Christopher Titus Explores the Insanity We All Share

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Photo: christophertitus.com

Christopher Titus

Christopher Titus

Christopher Titus is happy to do his listeners’ lives some good with his stand-up. 

“If you get something out of it, great! If it gives you insight into your life, cool. Even if it pisses you off, that’s OK, too,” Titus offers in way of assessing the act he will bring to The Improv (in The Corners of Brookfield at 20111 W. Bluemound Road) for a three-day stint of five shows from Friday Nov. 19 to Sunday Nov. 21. 

But he knows the ultimate value of what he does, too. “It’s just comedy. A comedian’s job is to notice and explore the stupidity, hypocrisy, insanity and humanity we all share. We are not leaders or politicians. We aren’t social warriors. We are comics,” Titus declares. And for anyone he may offend with his largely autobiographical artistry? “Everyone needs to lighten up and realize It’s-Just-A.-Joke. Please send your hatred to my Twitter feed.” 

Lemonade of Laughter

Why should anyone object to a man turning the lemons life has handed him (at least a couple of which he has handed himself) into a lemonade of laughter. “When something terrible happens in life now, my first thought is ‘This sucks.’ Then, ‘How do I turn it into a show?’ One of those nine shows-turned-television specials has helped him through the most intense heartbreak Titus has ever experienced. “‘Love is Evil’ was about the worst experience in my life, my divorce and the custody battle,” he observes. “However, being able to write jokes, perform it and do a comedy special ... paid for some of the lawyers ...some.” 

An altogether different kind of existential crisis felt by Titus and most all of his audience, COVID-19, prompted him to generously post much of the work he recorded for premium-level TV viewing onto YouTube for the enjoyment of everyone with an internet connection. 

As Titus explains, “When the pandemic hit, we all lost our jobs. I had the best year I ever booked, and it was vaporized. Then I realized everybody else had the same thing, and we all needed to laugh. I put them up for free to help get us through a little. Felt like the right thing. YouTube views don't pay the rent unless you have a sex tape, and no one wants to see that from me.” So, anyone unsure of whether to splurge on an Improv ticket to see Titus has a generous reserve of his material by which to make the decision to see him perform material from what will become his next special, “Zero Side Effects.”

Comedy of Empathy

The same sort of empathy that inspired Titus to offer so much of his work for others’ free enjoyment also gives him a special affection for physical and cognitive challenges. “I have a niece who is severely autistic, but it was my time with Michael Aronin, who is just a hilarious human with cerebral palsy—He inspired me. Knowing him is what made me come up with the idea for Special Unit,” Titus shares of the 2016 movie about disabled cops he scripted, directed and counts as one of his proudest professional achievements (available to view on Amazon Prime). 

Of handicapped folk generally, Titus says, “The one thing people with a disability want is just to be treated normally. Mike really got that through to me.” Of his battle to see Unit come to fruition, Titus says, “It is tough to get a studio behind something that pushes into an ‘unacceptable’ area. No matter what the angle is. We are all afraid of offending anyone because we are now so addicted to being offended.”  

The other accomplishment of which he is especially proud is “Titus,” his Fox sitcom from the turn of the century. Though it ended for its titular star in a way analogous to Titus handing himself one of those aforementioned lemons, he isn’t averse to revisiting scripted series TV. “I’ve written and sold five other ideas. I would love to do another show” And for those who recall his first, Emmy-winning series who would like to see its lose ends tied up, “We actually did two more finale episodes over COVID. They are on my website.” 

Of comedy born from some of his most wrenching experiences, Titus says, “There is nothing that can’t be mined for comedy, how you approach it is the key. I see the darkness, pain and damage humans do to each other as absurd. I also see the kindness and love as absurd. My job is to write punchlines for the pain. Actually, it’s just to write punchlines; everything else is bonus. It’s really me just making drunk people laugh for money.”

Description: Titus performs at The Improv (in The Corners of Brookfield) for a three-day stint of five shows from Friday Nov. 19 to Sunday Nov. 21.