Hi everybody! I’m Joe Hobby and I’m a comedian and a writer. I’ll be doing a column for y’all a couple of times a month. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do writing them. I thought I’d begin our journey together by telling you how this whole thing got started.
A lot of people who know me know I wrote jokes for Jay Leno for years. How a guy from Alabama became a writer for, and friend of, Jay Leno still blows my mind.
kAmy@<6 HC:E:?8 H2D 2 ?2EFC2= 3J\AC@5F4E @7 A6C7@C>:?8 DE2?5\FA 4@>65J] p7E6C >J 7:CDE E:>6 @? DE286[ x H2D 9@@<65] x 3682? D=FCA:?8 FA :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 4@>65J HC:E:?8 E96 H2J 2? 2?E62E6C DF4<D FA 2?ED] $@@?[ x 3682? HC:E:?8 @?6 =:?6CD 7@C 2 =@42= >@C?:?8 C25:@ E62>] %@ 8:G6 J@F 2? :562 9@H =@?8 28@ E9:D H2D[ E96J A2:5 >6 :? 42DD6EE6 E2A6D 2?5 E\D9:CED] k^Am
kAmp3@FE E9:D E:>6[ x ?@E:465 2? :?E6C6DE:?8 4@G6C @? #@==:?8 $E@?6 >282K:?6] xE 925 2 A9@E@ @7 y2J {6?@ 2?5 2 3:8 2CE:4=6 23@FE 9:>] xE 56D4C:365 y2J 2D 2 5646?E[ 3=F6\4@==2C[ <:?5 @7 8FJ] x? 724E[ :E D2:5 96 C6DA@?5D E@ 6G6CJ A:646 @7 72? >2:=] p? :562 86C>:?2E65] (92E :7 x D6?E {6?@ D@>6 @7 >J ;@<6D 2?5 2D<65 9:> E@ 4C:E:BF6 E96>n %92E H@F=5 36 D@ 4@@= E@ 92G6 >J @H? @?6 =:?6CD 8C2565 3J %96 |2?] k^Am
kAm$@[ x 8@E @FE 2 =682= A25 2?5 92?5 HC@E6 2 =6EE6C E@ y2J[ @?6 4@>65:2? E@ 2?@E96C] u@C86E 96 H2D 8F6DE 9@DE:?8 E96 %@?:89E $9@H 2E E96 E:>6 2?5 x H2D @?6 DE6A 36J@?5 <?@4<\<?@4< ;@<6D] x 6?4=@D65 23@FE 7@FC A286D @7 >J 4@>65:4 86>D 2=@?8 H:E9 2 D6=7\255C6DD65 DE2>A65 6?G6=@A6] w@A67F==J[ E96 7FEFC6 <:?8 @7 =2E6 ?:89E H@F=5 HC:E6 D@>6 DF886DE:@?D :? E96 >2C8:?D 2?5 D6?5 E96> 324<] r@?D:56C:?8 E96 E9@FD2?5D @7 =6EE6CD 96 C646:G65 6249 H66<j x 5@F3E65 x H2D 8@:?8 E@ 962C 7C@> 9:> 7@C 2 H9:=6] $@[ 27E6C 5C@AA:?8 E96 6?G6=@A6 :? E96 >2:=[ x 7@C8@E 23@FE :E] k^Am
kAm%H@ H66<D =2E6C[ x H2D H@C<:?8 :? >J 5@H?E@H? @77:46 H96? E96 A9@?6 C2?8] xE H2D >J H:76 r2C@=[ H9@ 7@C8@:?8 E96 A=62D2?EC:6D[ A@:?E65=J D2:5[ “w6J] w2G6 J@F D6?E D@>6 <:?5 @7 =6EE6C E@ y2J {6?@n” k^Am
kAm|J 962CE ;F>A65[ 3FE x DE2J65 4@@=] “(9J 2C6 J@F 2D<:?8 >6 E92En”k^Am
kAm“q642FD6 x E9:?< x >:89E’G6 ;FDE >256 2 7@@= @FE @7 >JD6=7]” k^Am
kAmx H:D6=J =6E E92E DE2E6>6?E 8@ C:89E A2DE >6] }@ C6DA@?D6 2E 2==] |J 6IA6C:6?46 2D 2 9FD32?5 925 7:?2==J A2:5 @77] k^Am
