Unapologetically funny: Kiesha McCall is serious about building life in stand-up comedy

Reality wasn’t a lot of laughs for Montgomery native Kiesha McCall a few years back. She found a way to make laughter anyway with a bold style all her own. 

“When I get the microphone, everything goes out the window,” McCall said. 

Her routines tend to focus on life, work and, especially, kids. As a single mom of four, the 41-year-old says there’s a lot of ground to cover.

“I talk about my kids tremendously,” said McCall. 

Her act is relatable to regular people, but it’s certainly not bland. While she talks about her family, she wouldn’t bring them to a show. McCall said she curses… a lot. She is who she is. 

“I’m pretty bold in my comedy,” McCall said. “I pretty much will do and say what I think is funny.” 

It’s not a calling that runs in the family, but there is a link. 

“I grew up in Riverside Heights project, which is no longer up. It’s been torn down since then,” said McCall.

McCall’s mom used to watch comedy shows all the time — “Saturday Night Live,” Ellen, George Carlin, and “Def Comedy Jam.” McCall joined in.

“I never wanted to be a comedian. Never said I wanted to be one,” McCall said. “But once I got into it, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.” 

As for the next generation, that’s a possibility. McCall’s kids are involved in the video skits she creates. 

“I remake movie scenes, but we make then hilarious,” she said. “My kids play a lot of the characters.” 

So what does she find funny? It’s a matter of perspective. 

“I think I find comedy in everything, but I tend to see things different from other people,” McCall said. “What I find funny about it is not what other people find funny about it. I pull out things that you’re not even looking at, that you’re not even expecting.” 

While she doesn’t want to tear down a fan base she’s still building, McCall said she doesn’t care what people think about what she says or what topics she’s making fun of. But there is one well-worn comedy topic she tries to avoid: Politics.

“If I do talk about it, I won’t stay on it long,” McCall said. “People are so funny these days.”

The end goal is for people to know who McCall is by the time she steps off the stage. 

“I just like to leave me on the stage every time I perform,” she said.

Escaping into a better life

In 2009, with a “really, really deep” depression sinking in, McCall desperately needed an escape.

“I was going through a lot of things, emotionally, physically and financially,” McCall said. 

Slowly, on a journey that took years, she found that escape into a life of comedy and film.

As all journeys go, it started with a single step — a virtual one — when she joined Facebook in 2009. 

“I started making posts to really try to make myself laugh, to get out of the rut that I was in,” McCall said.

Her posts grabbed attention. Soon she was getting comments that she should try stand-up comedy.

“I think (depression) makes for a better comedian,” McCall said. “A lot of the things that we go through can be formed into jokes and into great material.” 

Flash forward to 2017, Lue Terrell gave her a flier for an open mic comedy contest at Montgomery’s GTSouth Geek & Gaming Tavern. She was nervous, but with her little brother at her side McCall went anyway with no intention of actually performing. Fortunately, her brother convinced her to give it a try.

“I did about 15 minutes just off the top of my dome, because I didn’t have any material planned,” McCall said. “I ended up getting second place in the competition.” 

Feeling empowered, she sought out more and more open mic comedy nights. Soon, offers started coming in for paid gigs. 

“I’ve been doing stand-up ever since,” she said.

That breakthrough led to more and more roles. She’s been on rap videos, created characters and acted in skits and a play.

“I’ve done ten movies since then,” McCall said. They’re independent films shot in Montgomery and other nearby areas. One of them is making some headway.

“Kaprice Boss of the Streets” from 2020 has made it onto streaming sites Amazon Prime, Tubi TV, and Apple TV.  It’s also available on YouTube. McCall co-stars with Arnesha Latrice Walker, the rapper known as Dymond Stackz. 

“I play her best friend in the movie,” McCall said.

Busting a glass ceiling with laughs

“They don’t want females to say this or to say that, but I do,” said McCall.  “I find that it’s more difficult for women to thrive in the comedy industry for a couple of reasons. There’s a stipulation on women saying and doing certain things as far as cursing, vulgarity and stuff like that.”

This month, FX and FX on Hulu released a new special “Hysterical.” It gives a glimpse into the lives of female stand-up comics, who face challenges in what’s been a male-dominated field. 

“I feel like a male and a female could get on stage and they could do the exact same set, the exact same jokes, and I feel like the male would get a better reaction,” McCall said.

It goes beyond routines — hair, makeup, clothing, shoes. It’s a lot of things that male comics aren’t held nearly as accountable for. 

“Everything is being criticized and judged,” she said. “I just ignore all of that… I wear my mohawk. I’m just kind of out there, like boom.” 

As a Black female comic, McCall can feel even more alone. Her list of role models is pretty short. That’s why she wants to become a role model and show other young Black females that they can do this too, if they want. 

Even beyond comedy, they can do anything. 

“You can’t be afraid,” McCall said. “If I’m afraid, then I’m never going to accomplish what I’m trying to accomplish… If you ever quit, that guarantees that you will not achieve your dream.”

Follow McCall on Facebook at Kiesha McCall (Imjustserious) and Imjustserious: Comedian Keisha McCall, on Instagram @kekewewe, Snapchat @masterkey35, and Twitter @keynotes213. 

“You’re going to remember me,” she said. “Even if you don’t like me, you’re going to remember me.”

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel at sheupel@gannett.com.