Why This Comedian Decided to Talk About His Faith
Comedian Paul Schissler found a way to stand out in New York's comedy scene — by exploring his faith. 🤣🙏
Just a Christian who does comedy
Paul Schissler doesn’t want to be known as a Christian comedian. But his deep connections to faith and family have driven his standup career. A week after graduating from Auburn, Paul Schissler booked a one-way ticket to New York City to pursue his dream of being a stand-up comedian. Things stopped going according to plan after that. Schissler’s rough arrival in the Big Apple seemed to finally pay off when he landed his first gig at New York’s famous Gotham Comedy Club.
“Even now, people are like, "Oh, yeah, you're the Christian guy who does comedy," or, "You're the guy that, like…" "You're the virgin guy." That got old after a while. Like, "Oh, you're the virgin comedian." I'm like, "Yeah. Gosh." No. I'm a Christian who does comedy,” the Christian Comedian tells Brut. Schissler learned what all aspiring comics soon realize: comedy is like going to the gym–you need to do it every night if you want to get better, and there’s no better place for it than New York City. A self-professed “clean” comic, Schissler avoids the low-brow, gutter humor in favor of more honest and wholesome material. A chief source of inspiration has been his sexuality; a committed Christian who’s waiting until marriage for sex, he’s found non-traditional ways of making a name for himself.
Never one to shy from opportunity, Schissler was thrown to the comedy fire a few times on his way up the ranks. While performing at Gotham a few years ago, his set was moved back to allow a brief set by … Jerry Seinfeld. For years he avoided using his Christianity for comedy until he realized he could be a positive voice for his community. As Comedywire takes on a life of its own, Schissler plans on focusing more on his own career, including recording a half-hour set on video for show auditions and working on material. Recently engaged, Schissler says he’ll have to find inspiration elsewhere.
Brut.
Just a Christian who does comedy
Paul Schissler doesn’t want to be known as a Christian comedian. But his deep connections to faith and family have driven his standup career. A week after graduating from Auburn, Paul Schissler booked a one-way ticket to New York City to pursue his dream of being a stand-up comedian. Things stopped going according to plan after that. Schissler’s rough arrival in the Big Apple seemed to finally pay off when he landed his first gig at New York’s famous Gotham Comedy Club.
“Even now, people are like, "Oh, yeah, you're the Christian guy who does comedy," or, "You're the guy that, like…" "You're the virgin guy." That got old after a while. Like, "Oh, you're the virgin comedian." I'm like, "Yeah. Gosh." No. I'm a Christian who does comedy,” the Christian Comedian tells Brut. Schissler learned what all aspiring comics soon realize: comedy is like going to the gym–you need to do it every night if you want to get better, and there’s no better place for it than New York City. A self-professed “clean” comic, Schissler avoids the low-brow, gutter humor in favor of more honest and wholesome material. A chief source of inspiration has been his sexuality; a committed Christian who’s waiting until marriage for sex, he’s found non-traditional ways of making a name for himself.
Never one to shy from opportunity, Schissler was thrown to the comedy fire a few times on his way up the ranks. While performing at Gotham a few years ago, his set was moved back to allow a brief set by … Jerry Seinfeld. For years he avoided using his Christianity for comedy until he realized he could be a positive voice for his community. As Comedywire takes on a life of its own, Schissler plans on focusing more on his own career, including recording a half-hour set on video for show auditions and working on material. Recently engaged, Schissler says he’ll have to find inspiration elsewhere.
Brut.