kAmx?DE625[ x 2D<65 :??@46?E=J[ “(92E 4@F=5 J@F A@DD:3=J >62?n” k^Am
kAm“(6==[ x ;FDE 8@E 2 H6:C5 A9@?6 42== 7C@> D@>63@5J D2J:?8 E96J H6C6 y2J {6?@] w6 D2:5 96 H2?E65 J@F E@ D:8? 2 HC:E:?8 4@?EC24E] xE H2D C62==J 2 AC6EEJ =2>6 :>A6CD@?2E:@?[ D@ x E9@F89E :E H2D @?6 @7 J@FC :5:@E 7C:6?5D A=2J:?8 2 ;@<6 @? J@F]”k^Am
kAm!2?:4 7=@@565 @G6C >6] x 3682? J6==:?8 =:<6 >J A2?ED H6C6 @? 7:C6] “}@[ ?@[ ?@P s:5 J@F 86E 2 ?2>6n s:5 J@F 86E 2 ?F>36Cn” k^Am
kAm“(6==[ H9@6G6C :E H2D 82G6 >6 2 A9@?6 ?F>36C[ 3FE x’== 36E :E’D @?6 @7 E9@D6 `\h__ D6I =:?6D] *@F 2?5 J@FC DEFA:5 7C:6?5’D AC24E:42= ;@<6D]”k^Am
kAmxE EFC?D @FE :E C62==J H2D y2J] w6 925 =@@<65 @G6C >J ;@<6D 2?5 =:<65 E96 DEF77 x DF3>:EE65P (6 E2=<65[ x D:8?65 2 4@?EC24E[ 2?5 2=>@DE :>>65:2E6=J x 3682? DA6?5:?8 >J 6G6?:?8D 8@:?8 @G6C E96 ?6HD[ HC:E:?8 828D 2?5 72I:?8 E96> E@ 9:D 9@FD6] k^Am
kAmu:?2==J[ 27E6C 23@FE E9C66 H66<D[ x 962C5 D@>6E9:?8 E92E D@F?565 =:<6 @?6 @7 >J ;@<6D] x 3682? H2E49:?8 E96 >2:=3@I =:<6 2 DF>@ HC6DE=6C H2E496D 2 3F776E =:?6] (:E9:? 2 76H 52JD[ x C646:G65 2 =6EE6C A@DE>2C<65 7C@> {@D p?86=6D] x C:AA65 @A6? E92E 6?G6=@A6 2?5 E96C6 :E H2Di 2 =:89E 3=F6 4964<[ A6CD@?2==J 2FE@8C2A965 3J |C] y2J {6?@] x H2D ?@H @77:4:2==J 2 AC@76DD:@?2= 4@>65J HC:E6CP %92E 3682? @FC ad\J62C 2DD@4:2E:@? E@86E96C] k^Am
kAmp7E6C y2J C6E:C65 7C@> 9:D =2E6\?:89E 8:8[ x 3682? 4@>A@D:?8 D@>6 @7 >J =:76\DE@C:6D 7@C >J <:5D 2?5 8C2?5<:5D] %96D6 EFC?65 :?E@ ?6HDA2A6C 4@=F>?D 2?5 >282K:?6 2CE:4=6D[ H9:49 6G6?EF2==J =65 >6 E@ J@F] xE’D DE:== 92C5 E@ 36=:6G6] p?5 :E 2== 3682? H:E9 E9:D ;@<6ik^Am
kAm“$4:6?E:DED 2C6 ?@H D2J:?8 E92E 5C:?<:?8 4@H’D >:=< 42? 36 92K2C5@FD E@ J@FC 962=E9] x’== E6== J@F H92E’D 92K2C5@FD E@ J@FC 962=E9] w2G:?8 J@FC >@> 42E49 J@F 5C:?<:?8 >:=< @FE @7 E96 42CE@?]”k^Am
kAmx <?@H] p?J @?6 @7 J@F 4@F=5’G6 HC:EE6? :E] %92E’D ECF6[ 3FE x’> E96 @?6 H9@ AFE :E @? A2A6C] p?5 3642FD6 @7 2 72? =6EE6C 2?5 2? @A6?\>:?565 =2E6\?:89E 9@DE[ x 3642>6 2? 9@?6DE\E@\8@@5?6DD HC:E6C]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mkDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmy@6 w@33J :D 2 DE2?5FA 4@>65:2?[ 2 4@=F>?:DE[ 2?5 2 =@?8 E:>6 HC:E6C 7@C y2J {6?@] w6 =:G6D :? q:C>:?892> H:E9 9:D H:76 2?5 5@8D] r@?E24E 9:> 2Ei k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i;9@33Ja___o2@=]4@>Qm;9@33Ja___o2@=]4@>k^2m]U?3DAjk^Am