Unfiltered Truth: Comedy's Power with Leslie Jones

Mick Unplugged

Comedian Leslie Jones shares her journey of authenticity, resilience, and comedic truth in a heartfelt conversation with Mick Unplugged. She emphasizes living honestly, embracing self-worth, and using humor as healing.

Key takeaways

• Truth builds identity; lies drain energy

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) So there's a whole personality of yourself sitting on the bench watching you be something else. And it's just so sad. And it will make you sad because it's hard to continue a lie. Those are very painful things. The truth is very rugged and very raw. But in the end of the day, you go, but it's me and it's the truth. And I ain't got to fake it. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of Mick Unplud, and today I'm truly excited and honored because I've got another living legend that is about to bless the podcast. We're talking about phenom. We're talking about talent. We're talking about three-time Emmy nominated. We're talking about Times Magazine top. 100 most influential people in the world. We're talking about the comedian's comedian, the people's people. None other. Then Leslie, how you doing today, there? Wow, that is an introduction right there. I'm like, who is he talking about? I'm talking about you. I'm like, uh-uh. I'm talking about L Dog over there. Oh, that's so funny. Thank you. I appreciate that. No, no, no, no. No, thank you. I was telling you offline how. such a huge fan. My mom loves you. My mom is a minister and freaking loves Lexi Jones. Let me tell you. She might be in the pulpit quoting her Leslie Jones quote every other sermon. I'm just going to throw that out there too. Really? Oh, my goodness. That is hilarious. Hey, so you're on the first. Where is she a reach at? In South Carolina. So Greenville, South Carolina is my hometown. Oh, man. I think I'm going to. in South Carolina, too. She'll bring the whole congregation. Oh, my goodness. They better be ready. Oh, they'll be ready. You ain't got to change your words or nothing. You can just be ready. They're going to be ready. I never do. I never. I never. Grown folks is grown folks. And plus, I always do jokes that I do real jokes. It's not just about the curse words or anything. And she would actually love this new set that I'm doing because I do some stuff on Adam and E. and on David and Goliath. And it's hysterical. All right, Mom. You got some new pulpit material. Just let you know. Just let you know. But Leslie, again, I'm so honored to have you here. I know how busy your schedule is. I'm a huge fan of you. And the weird thing is it's not even about your comedy. I will go top five dead or alive. My L. Boogie is there, right? Leslie Jones is there. Wow. But it's the human being that you are. It's the things that you do when there's no camera, or when there's no mic. I know most people don't see that you do, but you've got a community around, you've got family around you that you give to. And so I wanted to applaud you for that before we went anywhere because you mean so much to me for who you are as a person. Thank you. That I want the world to know that. And I want you to particularly know that. That's so nice. You know what I've known as to is that, you know, your crowd reflects who you are as a person to. and all my crowds are so great. Like they're loving, they're real, they're honest, they're vulnerable, they're seeking healing, you know, seeking a new way to make things right, to bring joy. And, you know, you don't just get to that position just by circumstance. You walk through it. And that's why I tell everybody, I mean, I'm not a, I don't think I'm such a deep person to be able to avoid walking through my fire, if that makes any sense. You know, I just go, just go through it because it makes you a better person. It just does. You can't hide from things that are going to be an obstacle. You can't hide from it. You have to just go through it. That's it. And if you get to the other side, the feeling that you're going to. you'll have of triumph. Because we've all been to the, we've all been to that point where we're like, I'm not going to make it through this. I'm like, I don't, I don't know how I'm going to make it through this. And we make it. Yeah. And that, that is, that puts callous on us. That puts, uh, armor. That's, that's the armor that I believe that God says to put on, you know. That's the one that I think. I, I know people, I think that's the armor that you put on. And people always ask me all the time, you know, it's just about really living. Like you just live your life. Everybody's ever, you're going to have bad days. But you're also going to have good days. Let's celebrate them just as much as we notice the bad, you know. And also, too, whenever I talk to someone, you can notice how someone talks to themselves or how they don't appreciate their life. When people go, I'm just so stupid, I go, don't say. that because your body doesn't know you're playing. Your body doesn't know you're joking. Your body doesn't know you're just throwing that out that. Your yourself doesn't. And appreciate where you are. Like, I was just telling this one girl, I was like, she was like, yo, I really want to get a bigger apartment. And I was like, appreciate what you got. Appreciate the apartment that you got. Because that is really a thing. Think about it, humans. Let's say you have kids, right? And you bought your cater toy. right? And your kid is asking for another toy. Well, you didn't appreciate the last toy. So I'm not going to give you something else. That's how God works too, I really believe. I am right there with you. And you said something that I tell people all the time. And it's true. It's science, right? Like your brain doesn't know the difference between reality and a thought, right? It's processing, process and processing process. So if you continue to put negative thoughts and negative energy, that becomes you developing your brain to look for those things, to feel those things. And those things draw towards you too. Exactly. And you have to, I'm telling me, and I tell people this all the time, because they always ask me how I'm going to tell you it's the hardest thing. But only you can do it. Only you can do it. I can sit and talk to you to your purple in the face. So I'm purple in the face. You know what I'm saying? But only you can go inside of yourself and find that positive negative button and flip it on. Only you can do that. I don't know. And it really is just thinking it. Like what happened with me was I was like one day, I was like, dude, I got to start thinking more positive. This is just ridiculous. You've got to think more positive. And you say that and you mean it. and your spirit and your universe or whatever it is you believe in takes you towards that. I believe that wholeheartedly. And it's not easy. I tell everybody it's not easy to love yourself and like yourself. That is a job. Just like when you're trying to like a boyfriend or a new friend or a relative, you have to do the same thing with yourself. You have to like yourself because people try to give things that they don't have. If you don't have love for yourself, you can't give it to someone else. And I know that sounds like a cliche, but my mom used to drill that into me. She goes, no one is going to like you until you like yourself. And I know it sounds silly. And I used to be like, it does sound silly because who would hate themselves? But you do. And we lie to ourselves daily. Daily we are lying to ourselves from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed. And that's why you need therapy. to me. You need counsel. So someone outside of your thoughts can go, hey, that's not true. Like, I had to tell my therapist had to look at me and go, you're lying. Like, hey, that's a lie. Yeah. Like, and I'm going to show you why that's a lie. And you have to look at the story you're telling yourself and go, oh, oh, yeah, that's not actually accurate. I did that so I can have this. Like, because you think what you think, you think you're watching out for yourself. That's what you think. You think you're going, no, I'm keeping myself in check. No, you keep yourself in a lie. And the truth has set you free? Hey, you took us to church. I'm over here looking for a collection play right now. Like, we need a collection plate and a closing hearing. I just tell people, if you can just do that with yourself. Yeah. You become a different human being. You don't want to hurt people because you can feel their pain to. You don't want to do bad. You don't want to put out bad. You want to put out nothing but joy. And that's where I am in my life right now. And I really want to help people get to that. And my job as a comedian is to make you laugh it out. There it is. You know? I love it. I love it. And, you know, I usually ask the first question around, like, what's your because that purpose, that thing that's