At theGrio, we’re celebrating your favourite humorous folks all month lengthy. TheGrio’s Toure spoke with the actress and comedy vet Cocoa Brown about how comedy saved her life, how she makes folks chortle and the way her love life goes.
The next is a transcript of their dialog.
Toure [00:00:14]: Hey, I’m Toure, in for Eboni, who has the break day. July is Comedy Month, so we’re going to be that includes a brand new comedian every week. Let me introduce you to Cocoa Brown, a.ok.a. The Fact, who’s been at it for a really very long time. She was on Tyler Perry’s present, “For Higher or For Worse.” Cocoa, welcome to theGrio!
Cocoa Brown [00:00:32]: Hey, thanks for having me. The way you guys doing?
Toure [00:00:37]: Wait a minute. We’re doing good. However are you okay? Why are you at a park?
Brown [00:00:42]: Effectively, honey, you recognize what, I caught myself figuring out however all I’m doing is searching proper now as a result of it’s too scorching.
Toure [00:00:50]: Okay.
Brown [00:00:51]: I’ma sweat some kilos off, however I’ma do it whereas standing nonetheless suga. I’m going to do it standing nonetheless.
Toure [00:00:58]: Alright, we caught you in the midst of a exercise. We’ll attempt to maintain it recent. Let’s go. You mentioned that comedy saved your life. How did comedy save your life?
Brown [00:01:11]: Sure. You recognize, rising up in such a regimented Southern family, the place I used to be taught to be a girl always, you couldn’t say this, you couldn’t put on this, you couldn’t do this.
Comedy gave me the liberty to let free and just about expose all of the aunties they tried to cover in my life. So it’s all the time saved my life. And let me be all of the dynamics of the place I come from.
Toure [00:01:39]: That’s attention-grabbing as a result of I may see how you could possibly get on stage, we’ve had two drinks, what have you ever, and also you’re like, “I will be me.” I can say no matter I would like. We wish you to be you and do no matter you need. So it provides you the liberty to be the true you quite than be constrained.
Brown [00:01:58]: Precisely. Precisely. And the true me is so multi-dimensional. It’s like I inform folks on a regular basis. It’s like, you recognize, I bought the very best of each worlds. I spent my summers within the nation barefoot. I spent my summers within the initiatives going to see the sweet woman.
And I additionally spent my summers, you recognize, going to excessive teas as a result of I had aunts and uncles that caught me in Jack and Jill. So, you recognize, I’m like, I’m very multi-dimensional, honey, you possibly can put me anyplace. I’ll mix in simply tremendous.
Toure [00:02:30]: I used to be in Jack and Jill. I do know what that’s about. So, look, you’ve been at this for a very long time. You’re a comedy vet. How do you make folks chortle? What do it’s essential do to make us chortle?
Brown [00:02:43]: Truthfully, I’d simply be myself. I imply, when I attempt to be humorous, it by no means works. However once I’m simply myself, if you happen to ask my associates who grew up with me once I first informed them I used to be going to be a comic book after I went to 4 years of school and was out working in company America, and I mentioned, “I’m going to attempt comedy.”
A number of my associates was like, “Okay,” prefer it wasn’t a shock to them as a result of apparently once I’m simply being me, I’m humorous. And that’s how I sort of bought found.
I used to be at a barbecue and I didn’t know the man that was throwing the barbecue owned a comedy membership. And he mentioned, “you ever thought of doing standup? “And I mentioned, “no.” He mentioned, “you’re naturally humorous, it’s best to come again open mic,” and the remaining is historical past.
Toure [00:03:23]: You speak lots in your work about males. How’s your love life going proper now?
Brown [00:03:28]: What love life, honey? It’s nonexistent, honey. I’m finished. I’m simply going to be that jet-setting aunty that’s going to be on solo journeys and her little white canine and her Birkin. I’ve already accepted that. Okay.
Toure [00:03:42]: That’s it? You’ve given up on males?
Brown [00:03:46] I can’t. I simply can’t, honey. I gave it one final faculty attempt lately, and, you recognize, I don’t know, perhaps males are taking appearing courses that I don’t find out about, however I can’t do the Dr. Jekyll Mr. Hyde no extra. You recognize, I’m saying I simply bought over my bipolar.
I can’t be coping with folks with bipolar. I’m simply making an attempt to remain in. What? No, I can’t. No, I’m good. I’m good, no. I’m so good. I’ma be that philanthropist wealthy aunty.
Toure [00:04:15]: I really like that. You’ve finished bits on maintaining a person in line, so perhaps you possibly can’t maintain him in your life, however you perceive easy methods to maintain him in line if you wish to. So what’s the recommendation for the opposite girls who’re nonetheless out right here making an attempt to do this?
Brown [00:04:30]: I imply, maintain hope alive, however simply know you gonna kiss numerous frogs, child. You’re gonna get some warts. It’s loopy now, you recognize — males have of their minds made up about girls who’ve any kind of success. They assume we strolling round with a billboard saying, “I don’t want a person.”
I don’t know who informed you that lie as a result of I don’t need to do that on my own no extra. I might love to take a seat again and simply be a girl and prepare dinner and stuff. However, you recognize, they assume if you happen to’re any sort of girl with some sort of success, you’re strolling round with some sort of billboard, saying “I don’t want a person.” I don’t know who these girls are. I have no idea any of those girls. However that’s what they declare.
Toure [00:05:13]: That’s humorous. I imply, like, my spouse is professionally profitable. I assist that. I really like that. That makes me love her much more. I don’t perceive a person who’s like, “I don’t need her to be extra profitable than me.”
Brown [00:05:25]: You’re a unicorn. However coming from Jack and Jill, we have been skilled that manner.
Toure [00:05:31]: Actually?
Brown [00:05:32]: Yeah. Coming from that complete background, we have been skilled that manner. You married in your stage. Proper. You consorted in your stage.
However for some purpose, males on my stage have gotten it of their minds {that a} girl at my stage is strolling round with a t-shirt that claims, “I don’t want a person.” That has by no means been a hashtag in my life.
Toure [00:05:54] Yeah, properly, we’re going to work on this comic Cocoa Brown. Stick with us. We need to speak to you some extra. After the break, we’re going to sort out some scorching subjects, together with this: is Andre 3000 engaged on new music? God let or not it’s “sure.” You’re watching theGrio.
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