Comedian collides logic and morals at The Funny Bone

With only two classes left until graduation, Ryan Stout dropped out of college and never looked back.

The comedian moved to Los Angeles and has been performing on television and at clubs around the country ever since, adding Bloomington’s The Funny Bone to his list when he entertained audiences this past weekend.

“One audience described me as ‘he jokes about mean things,’” Stout said. “It’s the collision between logic and morals. ... What’s morally correct is often logically wrong.”

After one of the Funny Bone hosts Brian M. Frange told a few jokes, last week’s open-mic night winner and IU sophomore Ben Bizuneh warmed up the crowd.

Bizuneh began by telling the crowd about how his Ethiopia-born parents had trouble understanding American slang.

“My dad thought ‘gay’ meant ‘happy,’” Bizuneh said. “‘My marriage is gay, and I hope it stays gay. The foundation of any good family is gay marriage.’”

After Bizuneh left the stage, feature act Jim Tews took over, commenting that his time in the U.S. Coast Guard left him with few marketable skills, namely shooting guns and driving boats.

“I’m sorry, we’re not hiring any pirates right now,” he said. “Have you tried Long John Silver’s?”

When Stout took the stage, he announced that his favorite kind of laugh was the subtle, uncontrollable laugh people try to hide, which says “I don’t agree with that publicly.” 

“It’s kind of like when you see someone fall down the stairs – at the battered women’s shelter,” he said, comparing the joke’s logical side – arguing the situation makes it funny – against its moral side – saying a battered women’s shelter is never funny.

About an ad that read “changing condoms is easier than changing diapers,” Stout argued that “whoever wrote that never tried to change their kid’s condom.”

He also showed off his pop culture knowledge with a double entendre.

“A lot of gay guys coming in the No. 2 spot,” he said of “American Idol’s” Clay Aiken and Adam Lambert.

Stout also said he appreciated the polite audiences he performed for in Bloomington, as opposed to some clubs where audience members will actively argue with the comedian. He also mentioned many people think he laughs at his own jokes.
“I’m laughing at certain people’s reactions to my jokes,” he said.

While owner Jared Thompson said he occasionally books “crowd-pleasers,” he added that he tries to make sure there is a variety of the best comics available.

“If a comedian or a manager bills someone as getting standing ovations, that’s probably not someone you want to book ... We want to refine people’s palette,” Thompson said, and explained Stout doesn’t stick with what is “fluffy” and safe.

“You have to think,” he said.