Honestly, if you’re looking for a comedian who doesn’t try too hard to be cool, you should probably look elsewhere because Spencer Jones is not that guy.
He’s the exact opposite.
In a world where every comedian tries to be the loudest voice in the room, or the smartest one in the room, Spencer just stands there.
He’s got this really goofy laugh and he talks about stuff like, getting a bit of a crush on a girl at work, or being terrible at sports.
It’s refreshingly real.
I’ve been following him for a while now and I feel like I know him, even though we’ve never met.
He just has this way of making awkwardness look like a art form.
Who is Spencer Jones anyway?
Well, he’s from Bolton.
You know, that place that seems to produce a lot of funny people like Peter Kay and Jason Manford.
It makes sense if you think about it.
It’s a working-class town, there’s a lot of humor in the struggle, and a lot of humor in the accents.
Spencer brings that raw, unpolished energy to everything he does.
He doesn’t talk down to the audience, but he doesn’t talk at them either.
He’s just hanging out with you.
It’s weird, because usually, you expect a comedian from Bolton to just do a bunch of impressions or tell stories about his nan.
Spencer does that, but he also talks about modern dating and the horrors of office life.
It’s a weird mix that actually works really well.
The Mockumentary Magic
And that leads us to his biggest trick, which is basically just talking to a camera like it’s a diary.
He calls it the mockumentary style.
It’s not really a documentary, it’s just him sitting in a room, maybe with a guitar, maybe without, and just narrating his life. And this is where things get interesting.
He talks about how he thinks everyone is judging him.
I do that too.
I always think people are staring at me when I’m at the bus stop.
Spencer just admits it out loud.
It’s brilliant because it’s relatable.
So relatable that it almost hurts a little bit. Now think about that for a second.
It’s like he’s reading my thoughts and then putting them into a joke.
But there’s a catch.
- He uses a narrator voice.
- He talks about his own insecurities.
- It feels like watching a cringey home video.
But here is the thing about that narrator voice.
It’s not just annoying, it’s also really clever. But there’s a catch.
He uses it to build up tension and then knock it down instantly.
He’ll set up a story about something happening at his job, and then he’ll just drop the mic on a small detail.
It’s the kind of subtlety that separates the good comedians from the great ones.
He makes you feel like you are a fly on the wall in his life, and that’s a really intimate way to connect with a stranger.
You get to see the bits of his life that people usually hide.
The Breakout Role: Inside No.
9
Before he was doing his own thing, Spencer Jones was already making waves on the legendary sketch show Inside No.
9. And this is where things get interesting.
I remember watching his episode and just thinking, this guy can act. Here’s the interesting part.
He played this role called Dave Gildersleeve.
It was a bit different from his stand-up because he wasn’t the one cracking the jokes.
He was playing a character who was kind of pathetic, but in a really charming way.
It showed that he has range. Here’s the interesting part.
It’s not just about being funny on stage, you know? It’s about being able to inhabit a character and make them believable.
That episode was a masterclass in understated comedy.
He didn’t need to shout to be funny.
He just needed to exist in the scene.
That role really put him on the map.
It showed the industry that he was more than just a guy from Bolton with a funny laugh.
He had the chops to be a serious actor if he wanted to be.
But he chose stand-up instead. And this is where things get interesting.
Probably because it’s more fun.
You get to write your own jokes and you get to pick your own subjects.
Plus, you don’t have to memorize a script.
I’d probably do the same thing if I could.
Stand-Up Specials and Live Shows
His stand-up special, This Is Not Happening, is a must-watch if you haven’t seen it yet.
It captures the essence of his live show.
It’s mostly just him talking to the audience, maybe playing a bit of guitar, and telling stories about his life.
It feels very personal.
It’s like he’s telling you secrets.
I remember watching it late at night on my laptop, and I found myself laughing out loud in my living room, which is embarrassing but also kinda cool because I was having a private joke with myself.
The pacing is really good too.
He knows exactly when to pause for a laugh and when to rush through a joke to keep the momentum going.
He does these little bits where he mimics different people. But there’s a catch.
