I’ve been putting myself out there online for two decades or so. Whether it’s blogging, podcasting, or sharing creative projects, I’ve spent years building communities and connecting with people. I blogged my way to nearly half a million views, ran a photography Instagram that grew to 11,000 followers, and grew a theology podcast to over 33,000 followers. I’ve published books, started a business, launched a new comedy podcast, and now I’m diving into comedy on YouTube. Putting yourself out there isn’t new to me—but the internet, as always, loves to remind you that it’s a mixed bag because, well, it is.
Case in point: the YouTube comments section, where good conversation goes to die. It’s the place where the professional critic in everyone comes out. And I’ve had my fair share of such interactions over the yeras. But let me tell you, reading mean YouTube comments doesn’t make me mad—it makes me laugh.
Take THIS CROWD WORK VIDEO I posted recently. Someone commented with just a yawn emoji. That’s it. No words, just a pure visual expression of utter boredom.
That’s absolutely hilarious! I couldn’t resist roasting him back about his low view numbers, and the funniest part? By the end of the exchange, a) I actually agreed with him that it was a bit of a snoozer; and, b) he was encouraging me to keep going. A troll-turned-fan—what a plot twist.
Then there’s THIS CLIP I posted from my weekend set where I talk about Inauguration Day. The jokes poked fun at Biden, Harris, the Democrats’ impeachment attempts, and even the rappers at Trump’s inauguration events. It was equal-opportunity roasting. But, hilarious, someone still tried to peg me as a “leftist nut” by linking me to Mark Hamill. LOLOLOL.
Gotta love the internet! Another commenter added, “Don’t quit your day job, buddy,” and his remark only has one less like than my post.
He almost took the post by storm. But just as with the guy before him, I both “liked” and “loved” his post and left a fun comment. Same for the next poster, one of my favorites, who came through with a solid roast.
That one actually made me laugh out loud—it’s good.
Over on X, the reactions get just as absurd. I made a self-deprecating joke about the Bengals: “The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Cincinnati Bengals today. The Steelers are favored to win, but the Bengals are expected to make a strong showing in the bloopers reel.” As a Bengals fan, I thought it was pretty clear I was poking fun at myself and my team But that one guy, we all know him, just had to fact-check me: “The Bengals are favored, Bud.” Thanks, stats guy, but the point wasn’t accuracy—it was humor.
These comments don’t bother me, though. If anything, they add to the fun. Comedy thrives on reactions, and even the negative ones can be entertaining, often the most entertaining. It’s wild to see how people interpret jokes, miss the punchline entirely, or feel compelled to throw in their two cents. Sometimes, their roasts of me are better than my own, and I can’t even be mad about it.
If you want to help drown out the noise, head over to my channel and show some love. Like a video, drop a comment, or share it with someone who needs a laugh—even if it’s at my expense.