Does Clean Comedy Even Exist Anymore?

In a summer packed with raunchy movie comedies such as “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” and “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” it’s easy to assume that the quest for laughs has become mired in nonstop smut.

It’s also harder each year to find family friendly TV comedies that don’t require a special talk each week to explain to the kids what they just were exposed to, thanks to shows like “The Real O’Neals” and the late, boundary-pushing “Two and a Half Men.”

“You can always add dirty to clean, but it’s tough to take dirty away and make it clean.”

But simply complaining that all comedy is filthy is also inaccurate and ignores the many performers and filmmakers offering hope to families even today.

With animation booming bigger than ever, “Finding Dory” has managed to score more than $400 million at the box office with no signs of stopping, and “The Secret Life of Pets” opened to more than $100 million its first weekend.

Clean comedy has often gone to the cartoons, but the Dwayne Johnson-Kevin Hart comedy “Central Intelligence” has also proven to be a $100 million-plus blockbuster while maintaining a PG-13 rating that was earned mainly for a ridiculous rear-male-nudity scene and bloodless action violence.

But what about stand-up comedy?

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With the legendary Bill Cosby having destroyed his once-family-focused comedy legacy through the revelations of the rape allegations against him, who is carrying the clean comedy torch these days?

According to manager Barry Katz, who has handled the careers of Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, and Dane Cook in the past, and currently handles a lengthy roster of stars headed by Jay Mohr, the obituary for clean comedy has been written way too early by critics.

“I don’t know anybody who’s requesting R-rated and blue comedy specifically anywhere. I don’t think that’s ever been anything, that you hear people say ‘God, I just need to find the next comedian who says F every other word and the C word, where do I find that guy to spend $20 million on the first 13 episodes of a sitcom?'” says Katz.

“These days it doesn’t matter if you’re blue [extremely dirty] or clean as long as you have a strong point of view that can be done with or without it. The toughest part for blue comedians is the network late-night set, to do 5 to 7 minutes. When you’re used to using a swear in a joke and have to take it out, it doesn’t flow the same way. It’s not as great. The rhythm is off. That’s the biggest challenge for blue vs. clean comics.”

Katz went on to reel off a list of comedy icons who weren’t known for being blue, ranging from legends Rodney Dangerfield and Don Rickles through currently popular superstars Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Gaffigan.

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“You can always add dirty to clean, but it’s tough to take dirty away and make it clean,” says Katz. “Generally, among the biggest comics, half are blue and half cleaner. There’s no system — it’s pretty clear that can happen.”

Meanwhile, Ron Pearson is a veteran Los Angeles comic who has managed to have a thriving career for the past 27 years as a “warm-up” comic for countless sitcoms (currently including  Netflix’s “Fuller House” and “The Ranch” and CBS’ “The Odd Couple”) and game shows, keeping studio audiences entertained during the long breaks between takes.

An amazing juggler as well, Pearson has found explosive success performing at corporate conventions, as well as the Christian comedy circuit and even headlining some of the top clubs in Hollywood, such as the Laugh Factory and the Ice House — landing above plenty of star comics with dirtier appeal.

“If you’re clean, once you’re famous, you can write your own ticket,” says Pearson. “If you get the exposure, you’ll get traction because there are so few cleaner guys left, in my opinion. When I started one-third were clean, one-third were in the middle, and one-third were dirty, but that was 25 years ago when TV had to be clean. A third of the acts would stick with that and do that.”

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He says those days are “gone now because the whole culture has shifted and television doesn’t necessarily look for clean.”

Pearson notes that it’s much harder to write a joke without dirty elements, and he takes pride in making the effort. He credits not only being a parent who’s concerned with presenting a good example for his children, but also his deeply held Christian faith for inspiring his choice of career direction.

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“Your faith makes up who you are as a person, so you’d have to say that’s a factor,” says Pearson.

“Have I ever cursed on stage? Yeah, probably when I was really mad. I don’t write dirty jokes — I’m not in the habit of it. It sours my spirit, but there’s room for it in the culture. I followed Andrew Dice Clay after an hour-and-a-half-long concert of his at the Laugh Factory, and I thought ‘How am I gonna go over?’ I did fine; they loved it because it was such a different flavor.”

Pearson notes that he’s occasionally been poked fun at by peers for his stance, and that Comedy Central has given him notes that “my act’s not edgy enough, which means curse a little more. But that was years and years ago.”

“I’ve made a real good living for three decades because I chose to go another way,” Pearson concludes. “You can also say God chose to put His hand of blessing on me. Funny can be dirty and clean — funny is funny. Dirty fans will still like the clean guy. I think there’s a great place for clean comedy and I wish it was promoted a little more. I think it should have a bigger following than it does.”