How is the disruption impacting artists? In today's episode, Steve interviews Matt Benavides: a comedian from San Antonio, student at San Antonio College, and Latino Leadership Institute alum. Matt shares how the quarantine is shaping his writing and helping him get in touch with the unique artistic perspective God's given him.
LINKS
We've created a website (updated daily) full of resources to help you with Ministering Online Through COVID-19: intervarsity.org/online.
How is the disruption impacting artists? In today's episode, Steve interviews Matt Benavides: a comedian from San Antonio, student at San Antonio College, and Latino Leadership Institute alum. Matt shares how the quarantine is shaping his writing and helping him get in touch with the unique artistic perspective God's given him.
LINKS
We've created a website (updated daily) full of resources to help you with Ministering Online Through COVID-19: intervarsity.org/online.
Steve Tamayo: 0:02
Right off the bat I want to apologize for our sound issues on this episode. Technology has not been our friend today.
Steve Tamayo: 0:20
This is Steve Tamayo. You're listening to Ministry During the Disruption. And our guest in the virtual studio today is coming to us from San Antonio, Texas. He and I got to know each other through InterVarsity's Latino Leadership Institute. While we were at the institute in New York City, he actually slipped away during some free time, went to a comedy club and dead a stand up set. What's called? An open mic?
Matt Benavides: 0:45
Open mic. Yeah.
Matt Benavides: 0:46
Did an open night. Killed. Thanks for joining us, Matt Benavides. I mean, was I right? Did you kill?
Matt Benavides: 0:54
Yeah. No, it was. It was a fun five minutes. I got my big laugh and just got off stage. It was fun.
Steve Tamayo: 1:00
I'm a huge fan of stand up comedy, and I really appreciate what standups bring into the world. Talk to us a little bit about how the quarantine stuff, campus closures, social distancing. How is that affecting you as a comedian?
Matt Benavides: 1:17
The obvious as opposed to anyone, for every artist essentially, less shows, really no shows for most. I'm at a point where I'm slowly doing the transition to doing it full time. But that's still years off. I have friends who their income is to do stand up shows and things like that, so it's affected them very, very hard. So in that case it's been rough. But also, um, it's been, ah, blessing, I guess in disguise, because it's kind of allowing me a lot more time to kind of figure out my craft and figure out why I'm doing this. Figure out why I enjoy doing this and also, I mean, you can turn on the news every day. There's a lot of things that you can make light of. People are funny, toilet paper is serious. It's an insane time honestly.
Steve Tamayo: 2:05
So there's a lot of material that comes out of this time, and I hear that it's a great opportunity to do some writing. At the same time everyone is being exposed to the same material and part of that, the craft of stand up comedy, is having that flash of insight that no one else has had or said because it surprises people and helps make them laugh. What are ways that you're cultivating that flash of insight while stuck at home
Matt Benavides: 2:36
Really with stand up, you get a very immediate reaction to your work. When you tell a joke, you know, the audience laughs. If the joke isn't funny, the audience awkwardly laughs. So essentially that is gone now, for the time being. So when I write, it's like... OK. I think they'll laugh, but I don't know the response to my joke until I give to the audience. So in that case, I've really been testing the joke's on me, on myself. In saying, I write that down (and not like in an arrogant and conceited way), but I'm like, "Man, that's kind of funny!" Like, did I write? Like, how did I come up with that? And that's funny. And it's kind of been more true to my own humor, to what I find funny, as opposed to... Okay, like, I'm writing to this audience. Like, best example I can give is when I do shows that are primary Latino or Hispanic I can make jokes in Spanish. I can make a joke about how I thought some vehement sandwich. And, you know, if I tell that joke to people who don't speak Spanish it's like, "Okay, whatever.". So it's been more of I'm writing to myself. I'm the comedian, but I'm also the audience. And I have this belief that everyone's humor is kind of their own, that everybody could be funny in their own way. I don't think everyone could be a stand up comedian per se, but I do think everyone's humor is unique and everybody can be funny and their own way.
