Soul Crush

24 Aug Soul Crush

Australian comic, Jim Jeffries was hired by Mariah Carey to entertain her fiancé Jim Packer at his 50^th birthday. Jeffries finally accepted an offer he couldn’t refuse, but with misgivings. As he was waiting in the kitchen, Eddie Murphy (his hero) approached and said “What are you doing here?” Jeffries replied, “I’m performing comedy.” Murphy said “Oh, that will never work” and left.

Jeffries entered the garden party, shoeless (house rules) and there were no microphones or lights. He faced DeNiro, Beatty, and other huge celebrities. Packer saw Jeffries, asked him who he was, and then said “I don’t know you.” Jeffries soldiered on and began his set.

Leonardo DiCaprio entered with three attractive females and took over. After a while he looked at Jeffries and asked the crowd “What’s all this about?” The audience responded: “We don’t know.” Packer finally remembered a Jeffries bit about gun control and asked for it. After the routine, Al Pacino goaded Jeffries into saying he was a director. All the actors were suddenly interested. Jeffries’ manager grabbed him and dragged him out. His parting words were, “Well, now you’ll have to learn to direct.”

If you’ve faced an unfriendly audience, fumbled a presentation, or beat yourself up because “professionals know how to save their show”, well, stuff happens to anyone brave enough to stand up and take the heat. Use it as material, and “Never let the b—ds grind you down.”