The joke's on Learie

Many laugh at him and many laugh with him. He is a serious comedian who is considered by some to be the king of comedy in TT. Looking into the eyes of Learie Joseph one can sense that there is more to life than the many jokes that come from his lips one after the other. He has a most interesting background  that led him to become  a stand- up comedian. He has the gift to take any serious issue and turn it into comedy. And if he was born in the USA, then comedians such as Bill Cosby, Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, Eddie Murphy and the Wayan brothers would have to take a back seat. Yet he says that he is blessed to be a Trinidadian and he would not trade his position for anything else in life.

Learie Joseph is a household name in Trinidad and Tobago. He is the one performer, thousands of patrons line up to see whether he is  in TT or any other Caribbean island. He literally makes you laugh until you cry. They say laughter is the best medicine — then Learie Joseph is indeed a doctor for he has the right dose of comedy to get you up and about. Looking at Learie one could never tell that this human being had one of the most difficult childhoods, but he was able to push himself up by maintaining a good sense of humour wherever he went. He told People that as a child he was left in the background. His father abandoned his mother and ran off with another woman. His mother had no choice but to take him to the Belmont Orphanage. While there he obeyed all the rules and was loved by the nuns. “You imagine getting angry with nuns? It can never happen. They are so peaceful that you have no choice but to maintain a certain attitude in their company,” he said.  
 
When Learie left the orphanage he did not have anywhere to go and he ended up sleeping in old cars and almost anywhere when night came. He took up doing odd jobs — washing cars and cleaning people’s business places for a little money. He remembers crying from hunger many times. He would screw up his face and cry for hours. After the tears dried up he realised that his situation was none the better, there was no one there to comfort him. So he laughed at himself for being so stupid in the first place. Today it is the screwed-up face that has earned him a successful career in comedy. His dark lean face can take the shape of misery and distress in an instant. The only thing is that there is no more misery or distress, There is only laughter and happiness for this gentleman who struggled through life until he found his niche in comedy. After spending many days living on the road, he got enough money, bought clothes and did some studying. 

Learie said he obtained five GCE subjects and landed a job at the Farmhouse Bakery. Later he applied for a job in a real estate company where he rose to administrative manager. This was certainly not the place for this joker. He wanted to make people laugh. “If you are angry or upset it causes lines on your face. You get old before your time, when you are always serious and upset. You must learn how to smile even through the worst situations. You must be able to find something funny to take your mind off the pain. When you find that laughter then you clear your thoughts and you can work again,” he related with humility. He has been able to reach the heights of success as a comedian that few comedians in TT have achieved. And he attributes this to his ability to stay focused on a topic and keep it as close to the ground as possible. His talent as joker has taken him to many parts of the world.

About his chosen profession, he commented: “If you have to make a joke out of any topic, then you have to look at it from all angles. You need to concentrate on the side of the story that no one else would think of, the side that is hilarious and outrageous. Then you have to bring across your story as simply and as effectively as possible,” he said. Today Learie’s face is seen in many advertisements. He is in demand on almost every stage where there is comedy in the Caribbean. He does not relax at all — he is always looking for new material. Learie will be celebrating 25 years as a comedian at the Grand Stand, Queen’s Park Savannah on October 4. “If you want to buss the stress, you know where to be. Come nah. Laugh a little. It will release the folds in the face and it will make the heart rejoice,” he said.