Welcome to Blind Guy Comedy! A Brief History And Introduction of What This Blind Comedian Canadian is All About.
The story behind the jokes, the blindness, and the person behind Blind Guy Comedy. ← My favourite
My name is J.R. Bjornson, and I am a stand-up comedian from Red Deer, Alberta. I have been performing for over eight years.
You can listen to the audio of Blind Guy Comedy or if you prefer, you can just read the blog. Accessibility rocks!
Addressing the elephant in the room... yes, I am blind. Just look at the scars on my eyes. I have Peters anomaly, which causes scarring of the corneas. Due to a lack of viable technology, surgeons in Canada will not attempt a corneal transplant because there isn’t enough technology to ensure that the inside of my eyeballs is fully developed. So, I continue to live as someone who is blind and visually impaired.
Blind Guy Comedy was created in 2020, and it became something much bigger than I ever imagined. From the beginning of my career in 2017 until 2020, I was simply known as stand-up comedian J.R. Bjornson. Then, during a few Comedy Zone Zoom shows throughout 2020, I typed “Blind Guy Comedy” into the little name tag at the bottom of my Zoom window, just for the heck of it.
From there, it kind of skyrocketed. I started telling people, “Just search for Blind Guy Comedy,” and it just kept growing from there.
So, what is Blind Guy Comedy?
It’s a more positive version of myself that I bring to the stage. I educate people about the frustrations and annoyances of being blind, but also the positive side of living with blindness, all through educational, observational stand-up comedy.
For example, one of my jokes is:
“I quit going to the gym because I wasn’t seeing the results.”
It sounds like a dumb joke, but it’s funny because it’s rooted in real life.
The truth is, I really did quit going to the gym. Not because I wasn’t seeing results, but because modern gym equipment isn’t very accessible—especially now that so much of it relies on touchscreens.
Which brings me to another joke:
“I don’t like using self-checkouts because I can never check myself out.”
It’s a double joke.
First, these eyes don’t really work. They try, but touchscreens aren’t exactly designed with blind people in mind. So, literally, I can’t check myself out.
But it also works as, “Do I look good today? I have no idea!”
And, on a more serious note, self-checkouts still aren’t very accessible for many people with vision loss.
All of my humour comes from a place of saying, “Here’s why being blind can be frustrating... but here’s why it can also be funny.” If people leave my show laughing while also learning something new about blindness, then I’ve done my job.
Every joke I tell comes from lived experience, observation, love, respect, understanding, and humility.
Another fun fact about me: I’m half Indigenous.
What’s up?
My mom is Indigenous, and my dad is white. Sometimes I joke that my dad probably walked up and said, “Hey... I kind of took your land, but... can I marry you anyway?”
I don’t think that’s exactly how my mom tells the story.
Sometimes on stage—especially during an 18+ show—I point to one side of my body and say:
“This side had the land... and this side took it.”
I’m Indigenous, and I’m incredibly proud of that part of who I am. I have my Status card, and I love weaving Indigenous humour into my act whenever it fits naturally.
For example, Father’s Day was always a little confusing for me because I didn’t meet my biological father until I was 19 years old.
I’ll sometimes follow that up with another joke:
“I wonder if Father’s Day is just as confusing on the reserve?”
Then I’ll quote my friend Hilda Lambert, who always says:
“Always date three rivers down.”
Again, it’s all observational. My comedy always comes from a place of love, respect, humility, and having fun with life’s experiences.
Blind Guy Comedy has continued to grow every single year, and I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported this journey.
This is who I am.
If you’d like to follow this blind guy’s journey, be sure to subscribe here on the Blind Guy Comedy website.
Thank you so much for stopping by today.
to check out the links around the website. You can also find me across social media if you’d like to follow along.
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Every few months I post full stand up comedy sett, shows where I have been professionally paid to do. And I also post my video blogs regarding Comedy too. Subscribe to Blind Guy Comedy on YouTube.
Until next time, take care. Sincerely, Blind Guy Comedy