Featured on hit shows such as “Kill Tony” and “Ridiculousness”, this comedian has been producing content for social media since he was an early teenager. For the past two years, he’s been using that experience to help fans successfully crossover from watching on their phones to laughing out loud in person at his shows. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian MacKenzie Jewell. The Houston, TX native shares some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and explains how he always owns the laughs.
Name: MacKenzie Jewell
Hometown: Houston, TX
Instagram/Twitter/Tik-Tok: @mackenzie_jewell_
Years in Comedy: 2
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before? I’ve appeared on episode #681 of Kill Tony, and I had a viral clip of mine featured on Ridiculousness. Besides that, I have 400 K+ on TikTok and have been making content since I was 14, so I definitely have a digital footprint.
Comedic Influences: Bill Hicks, Doug Stanhope, Tim Dillon, Sarah Sherman, Tim Robinson, John Mulaney, & Sam Kinison
Favorite Comedy Album: The Unbookables “Morbid Obscenity”
Favorite Comedy Special: John Mulaney “Baby J”
Favorite Comedy Movie: It’d have to be This Is the End or Superbad
Favorite Comedy TV Show: Nathan For You, or I Think You Should Leave (I’ve seen that show so, so many times over)
Favorite Comedic Character: “Succession” isn’t a traditional comedy, but Roman Roy, Tom, and Greg are so funny
Favorite City to Perform In: Houston! But I’ve been to Lake Charles and Lafayette a couple of times, and I love their community
Favorite Topics to Joke About: I talk alot about how Bi-sexuality is the worst sexuality, I also do a lot of very candor degenerate talk.
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: Houston is the melting pot of the country, so most of the time, the crowd is really diverse. I’m 23, but a lot of millennials and Gen X really like my perspective. But when I run my own shows (@laugh_and_gas_htx), we get a lot of alts, degens, and gays. So honestly, I like anyone who will pay attention.
Favorite Comedy Club: The Riot Comedy Club above Rudyards is where I work, so it’s my home club. So I’d have to say there. But Secret Group is an enjoyable place to let loose.
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
I went to a Lutheran private school from kindergarten to 8th grade before I was homeschooled for high school, and it was so long ago, but I remember that from 1st to 3rd grade, I didn’t have friends, and I wasn’t really interested in it. But one day in 3rd grade, I did some class clown stuff, and I ate a pizza crust off the floor, and when I got the reactions of my classmates, it must’ve literally rewired my brain chemistry because I’ve been trying to get the laughs ever since. so i guess i’m just an attention whore.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I remember there were four people in the crowd, probably at 1:00 AM I was wearing shorts on stage, which is a comic no-no, but I don’t know if it counts when the stage was just the regular floor. I only remember one joke I wrote (the only one that got a chuckle). I was like 20 and I got banned from the club a couple of weeks later for drinking underage, whoops. But I went back 6 months later when I turned 21. So I think technically it’s been 3 years since I first went up, but two consistently. I was trying to grow my facial hair, but it looked tacky. I’m supposed to be a baby face.
How would you describe your comedic style:
I would say I have a lot of observational humor. I also step into absurdism and anti-humor. I’m able to hit a lot of topics, throw in some crowd work, and riff while it’s all still related.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
I try to be observational and find silly things in life or in the news. Sometimes, if I’m really creatively bankrupt, I’ll do word association writing exercises. But sometimes, I’ll just be talking to myself in my head and find something good, or sometimes I’ll just be talking and say something that surprises me, so I write it down.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
Houston comics hustle hard. We have four clubs in town; typically, you can hit multiple open mics at night. There is so much opportunity and so much fun. When I started, there were only three other comics my age, but there are a lot more younger people starting. But we get along with the veterans for the most part. I love that it’s a blend of people with unique perspectives, all pushing each other and helping each other up. It’s a dysfunctional but functional family.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
It varies from person to person; not everyone will make it, but it’s admirable if you even try at all because it means you see a greater version of yourself in your mind. You can judge it in an artistic way, where it’s like, hey, I’m just happy to improve and go up for a room of people, and it’ll never leave this room. You can also judge it based on how many bookings you get. But at the end of the day, I guess it should just be the laughs? But also i wont kick myself in the ass if I don’t get alot of laughs. I try to be pure and authentic; sometimes authenticity works, but sometimes it’s not the vibe.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
My favorite people to watch in the scene are Christian Alexander, Luis Dejesus, and Will Loden. They are all amazing talents.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
I was helping JR De Guzman all weekend while he was headlining the Houston Improv. I taped all 5 of his shows that weekend, so when his last show on Sunday came around, he gave me a guest spot. My parents came, and I totally killed it. Ive had alot of late night open mic sets though for humble crowds where things have just totally clicked and i was in a good zone, anytime i can get in that flow state is an incredible feeling cause it just doesn’t happen every time, but i’d love for that to be the case soon.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
I’ve always been good at pivoting, trying new things, and taking advice. My real failures are when I’ve had ugly moments with people. It doesn’t always happen, but I try to be professional and drama-free; nobody wants to book someone with an ego.
