an email when there's a new special. You'll need a Google account.
Stepping to the microphone with a wide grin, Josh Blue treats his right arm like a restless roommate with its own schedule. His delivery is conversational and deliberately loose. He zeroes in on his cerebral palsy immediately, using it as a crowbar to crack open the room’s polite hesitation. He will mimic a well-meaning stranger insisting on pouring his soup only to spill it everywhere, turning his physical circumstances into a joke about able-bodied incompetence. Once the crowd catches their breath, he often abandons his written jokes to roast the front row, openly hoping his memory holds up enough to find his way back to the premise.
Specials
-
Josh Blue brings his unsentimental perspective to single parenting and disability.
YouTube · 71 min
-
Comedy Dynamics
-
Josh Blue mocks the 'inspirational' label with self-deprecating stand-up.
Prime Video · 60 min
On stage
Winning a reality television competition in 2006 gave him an early burst of fame, but he spent the subsequent decades turning himself into a formidable club headliner out of Denver. Placing third on a network talent show years later introduced him to a new demographic, a result he uses on stage as proof that the voting public cannot be trusted. He operates as a road-tested veteran who walks into unfamiliar theaters and immediately sets the terms of engagement.
His work filters ordinary frustrations through the reality of his disability. He complains about the indignities of raising pre-teens as a single dad and tells rambling stories about his own terrible decisions. He occasionally grabs for easy shock value when a quieter punchline would work, but his willingness to blow up his own set to chase a spontaneous thought keeps the act feeling alive. His genuine, raspy laugh when he surprises himself with a new angle is the best part of the hour.
Turning points
-
Competing in Athens Summer Paralympic Games
Blue represented the United States national roster in seven-a-side soccer at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece.
-
Winning Season 4 of Last Comic Standing
Blue became the first comedian with a disability to win NBC's reality competition series, catapulting him into national stardom and touring prominence.
-
Third-Place Finish on America's Got Talent
Fifteen years after his Last Comic Standing victory, Blue advanced through live rounds on season 16 of America's Got Talent, ultimately finishing third.
At a glance
Fans also like
-
Alonzo Bodden
Both broke through nationally as standout winners of NBC's Last Comic Standing with distinct observational viewpoints.
-
John HeffronBoth gained prominence through winning Last Comic Standing and built careers on fast-paced, accessible observational comedy.
Also on screen
- Feast III: The Happy Finish
- 108 Stitches
- High Cuisine
A clip to start with
A clip of Josh Blue