Steve Tamayo: 3:52
And there's something really authentic that happens when the comedian is convinced that the joke is funny, even if the audience is not naturally going to believe that. There's something about the confidence that it gives your ability to project to the joke, that energy, the enthusiasm, the spirit behind it that I think can make a joke really land. And, there's a risk that comes for artists. I think also, that you can lose yourself in the process. Maybe there's a gift for you in this time of not only forming your craft but also laying down a foundation of self knowledge, self understanding that would help you in the future.
Matt Benavides: 4:37
And that's really where the journey's been aswell. Not that my old standups weren't true or authentic, you know, or genuine. They were all stories or things that I felt funny. But it's definitely helping me dig deeper and okay... This is my humor. This is what I think is funny. And this is what brings me joy as well. And, you know, I do hope that other people will find that joy too.
Steve Tamayo: 5:01
So you perform before all of the shutdowns happened. You'd perform it churches. You'd perform at special events. You'd perform at bars. You could have had a pretty diverse collection of places that you would perform, and those places are closed. Have you found any venues to perform these days?
Matt Benavides: 5:20
Besides my restroom mirror? And it's kind of awkward because the audience is usually without his shirt. So, as of now, no. Besides getting online, I've got in with two friends. We've done kind of like a Facebook, Facetime comedy, 15-20 minute livestream. Besides that, no. Everything is closed.
Steve Tamayo: 5:40
So how is that affecting your soul, right? Like having not having that outlets to perform. So you talked about some of the benefits of it, and how is helping you work on your craft. But like, are you noticing anything different in your emotions? In your spirit, as you don't have that outlet?
Matt Benavides: 5:59
Of course, there's ups and downs. There are times where I'm just, ehhh. I think it's, as opposed to the craft, I think it's more just been up. I don't have shared this with you, but I struggle with depression, struggle with anxiety, things like that. In a sense, I write my stand up from those places where I can turn something that hurt me into something that is kind of funny. Easiest example, and I'm sure most artists agree, is, you know, going through a break up and then writing jokes about breakups. It's the most basic example. But in terms of quarantine, just being alone and being self distance, it has affected my depression, in a way. But at the same time, it mirrors it because I realized, like, I can't get up, stand up comedy. Regardless if there's this audience at a bar of 20 people or church of 70 or an audience of me in a mirror. It's something I just enjoy doing. It's kind of highlighted the sense where it's like, man like I need this. I have kind of stirred something that I strongly desire and, um, strongly love doing. I enjoy sharing laughs and sharing that joy with people,
Steve Tamayo: 7:08
And that's a form of ministry during this disruption - to get on the phone with someone and help make them laugh or to share a meme on Facebook and help make them smile. It doesn't take away the pain, but it does change the pain that we're feeling.
Matt Benavides: 7:27
There's actually a verse that always reminds me of what you said, 2nd Corinthians 12:10, that I can take joy in my hardships, my weaknesses, my persecutions. Because when I am weak, then I am strong, God is strong. And I know in that Paul is talking about the thorn in his side it and should God take it away. And you know, he asked three times and each time God says, "My grace is enough. My grace is enough." And I think in that same sense, like, when it gives, when I'm going through things essentially or even, you know, all of us, we're all going through this whole quarantine together. It kind of gives that pain a purpose, that when we're weak, then we're strong.
Steve Tamayo: 8:05
When we're weak, then we're strong. When we're funny, then we're strong?
Matt Benavides: 8:10
Yeah. I think it's it's the ability to be able to laugh at it. You know, there's definitely very serious things going on, but it's also one of those... being able to find the humor in it. It takes a little digging, but digging up the joy that comes in the middle of all this hardship that's quarantine. For some people, it's hard. And that's kind of why I enjoy doing what I do. Like, it's I'll dig for you for a little while and share what I found. And maybe it will encourage you to find the humor in it, too.
Steve Tamayo: 8:38
That's a beautiful gift, Matt. I'm really grateful for it. Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Matt Benavides: 8:43
My pleasure.