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Below is an excerpt from a conversation between Clay Foley, Comedian, and Kyle Paddock, Tulsa SPCA Director of Marketing and Communications
Kyle: Clay, it’s great to be able to finally meet and have this conversation—thank you for taking the time!
Clay: My pleasure, Kyle!
Kyle: Gosh, there is so much I could ask. Why don’t we start from the beginning? Could you give our readers your elevator speech and whatever else you would like people to know about you?
Clay: Absolutely! I will try my best to make this brief. I currently live in the Champagne/Urbana area of Illinois—about two hours from Chicago. I fell into animal welfare in 2006. I was burnt out on being a retail manager and knew it was time to leave that field. While I was on the job hunt, a local humane society in Illinois was advertising for an animal cruelty investigator and humane educator. The best part (at least for me) was they did not require prior experience. I thought this would be an amazing opportunity for me as I love animals and wanted to make a difference. Fortunately they hired me and I served in that role for the next 10 years. In 2016, I left the field due to personal upheaval (more on this later). As a result, I began delving in standup comedy and fell in love with it. For me, anything that starts out as a hobby quickly becomes an obsession—in this case standup comedy. That’s where I am today!
Kyle: What an amazing and—forgive the assumption—unusual career path. Before we talk about comedy and our shared event, I’m curious about your experience as an Animal Cruelty Investigator. I know from experience in my role and observing our cruelty investigator and everything they see across Oklahoma, this type of work is not for everyone.
Clay: Man, I completely understand. I think I was lucky in the sense that Illinois is ranked toward the top as far as animal cruelty laws go. As a result, the true cases of animal cruelty I saw were not as severe as maybe some of the things people in other parts of the country see. We also tended to see less issues with overpopulation and overall cruelty. This gave me the privilege to act more as a social worker for animals and their owners, rather than being more like law enforcement. We had diversion services like a pet food pantry, low-cost care, dog house deliveries, etc.. Please don’t misunderstand—this is not to say I never saw heartbreaking things; I absolutely did. But the good things far outweighed the bad in my experience.
Kyle: That is encouraging to hear. At Tulsa SPCA, we offer all of those services you mentioned among many others to serve our community and meet people where they are. We believe strongly that the size of one’s bank account should not determine whether or not they can experience the joys of pet companionship. We also never assume the worst, and always offer help and assistance to keep animals in homes. This sounds similar to your experience.
Clay: Yes, absolutely.
Kyle: I would imagine most people would find it a bit humorous (pun intended) and ironic that an animal cruelty investigator would then become a comedian. I say this because the things we see are not particularly easy things to find the humor in.
Clay: I agree completely. When I started performing in 2016, my material focused more on personal problems many of us face, such as divorce, health problems, parental relationships, etc.. I already was used to telling crass jokes on occasion, and naturally I have added in bits and pieces from my time in animal welfare. Humor has always been a coping mechanism for me, and I find it can help others process the difficult moments in their lives and provide an escape, albeit for a brief moment. Some of my favorite jokes come from my own rescue pets and their antics at home.
Kyle: I completely understand. I remember seeing an interview—I think it was on CNN—where a comedian was asked a similar question and he said, “If we can’t laugh at the world and its issues, we can’t fix the world and its issues.” That stuck with me, and I think is something we all can relate to on some level.
Clay: Yes, that’s exactly right.
Kyle: I am excited to talk about our shared event coming up on May 31—Comedy to the Rescue! This is a brand new event for Tulsa SPCA and the first of its kind in the Tulsa area. Can you tell our audience what they can expect from you?
Clay: Sure! Comedy to the Rescue is a series of shows I take all across the country. Proceeds always benefit a local shelter or rescue—in this case Tulsa SPCA. They are 75-90 minutes long, with two Illinois based comedians. My opener, in this case Ryne, will tell regular jokes about life to get everyone laughing. Then, I continue with these types of jokes and transition to jokes about what it’s like to love animals. Your audience in particular are my kind of people, because many of them likely understand the unique frustrations (and joys!) of living with rescue animals. My performances employ multimedia tools, like a projector to give images, props, etc.. Anything to generate a laugh!
Kyle: I’m sold! We are so excited for this event. I’m curious—where do you get your comedic influence?
Clay: Well, starting at 39 years old in anything isn’t easy. My personal comedic influences were not actual stand-up comedians. I draw a lot of my inspiration from the Far Side comic strip, The Onion, and the golden era of The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live. If a joke is great, the feeling is electric! If it bombs, I let it run off my shoulders and move on. I also like to remember that the only comedian I have to compete with is the comedian I was yesterday.
Kyle: That’s a great way of looking at things, Clay. Well, you’ve inspired me to go back and watch some classic TV. For me, if I am in the mood to laugh, I watch Frasier—remember that show from the late 90s? The witty wordplay and everyday life humor is, in my opinion, the best ever in a sitcom.
Clay: Now you’ve given me homework to binge watch some Frasier!
Kyle: Lastly, how can our readers help support you and Comedy to the Rescue?
Clay: Comedy to the Rescue is still building a fan base since it is so new. If people could like Comedy to the Rescue on social media and spread the word, that would be fantastic. Tons of charities have signed up for this as a result of good publicity and we would love to keep these mutual partnerships moving forward.
Kyle: Thank you, Clay, for sitting down with me and having this conversation. I am looking forward to laughing for a great cause!
Clay: Me too, Kyle. Can’t wait to get to know Tulsa and its people and help support Tulsa SPCA and its amazing mission.
To learn more about Comedy to the Rescue, and to purchase tickets, click the link below. Don’t wait—tickets will sell fast!