He’s really good at impressions.
But he doesn’t do impressions of famous people.
He does impressions of the people you meet in real life.
The guy at the pub who thinks he’s an expert on politics, the woman in the queue who is complaining about the price of apples.
These are the kinds of characters we all know. Here’s the interesting part.
And he captures their voices perfectly. Oddly enough,
It’s a very observational style of comedy.
He watches the world and then turns it into a joke.
It’s the same way I see the world, except he’s funnier and has better jokes.
The Podcast Host
Spencer is also a really good podcaster.
He hosts The Spencer Jones Podcast.
He interviews other comedians and guests.
It’s not like the big celebrity interviews where the host asks boring questions and the guest gives a canned answer.
Spencer actually seems interested in what the other person has to say.
He asks questions that make you think.
He lets the conversation flow naturally.
It’s a really listenable show.
I find myself listening to it while I’m doing the dishes or driving to work.
It’s the kind of podcast you can have on in the background and still enjoy.
He’s got a really relaxed interviewing style.
He doesn’t try to dominate the conversation. And this is where things get interesting.
He lets the guest do the talking.
But he always has a funny question or a funny observation to throw in.
It’s like having a chat with a friend who happens to be famous.
You don’t feel intimidated or star-struck.
You just feel like you’re hanging out with two normal people.
That’s a rare gift.
It’s easy to be a terrible interviewer if you try too hard to be funny.
But Spencer just lets the conversation happen.
It’s a testament to his natural charisma.
Why We Love Him
So, why is Spencer Jones so popular right now? I think it’s because he represents a certain kind of British humor that is dying out.
The kind of humor that is self-deprecating and relatable.
He doesn’t try to be the alpha male of the comedy club.
He’s happy to be the beta.
And that makes us love him.
We all feel like the beta sometimes.
We all feel like we’re not good enough or we’re saying the wrong thing.
Spencer makes those feelings funny.
He turns our insecurities into something we can laugh at.
It’s a form of therapy, essentially.
He’s the funny friend who tells you that you’re not the only one who sucks at life.
He’s also very smart. Now think about that for a second.
He might not seem like it at first glance, because he dresses kind of casually and he has a goofy laugh.
But he’s a sharp guy.
He understands the mechanics of comedy.
He knows how to construct a joke.
He knows how to set up a premise and then deliver a punchline.
He’s a craftsman.
And that’s why his jokes land so hard.
They have structure and they have logic.
They don’t just feel like random thoughts. Oddly enough,
He takes a thought, he polishes it, and then he serves it up to you on a plate.
Oddly enough,
The Future of Comedy
Oddly enough,
I think Spencer Jones is going to be around for a long time.
He’s got the talent, the personality, and the work ethic.
He’s constantly gigging and writing new material.
He’s always on the road.
I saw him at the London Comedy Festival a few years back and he was absolutely brilliant.
The crowd was loving it.
He has this energy that just fills the room.
It’s contagious.
Once he starts laughing, you start laughing. Here’s the interesting part.
It’s hard not to like him.
He’s also really good with the audience.
He interacts with them a lot.
He takes requests sometimes.
He tells stories about the venue or the area he’s in.
It makes the whole experience feel more intimate.
It’s not just a performance, it’s a show.
And that’s what comedy is all about, isn’t it? It’s about connection.
It’s about making people feel less alone in the world.
Spencer does that better than most.
He makes you feel like you’re part of the joke. And this is where things get interesting.
That is the ultimate goal of comedy, I reckon.
Now think about that for a second.
Anyway, I could go on about him all day.
He’s just that good.
If you haven’t checked him out yet, you really should. Now think about that for a second.
Go watch one of his specials.
Go listen to his podcast. Now think about that for a second.
Go see him live if you can. And this is where things get interesting.
You won’t regret it.
You’ll probably laugh until your stomach hurts.
And isn’t that what we’re all looking for these days? A good laugh.
Something to take our minds off the bad news and the stress of daily life. And this is where things get interesting.
Spencer provides that.
He provides a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.
And in these dark times, we need that more than ever.
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Image source credit: pexels.com