FUNNY FARM Women can relate to the 3 Blonde Moms comedy show

The blondes' style of humor hits home.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Joanie Fagan, Maryellen Hooper and Helen Keaney are the 3 Blonde Moms. Although this may sound like a television sitcom title, which it actually could be in a few years, these three matriarchs are touring the country as a comedic act with a show built around hilarious pregnancy, diaper and husband fodder.
It may be a PG-13 act, but that doesn't mean there aren't poop -- of the poopy diaper variety -- jokes.
"About 2 1/2 years ago, I was doing standup comedy and talking about being a mom and all of the things that happen with motherhood -- family, in-laws, etc. -- and I realized the audience was really identifying with everything I was talking about," said Fagan, calling from her home in Los Angeles.
"But I tend to have a specific personality. I'm rather perky. I'm rather upbeat, which other people call annoying. So I realized if I could find a couple of other moms, totally different than me, it would just be a really, really fun show."
After an original lineup was a bit too blue, actress/comedian Fagan ("Drew Carey Show") enlisted her longtime comedienne friends Hooper ("The Tonight Show") and Keaney ("The Style Network") to become the current 3 Blonde Moms, which appeals to everyone from "Live with Regis and Kelly" watchers to Comedy Central viewers.
Women relate
Invariably, soccer moms of the world unite for 3 Blonde Moms. "People are seeing us perform and are laughing at the things that they all go through but never talk about," Fagan said. "So, it's also a release. For instance, I didn't know baby monitors pick up voices from other houses. I was in the kitchen one day, and I heard someone speaking Spanish on the baby monitor, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, my baby is bilingual.' It was shocking."
She added, "All of us had different pregnancies. I had a lot of cravings. One night I woke up and had to have a Mercedes. Maryellen had no problem with the pregnancy, no weight gain, no labor pains ... she adopted. And Helen had 33 hours of natural childbirth ... tequila is natural, right?"
Fagan, whose husband is from Cleveland, said she's been overwhelmed by the diverse makeup of their audiences. While groups of women have been flocking to shows, Fagan pointed out a hilarious phenomenon she's witnessed -- single guys hoping to come across as the sensitive type by taking women on dates to see the 3 Blonde Moms.
Laughs abound
No matter what your situation, there appears to be plenty of laughs to be found when the 3 Blonde Moms make their Youngstown area debut Friday and Saturday at the Funny Farm.
"Because our lives are so busy, working with kids and everything else, couples don't go out together that much and laugh," Fagan said. "So we find that couples love our show. It's like therapy. They can go on a date, share a laugh about their lives and have a good night out."