Queen of Comedy

Queen of Comedy
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It’s Victorious Woman Month. Who Knew?

Being crowned the Queen of Comedy should certainly qualify as being a Victorious Woman, right? Making it as a female comedian should qualify you, too. Making it as a Black female comedian? Is there a category higher than Victorious Woman? 

And let’s not forget all the single mothers out there! If they managed to get a shower and put some food on the table, they are definitely Victorious Women! 

The Story Behind Victorious Woman Month

So, there’s a book called Victorious Woman! Shaping Life’s Challenges into Personal Victories. The woman who wrote it – Annmarie Kelly – wrote to Chase’s Calendar of Events, a reference book put out by McGraw-Hill which is the authority on weird and wonderful holidays, and managed to get May designated as Victorious Woman Month. 

First of all, kudos to Annmarie for coming up with the idea, following through on it AND getting it done. Secondly, it might be time to think about your last great idea and what you did with it. 

Nine different women, each of whom faced some serious challenges, are featured in the book. Their stories and the “thought-provoking questions” that Annmarie includes are supposed to inspire the rest of us to overcome whatever challenges we are facing in our lives. 

Seeing how someone dealt with cancer or busted through a glass ceiling might help put your mountains of laundry into perspective. If that doesn’t work, turn the tables. Instead of focusing on all your challenges, focus on all the little battles you won today. 

  • Did you manage to take a shower? Victory! 
  • Did you accidentally serve food that was expired without making anyone seriously ill? Victory! 
  • Did you find your favorite comfort food on sale? Victory!

There is a Victorious Woman lurking inside you, just waiting for you to champion your next big idea – whether it is getting a national holiday declared or getting the kids to eat their vegetables.  

Now, we’re not saying you should inundate the good people at Chase’s Calendar with requests for a celebration of International Queen of Comedy Month or National Chandelier Status Day, which could possibly fall on the birthday of a certain someone who is the very definition of chandelier fly. (We’re not saying you shouldn’t either!) Just give yourself some credit!

Standup comedians,Comedy Club Owner Jumps in the Ocean Every Day Until Clubs Reopen
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Comedy Club Owner Jumps in the Ocean Every Day Until Clubs Reopen

Standup comedians and comedy clubs go together like catsup and French fries. Not only do the stages at comedy clubs across the country offer you the chance to enjoy a night of laughs, they also offer funny women and men the opportunity to try out new material and refine their sets. 

We would have said that no one was more excited about the prospect of comedy clubs reopening than Sommore, one of the country’s most loved female comedians, but then we heard about Norm Laviolette. 

Comedy Club Owner Jumps in the Ocean Every Day Until Clubs Reopen

Making a Splash

Norm is a Massachusetts-based comedy club owner and on May 1, 2020, he made a vow to jump into the ocean every single day until his venues re-open. “I’ve made terrible choices in my life, and this is one of them,” Laviolette said when he marked his 300th dip in the surf. He was only joking, kind of.

Our hats are off to Norm, not only has he kept that vow for more than 300 days straight, but he has also turned his daily dunking into a fundraiser for out-of-work actors and artists through his non-profit No Rest For The Wicked Funny Foundation, Inc. 

“My daughter challenged me to jump in the ocean by our house on May 1st. It was cold but I thought, ‘Hey, why not do this every day, raise awareness for my clubs, Improv Asylum and Laugh Boston, and give me a little routine,’” he says. “I am an idiot”.

Of course, he never dreamed he would still be jumping into the ocean when winter rolled around again. 

Comedy Club Owner Jumps in the Ocean Every Day Until Clubs Reopen

Norm has taken the plunge dressed as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Indiana Jones and Superman, among other things requested by people making donations to the cause. 

Norm has raised more than $5,000 so far. As Norm notes, just about everyone has relied on TV, music, movies and books to stay sane during the pandemic. “Art and music and comedy and drama… they’re literally getting us through this nightmare,” he says. “And so many creative people are out of work and will be for the foreseeable future, I just figured I do a little something to help out.”

He doesn’t know yet when his clubs will reopen, but he is optimistic that the water will start to warm up a little bit this month. 

If you would like to contribute to the cause, visit www.improvasylum.com/norest. You can follow Norm’s dunk’s online on Instagram, @beyond_the_norm_and.

And if you want to know when Lori Ann Rambough – aka Sommore, the Queen of Comedy – will make a return to the stage, keep checking in with us here. 

The History of the Knock Knock Joke,Black female comedians
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The History of the Knock Knock Joke

Sommore, one of today’s leading Black female comedians, does not include knock-knock jokes in her standup comedy routines. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t tell a few knock-knock jokes in her youth. Haven’t we all? 

You know what we’re talking about, right? 

Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Boo
Boo who? 
Why are you crying?

These days, knock-knock jokes are pretty much considered something for the younger audiences, but there was a time when knock-knock jokes were the latest thing in humor. 

The Heyday of Knock-Knock Humor

It may seem like knock-knock jokes have always existed, but there was a world that existed before they had us all groaning.  

“The knock-knock joke has been a staple of American humor since the early 20th century,” NPR said in its Secret History of Knock-Knock Jokes. “With its repetitive set-up and wordplay punchline, the form has been invoked — and understood — by people of all ages and sensibilities.”

Before knock-knock jokes, NPR says people told “Do You Know” jokes. “Writing in the Oakland Tribune,” they said, “Merely McEvoy recalled that around 1900, a jokester would walk up to someone and pop a question like: “Do you know Arthur?” And the unsuspecting listener would reply, “Arthur who?” And the jokester would say “Arthurmometer!” and run off laughing.”

It kind of gives you a new appreciation of knock-knock jokes, doesn’t it?

