Bartenders and places to buy smokes get more love than us? When I first started doing stand-up, I used to say Pittsburgh doesn't support comedy, Pittsburgh doesn't support it's entertainers. Now that I'm older and been doing comedy longer, I realized, how can I blame the people? I mean lets be honest, Pittsburgh doesn't care about entertainment, this is a sports town, a town of violence, a town of party goers, so that's pretty much all the news highlights. They'll highlight a Pittsburgh Steeler wiping his ass, before they highlight a lot of the artist here (Yes imma Steelers fan just proving a point here). How can the people of Pittsburgh take anyone serious, if the media gives the entertainers in it no limelight?
Now I'm not saying do a article or a news story on every single entertainer, but i mean really? Wiz Khalifa doesn't need to rely on the local media, he's national so he'll get local media. So what about all the artist that are good but get absolutely no love because they're not national? They get nothing, so how can THE PEOPLE know who's the who of entertainment in Pittsburgh if the cities media doesn't show respect? Now Granted I have been on the Cover of THE CITY PAPER, and due to that publication, it helped more people take me serious (On the CP cover, Me, Mo Mosuch on the right, and Gab Bonesso in the middle). Hell that article got me out of state road work, it made it easier for people to understand that I am not a joke, but rather I tell them. It was cool, I thought it was awesome, Upcoming Pittsburgh Comedians have never been on the front page of anything here. Then the next piece of Comedy they wanted to cover was about, "Joke theives in Pittsburgh comedy." HAAHA ARE YOU SERIOUS!? I was told by the interviewer, "My Boss thinks this will be a interesting story." I mean it's bad enough we don't get enough press, and its bad enough people don't know to take us serious. But if that article would of came out, it would of looked like we were high school kids. All it had to be was someone that didin't like someone else could get the City Paper to post rumors instead of fact. We were the last of the local comedians to be covered by the City Paper, it's sad.
It's so bad that a lot of artist, are pushing themselves to high stress levels, by making there own media outlets. Jenesis Magazine, Reppghhiphop.com, Pghcomedy.blogspot.com, I mean that's hard work. My Friend Chayse Love has a website www.Chasemebaby.com, its a website owned by a artist for artist to be spotlighted. I know that this is stressful on all these people, because as a artist you have to also get your work done. Aaron Kleiber has tons of shows, but he finds time to update the blog with almost every single Pittsburgh comedy show possible. He even puts details into show's he's not even on, yet has to find time to promote himself and perform at shows.
It's sad for Artist, how are we suppose to get out there? Ive been getting my name out there, I've opened up for many people, performed many places. And Pittsburgh still doesn't know who I am, funny thing is BET gave more more love than Pittsburgh. How backwards is that? I made a Spoof video on my youtube that became a hit, and BET's, CENTRIC TV showed love and posted the video on their website. Yet when I came out with my DVD, I asked to get pres and got played by various papers and websites. I remember one website advertised about black strippers coming into town at the Irish Center, but forgot to post a ad for my DVD? I still moved many units of DVD's, but for those that walk in the store and see the DVD. How can they take me serious if there is no help from the media?
The only website in Pittsburgh that showed love for my video was, www.RepPGHHIPHOP.com, and any of my fellow artist blogs. But yet BET(A NATIONAL CHANNEL/COMPANY) can see my talent, but the media in my city can't? Hell I was on a Philly Website, I got a NYC website showing love, but to each there own. This is a city that only had one Black radio station, a historical station. Say what you want about them not showing love to local artist as well, but it helped with Black national comedian that would come into town. It's no longer here at all, so now it's hard for the Black Community to find out what Black artist are in town. Because of this, what had to happen? A bunch of artist came together and got College radio stations. It was the only way people could get radio play, and that's ridiculous! There is a radio show here that won't let comedians on it, because they don't wanna be showed up by actual funny people? Hey that's just the word on the street, that the radio show doesn't want actual funny people on it. I don't know how true that is, but that's pathetic if it's true, suicide should be in order.
The ego of everyone in small major cities wanting to be Hollywood, is usually why things like this happen. Artist everywhere, not just here, I know the Cleveland's, and the Baltimore's, and the Minnesota's deal with this too. Artist should be more humble, but still no excuse for not highlighting the people who are on top of their game. Artist it's time for us to stop blaming the people for not coming out, but rather the media outlets. In other cities the News give highlights to National comedians that come into town to help advertise for weekends. But not here, I'm done blaming the people for the disrespect of my art and others. Yeah there will be assholes, but the media outlets don't show enough love to give people a reason to take us serious. Lets make a stand and fight for ourselves, it's time to come together, UNITED WE STAND OR DIVIDED WE..........don't get any spotlight from the surrounding media we need. Keep on trucking, Terry Jones signing out #TEAMTERRY, I love you all.
