The Funny Business of Gay Comedy

Alejandro and Christine

Camp Tabu comes to Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar on Friday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. The show’s creators Alejandro Morales and Christine Meehan sat down with G Philly to talk comedy, male-pattern baldness and being a gay man trapped in a woman’s body.

What is Camp Tabu all about?

Christine: Making people giggle. And, the show’s objective is to be a forum for people to express themselves, and to understand that all of us are welcome no matter what our race, gender, sexual orientation, weight, or ability may be. If Shamu wanted to get up and sing a song about how he hates to swim, I’d invite him on over. Might be hard for him to climb the steps, but if he got there I’d applaud his courage.

Alejandro: Camp Tabu brings the best new comedy from all around the city to the Gayborhood. This week’s show will feature a wide range of performances from stand-up comedians Aleida Garcia, Neil McGarry, Darryl Charles, Erin Mulville and Doogie Horner, as well as sketches and improv from Pop! Sketch Comedy for the Gifted and Diabolical Monocle. We’re really excited.

How did it get started?

Christine: I felt as though there was a disconnect between the local comedy scene and the LGBTQ community. I’d been in situations where I felt my connection/identification with that community was somehow viewed as a detriment, and with Camp Tabu I want to bridge that gap in Philadelphia’s entertainment scene. My hope is that we have already started to do so.

Alejandro: I hosted a variety show to benefit the Mazzoni Center back in May at Tabu, and it was a great experience for everyone involved. Christine and I definitely hit it off there. So when she decided to do a dedicated monthly comedy show, I was lucky enough to be invited to be a part of that conversation.

Is this the first time it’s being performed?

Christine: This is our second show.

Alejandro: That’s right. We did our first show on October 8th, and our next show after this Friday’s show will be on December 10th.

How does Camp Tabu appeal to LGBT audiences?

Alejandro: I’ve had personal experiences, at open mics especially, where an amateur comic will lean very heavily on some really ugly material that deals harshly with queers, women, or people with disabilities. It’s profoundly disappointing to go out to enjoy an evening of entertainment and then be confronted with prejudice, and then feel that the people around you are complicit in that prejudice. Members of the LGBTQ community have enough real-world issues to face without having to deal with sophomoric B.S. when we’re trying to enjoy ourselves. We screen our performers so that Camp Tabu will provide a bigot-free, feel-good experience.

Christine: We appeal to the LGBT audiences because I’m a gay man trapped in a woman’s body. My yet-to-be-found future husband likes it that way.

So without the usual dirty jokes – and gay jokes – what can audiences expect?

Christine: Audiences can expect to see awkward turtles, bald men, hot pants, and feel disoriented part of the time. Overly descriptive sexual astrology may be included. Enter at your own risk.

Alejandro: I’m not bald. I just have a gorgeous forehead.

Care to share a sample of what audiences might see this week?

Alejandro: This week I’ll be introducing some new material about my search for gainful employment, which should be funny in a claw-your-eyes-out-with-helicopter-blades-from-the-horrifying-pointlessness-of-it-all kind of way. Also, if you manage to read Doogie Horner’s new book Everything Explained Through Flowcharts between now and Friday, you might have some idea of what to expect from his headline performance.

Christine: I’m not giving away my material. Something must be sacred.