Comic keeps it funny, not filthy

By John Benson

Stand-up comedian Ron McGehee, who makes his Mahoning Valley debut Saturday at Main Street Theater in Columbiana, wants you to know about his badge of honor.

“I’ve never used an f-bomb,” said McGehee, calling from Los Angeles. “My peers challenge me to use it, and I’ve been tempted many times to kind of go down that road, but I’ve had to fight through it because that’s kind of where I’m at. I basically want to be faithfully funny, and I want people to experience a pure comedy show where you can laugh without the filth. It’s possible, just look at Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby and Brian Regan. Those guys are hilarious and aren’t filthy. That’s where I’m coming from.”

Born in Michigan and raised in Southern California, McGehee has been a working comedian for nearly a decade.

However, it wasn’t until 2003 that he won Orange County’s Funniest Person Contest only to land a year later as a finalist on NBC-TV reality show “Last Comic Standing 2.” Ironically, he was a roommate with “Last Comic Standing 1” winner Dat Phan.

Today, McGehee remains busy touring his special brand of comedy, which varies from his ethnic heritage to tales of growing up in Orange County.

“I’ve got all kinds of stuff about my life,” McGehee said. “What’s unique is my cultural upbringing, which is coming from a Korean-Irish background. And I know, it’s a story you’ve heard so many times over, but I have a unique take on it. I also talk about my struggles with dating and living in Hollywood, which is such an image-conscious place. I’m trying to be in a world of Brad Pitts with a Weebles body. That’s California in general.”

Aside from taking his humor to comedy clubs across the country, the now married McGehee has become busy as a syndicated columnist for various Christian publications. He’s also pursuing an acting career. In fact, he appears in the new documentary “Hollywood on Fire,” which details the relationship between Christians and the movie-making industry.

Still, his first love remains stand-up comedy. It’s for this reason he says he’s excited about coming to Columbiana.

“I’ll tell you what, expect a funny show on the caliber of any Improv show, or something you saw on Jay Leno or Comedy Central,” McGehee said. “So you’ll have that caliber of funny, but what you won’t have is the filth. You don’t have to worry about the obscenities, the innuendos, the shock value. And yet it’ll still be funny.”