Comedian Uses His Cerebral Palsy in Skit

Comedian Josh Blue, who won the 2006 season of NBC's "Last Comic Standing," uses his cerebral palsy as part of his humor, and his fans love him for it. This year's disAbility Awareness Month celebrations at Kent State University in northeast Ohio hosted Blue, and more than 700 people packed a university ballroom to hear him.

Blue noted that whenever he appears at college campuses, someone always asks him what he's on. He jokes, "You want my seizure medication? That will be $7."

Jokes about Living with Cerebral Palsy

Blue is also a member of the U.S. Paralympic soccer team, sponsored by Nike. He said that when he had to decide between Adidas and Nike, "The deciding factor was because of, well, this (pointing to his arm) — I was born with a swoosh."

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a disease characterized by an inability to control motor function. Depending on the severity of the condition and the area of the brain affected, individuals suffering from cerebral palsy will experience one or more of the following:

Muscle tightness, spasticity
Involuntary movement
Difficulty in swallowing and speech problems
Seizures
Mental retardation
Difficulty controlling the bladder/bowels
Difficulty breathing
Learning disabilities

Blue uses his condition to his advantage and uses it as a main source for his jokes, noting that it is fun to find humor in all aspects of life. He jokes, "Have you ever heard that laughter is the best medicine? Well, then shouldn't I be better by now?"

Political Humor Too

Blues' act was about more than his own life with cerebral palsy, though; appearing at Kent State shortly before the U.S. presidential election, he joked, "When John McCain goes out into the sun, he's translucent — he scares the _ _ _ _ _ _ out of the Secret Service guys."

(Source: Kent News)

Are you living with cerebral palsy? For more information about your legal right and resources, contact a cerebral palsy lawyer.