C. Aigner Ellis
NEW COMEDY PROJECT TACKLES BLACK, LGBT ISSUES
AND PROMISES TO LIFT THE SPIRITS OF VIEWERS NAVIGATING THE CURRENT STATE OF THE NATION AND WORLD

JUNE 2, 2020- LOS ANGELES, CA- A new stand up comedy concert film, the fifth, from award-winning, veteran black LGBTQ comedian and writer Sampson McCormick was released to the public on several streaming outlets on Monday June 1, 2020. As a performing artist who has used the comedy stage as a tool to deal with his depression, McCormick understands that laughter is a necessity, or in our current climate, “an essential item.” The new comedy special, which was taped during a run of sold-out shows that he headlined at the DC Comedy Loft in Washington, DC, the week before the COVID-19 shut down, tackles a breadth of issues ranging from the challenges that black gay men face in social institutions like barbershops and the black church, the rising costs of living, gentrification, mental health, dating, and classic black films. Check it out below:
It’s a thoroughly solid performance and offers some guaranteed deep belly laughs. With the current quarantine, high levels of unemployment, and national protests, the film, which broaches many of the topics of the day, offers laughter as a soothing balm for the state of depression, restlessness, and high tension that many are experiencing this year. Previous works include 2013’s “That B*%@# Better Be Funny”, 2019’s “A Different Direction”, performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, as well as appearances on VICELAND, TV One, BET and FOX SOUL.