{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2Fe996794e-d981-499f-b57b-6e466445abbf","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"It's A Funny Story","description":"Canton native Shawn Reynolds is the funniest comic east of the Mississippi \u2014 but his devotion to God and family is no joke\r\n\n\n(0:02) Canton native Shawn Reynolds reflects on how a mundane job at a Dunkin Donuts as a teenager foreshadowed both his personal and professional life \u2014 one in which he\u2019d marry the love of his life and end up touring the country as a full-time comedian.\r\n\n\n(2:18) Reynolds and his wife, Katie, married young and had six children. He never thought of comedy as a career \u2014 although he was good at it \u2014 until an aunt suggested it after he gave a toast at his brother\u2019s wedding.\r\n\n\n(3:41) Reynolds tested his gig at local open mic nights and discovered, to his great surprise, that he wasn\u2019t that bad at making people laugh.\r\n\n\n(6:00) Finding success as an open mic comic at local comedy clubs, Reynolds \u2014 a devoted husband, father and committed Christian \u2014 didn\u2019t resort to the vulgarity and bathroom humor so popular in mainstream comedy in part because his kids wanted to watch him perform. \r\n\n\n(7:09) Listeners get to hear a taste of Reynolds\u2019 act, in which he jokes about his own life as a father, son, and self-proclaimed \u201ctrophy husband.\u201d\r\n\n\n(8:30) Reynolds talks about Tim Hawkins, a man whom Reynolds now considers the \u201cmountain of Christian comedy.\u201d After seeing one of Hawkins\u2019 shows, Reynolds made it his own dream to pursue comedy full time in the same vein. Before long, he was opening for Hawkins, and eventually headlining his own shows.\r\n\n\n(11:05) Reynolds talks about the difference between performing in a comedy club and performing in a church, which he often does today. While Reynolds doesn\u2019t actively seek to evangelize through his comedy, he nevertheless sees it as a ministry to those in attendance who might be hurting, struggling or depressed.\r\n\n\n(13:30) Reynolds closes each of his shows with a heartfelt, humorous story about the adoption of his son, Keegan, and how God\u2019s plan is both beautiful, funny and a bit of everything that makes life special.\r\n\n\nReporting by Daniel Meloy; script and narration by Casey McCorry; production by Ron Pangborn\r\n\n\nChurch supplies to take you from ashes to Easter, shop G.A. Fuchs Company for everything you need as you journey through Lent to Easter. Visit fuchschurchsupply.com. \r\n\n\nListen to \u2018Detroit Stories\u2019 on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Fireside. Podcasts also will be posted biweekly on DetroitCatholic.com.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/77455891-7a78-4b13-83d6-7defe9970e9b/cover.jpg"}