The evolution from “Do you know?” to “Knock, knock” was complete by the 1930s, NPR says. “Strangers told them on the streets. Businesses staged knock-knock contests. Swing orchestras wove knock-knock schtick into songs,” they reported.

The rise of the knock-knock joke may have had something to do with the presidential campaign of 1936, when Kansas’ Republican governor, Alf Landon, tried unsuccessfully to unseat the incumbent, Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. Landon’s running mate was a guy named, Col. Frank Knox. 

You probably had to be there. 

We’re just glad that people found something to laugh about. And Lori Ann Rambough – aka Sommore, the Queen of Comedy – encourages you to find something that makes you laugh during these tough times. Mask up and joke on!

Close up image of crystal on chandelier with bokeh background
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Seek Chandelier Status in 2021!

If you follow Sommore on Twitter, you probably already know that the Queen of Comedy calls herself a Chandelier, who “competes with no one and shines no matter what.”

So, how do you attain Chandelier status? You have to let your light shine!

Flip the Switch

You are fabulous – and that’s no joke! (See what we did there? It’s a bit subtle, which is unusual in the world of stand-up comedians, so don’t feel you have to laugh or even chuckle; we’re just hoping for a smile.)

Ok, where we were… Oh yeah, you are an incredible human being and the world needs your light, so don’t be afraid to turn up the wattage and shine. How do you do that? It starts with being authentic.

If you are trying to be something you’re not, then you are not going to achieve Chandelier Status, you might wind up with Mirror Status, though. Someone who has achieved Mirror status is either reflecting someone else’s light or presenting a distorted version of themselves, like a funny house mirror.

Being Your Best Self

The folks at Minimalism Made Simple offer some great suggestions on how to be your best self so that you can shine.

One of our favorite suggestions is to ditch the distractions. As Minimalism Made Simple says, “It’s important to ask yourself, ‘What is holding me back?’ Distractions in your life may be limiting you from becoming the person you truly want to be.”

We’re not talking about the neighbor’s-music-is-too-loud kind of distractions here. “Your distractions in life can take many forms; it could be a negative attitude, too much technology, a toxic relationship or a habit of putting others’ needs before your own,” the minimalist people say. “Figure out what is distracting you from living your best life, and find healthy ways to minimize the noise.”

We wish you all the very best of luck as you set out to seek Chandelier Status this year! Can’t wait to see you shine. So share a pic of your own brand of chandelier fly with us on Twitter
@sommoresofunny.

standup comedians
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3 Reasons to Laugh this Holiday Season

This isn’t the year to head out to the comedy club to catch the hottest standup comedians and funny women, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t cause to chuckle. 

The good people at Harper’s Bazaar took the time to put together a list of what they consider to be the funniest Christmas movies ever.

“Nothing gets us into the ‘holiday spirit’ more than boozy Santas, hitmen banter, and Chevy Chase fa-la-la-la-la-la-ing,” they say. “Save the saccharine and sentimental seasonal fare for another time and queue up one of these side-splitting comedies instead—spiked eggnog not necessary but definitely encouraged.” (Who knew the people at Harper’s Bazaar were so cool?!)

  1. Their list starts off with The Santa Clause (1994). “The official unofficial king of Christmas, Tim Allen, dons the big man’s belly to play Scott Calvin, a workaholic toy salesman who’s about to take his work to the North Pole. After Santa falls off his roof one Christmas Eve, Scott is magically tasked with the man in red’s seasonal duties, and thus the adventure—and cookie binging—begins.”
  1. Going back even farther in time is Christmas in Connecticut (1945). They admit that this one is a bit dated, but the black and white classic is still going to brighten your holidays with its humor. 
  1. A more recent entry is Get Santa (2015). “A holiday movie you may have missed but should definitely seek out is the 2014 British fugitive comedy Get Santa,” they say. “It stars Jim Broadbent as the bearded one who’s jailed after crashing his sleigh and trying to get his reindeer back, with Rafe Spall and Kit Connor playing the father and son duo trying to reunite Santa with his myth and—obviously—save Christmas.” 

Even in the black & white holiday films, you aren’t going to see too many black comedians, let alone black female comedians. But you know what they say… there’s always next year. 
Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday from the Queen of Comedy!

Queen of Comedy vs. Queen of England
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Queen of Comedy vs. Queen of England

As we know, Sommore is the reigning Queen of Comedy. But what does it mean to be the Queen? 

Sommore has been wearing the crown for more than 20 years now, which is pretty impressive, but too really gauge her royal status, we thought we would see how she stacks up against Queen Elizabeth, who is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch. She is the longest-serving female head of state in world history, and the world’s oldest living monarch, longest-reigning current monarch, and oldest and longest-serving current head of state.

Sommore’s reviews are consistently positive. Elizabeth on the other hand has, at times, been criticized by the press, most notably as documented by Wikipedia in 1992, which she dubbed her annus horribilis, and 1997, following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, her former daughter-in-law. (As far as annus horribilis go, 2020 is looking like a strong contender for Sommore – and just about everyone else.)

SommoreElizabeth II
BirthplaceTrenton, New JerseyMayfair, London
Current residenceMiami, FloridaLondon, England, the United Kingdom
Father’s OccupationEnglish teacher/poetKing 
SiblingsHalf-Sister: Nia Long, actressSister: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon,
AwardsRichard Pryor Award for Comic of the YearRoyal Order of King George VRoyal Family Order of King George VISovereign of the Most Noble Order of the GarterDame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem[Chief Hunter of the Order of the Buffalo HuntMember of the Order of the DogwoodKing George V Silver Jubilee MedalKing George VI Coronation MedalAnd a whole bunch more
Headlined the Royal Comedy Tour10
Number of appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show10

As of this writing, both the Queen of Comedy and the Queen of the United Kingdom enjoy widespread popularity. Long live the Queen!

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