Jay Wendell Walker checks in
This year’s San Francisco International Comedy Competition winner, Jay Wendell Walker sent us the following:
Can’t thank you enough for all press you have given me. But I am starting to feel like an ambassador for senior citizens. There will always be people who say your too old or too young or from the wrong part of the country. It is kind of fun proving them wrong! Thank God there are people like Jon and Anne Fox who give us a chance to do it. I don’t think they get as much credit as they should. A lot of great talent came out of their contest over the past 31 years. I watched Jon for six nights a week for three weeks. I was impressed with his love of the business, the respect and support he gave every comic and how hard he worked to make sure the contest was fair, honest and a learning experience for all of us. So, for every person who says you can’t, there are people like Jon who says you can.
Wishing both of you a Happy New Year,
Jay Wendell Walker
Thanks, Jay. And, as for the senior citizen thing, we hope that every time we mentioned your age, we also mentioned the amount of experience that you have acquired. That’s the impressive thing to us. We’re dumbfounded by the lack of respect that experience commands in the business. And we’re doubly perplexed by the premium placed on youth– which, with few exceptions, necessarily indicates an utter lack of experience. (Trust us, if your or someone your age won the SFICC after only having done standup for two years, we would have made far less of a deal about the victory.)
No Responses
Reply to: Jay Wendell Walker checks in
I have been an avid Jay Wendell Walker fan ever since the preliminary rounds of the San Francisco Comedy Competition… okay, so he has fans who have been devoted way longer than I… but since meeting and seeing Jay on-stage, I’ve been following appearances of media commentary regarding Jay, and now find myself on your website. What a fantastic site! You’re all about revering the (so very needed) art of comedy. I’m a bit embarassed to admit this is my first visit, as I’ve been doing promo and websites for comics for years. I” be back, and you bet I’ll buy a T-shirt!Jay is destined to be the next Great One, and kudos to Jon Fox and Tony Modica for providing a venue for Jay’s talent to be recognized. Both of these men (Jon & Tony) work a month of very long days, yet remain kind and supportive not only of the contestants, but the judges as well. They do all this while looking really cute too, just FYI.Thanks Shecky Mag!!
Okay, this is for Jay. First time I did comedy Jay was the host, Bill Nye’s first night too. Some dive on 99. congratulations long time coming. J.W. mcclure