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We live in a region full of hilarious people. The state of Maryland itself hosts a lineup of comedians that could rival (and likely win) a battle of humor, if that were to ever be a real thing. From Dave Chappelle to Mo’Nique to Martin Lawrence to Ego Nwodim, some of the country’s most multiskilled comics come from this soil. But those are just a few of the most well-known ones that have already amassed a level of success that puts them in front of millions.
For this week’s column, I’m highlighting a few Baltimore-area comics that have mostly gained followings from giving people consistent belly-aching laughs through social media, though a few are now making their way onto the stage.
Vontee
West Baltimore native Vontee has been a constant source of locally informed laughter for close to a decade, starting as a teen with his “The Baltimore Way” YouTube series. He has nearly a million followers across all social platforms and has gotten there by making light of situations that the everyday person experiences. And while a lot of his material is informed by his life in Baltimore, people from outside the area have still caught on.
The majority of Vontee’s funniest moments come from jokes about the workplace (trying to stay focused while in the middle of a breakup, or only being rewarded pizza parties for backbreaking work), relationships (men being overwhelmed by spending significant time with their children, while mom is out with friends) and the dynamics of the Baltimore-D.C. relationship. If you’re in need of a laugh, or a few, his Instagram page is worth endlessly scrolling.
The comedian’s most recent project is “Yeww,” a locally themed (and phonetic) take on Netflix’s crime thriller “You.” The plot is similar — stalking a love interest — but the commentary is pure Baltimore, as Vontee remarks in voice-over: ”Are you from the county? Are you from the city? I don’t know. It’s giving much Randallstown.”
Stavros Halkias
Stavros Halkias has become one of the more promising comics on the rise over the years; he seems to be on a new tour date every night. He grew up in Baltimore’s Greektown and is a graduate of Poly, which have both been the subject of some of his funniest jokes. But Halkias’ superpower isn’t that he’s a comical technician. His strength lies within his ability to make fun of people in his audience, taking simple prompts and turning them into mini-routines.
He lures people in with simple questions like “What do you do for a living?” and if the answer seems to be a little too highbrow to be real, he hilariously interrogates them until the truth comes out. In the video above, a guy claims to be a master carpenter, but after some questioning, it becomes evident that he works construction. “You treated me like I was LinkedIn,” he tells the audience member of the bait-and-switch. “You’ll be staining fine mahogany some day, but for now it’s ... drywall for you.”
Halkias doesn’t just dish it out on others, though. What brings these joke-cracking sessions full circle is that he always finds time to tear himself down as well, usually at the expense of his weight or embarrassing sexual experiences.
Smirf
In the way that Halkias and Vontee cover wide-ranging topics that anyone from anywhere could catch onto, Smirf’s Instagram comedy is for the hyper-local — and more specifically, for Black millennial/older Gen Z Baltimore natives. His “Not Me!” tagline is part of a series of videos in which he isolates a particular local establishment and lists the reasons why he no longer patronizes them. No place is safe: He’s taken aim at Harvest Fare market in Hamilton, the local Amazon warehouse and so, so many more.
The video above features him lambasting the Wendy’s on Harford Road: “What ... is the point of having a drive-through when I can’t get my food when I drive through it?” Smirf asks. “I gotta come in?” The ranting hits home for anyone that has gone there, as it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have to pull over and wait for your food. (They really do take forever.)
lawrence.burney@thebaltimorebanner.com
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Lawrence Burney was The Baltimore Banner’s arts & culture reporter. He was formerly a columnist at The Washington Post, senior editor at The FADER, and staff writer at VICE music vertical Noisey.
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