How do people react toward you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
I don’t know. Most people I talk to after shows will commend me just for going on stage in the first place. Public speaking is something that’s hard for a lot of people. But yeah, the most common thing that’s ever said to a comic after saying they are a comic is “OK, do a joke.”
Describe building a career in stand-up comedy:
Building a career in comedy is about having solid material you can refine, networking, and having a cool brand. But it’s also about taking lots and lots of hits. Lots of repetition, lots of late nights, last on the list, doing shows for $10. You gotta be entrepreneurial and just keep going. You just have to have the passion. IMO, if you say that *You’re HIM*, you ARE *HIM* ykwim? Nobody can stop you.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
I get tired of the “woke” and “cancel culture” talking points. Honestly, I don’t think cancel culture is real, and the meaning of “woke” now that people use it isn’t actually what it was made for. I’m all for punching down; I think it needs to have some good irony or a good point to it, but I don’t like the “oh, don’t cancel me” because who the f’ even are you?
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
I was talking to a comic here in Houston named Tre Tutson, and he told me that when he performs at the Riot, he always aims to make the audio guy behind the booth laugh more than anyone. He told me he would shoot for that because the audio guy has heard everyone’s material like ten times over. So anytime I hear my co-workers at the Riot, Jimmy or David, laugh from behind the soundboard, I feel good because I know they’ve heard my material over and over.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
MacKenzie Jewell “Rizz’em with the Tizzm”
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
I used to work for an autograph website, so we sold a bunch of signed memorabilia online. They would send me to conventions as a sales rep/content guy. I got to hang out with the guy who played Doofy in A Scary Movie. He told me the story about how when they were filming the movie, he actually had a broken arm, and he let me touch the part where he still had a bone poking out.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
To go back to the convention thing, I was working at an anime convention in Austin one time, and there was a standup show in the main hall booked by Roderick McDaniels; he let me do a set. I did 10 mins for like 500 weebs.
A MacKenzie Jewell Fun Fact:
I used to work as a comic book store worker for Atomic Monkey Comics in Houston for about two years. It’s a job that I wish I could go back to. Shooting the shit with nerds all day was my Kevin Smith Clerks fantasy played out in real life. Rober and Dennis, I miss you all.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I want my laughs to take me anywhere and everywhere I can go with it. My goal is to be touring in the next couple of years.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
Double Down!!!!
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
I think the future of comedy is very bright. We need comedians to help people make sense of radical change and new things happening so fast, which is why I believe the in-person comedy experience is so valuable.
If you could write an episode for ONE classic TV sitcom, which show would it be:
I want to write an episode of “Friends” where they all finally decide to gang up and kill Ross.
If you could choose ONE comedy club and THREE comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
So, I would only want two. I would wish to have Tom Segura and Bert Kreisher, instead of “2 Bears 1 Cave” it’d be “2 Bears 1 Twink” and I don’t know, lets do it an actual cave f*ck it.
What’s next for you:
I’m currently working on a podcast called “The Golden Corral Podcast.” It’s the only podcast that takes place inside a Golden Corral, and I’m posing as though I’m an actual representative of Golden Corral (for legal purposes, the representative part is a joke)
Why should a person always laugh at life:
I recently saw a dude on IG say “delulu is the solu-lu,” and while I don’t know if that’s the actual way to go, it does make life more fun.
Follow MacKenzie Jewell’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter: MacKenzie Jewell
Youtube: MacKenzie Jewell
Personal Website: MacKenzie Jewell
