Chris Mejia Is an Undisputable Genius of Comedy

See Chris Mejia Saturday, May 4 at the Egyptian. by Megan Seling

On Saturday, May 4, some of the Pacific Northwest's funniest people will take the stage at the Egyptian Theatre as part of The Stranger's Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy showcase. Andy Iwancio! Dan Hurwitz! Chris Mejia! Monica Nevi! Juno Men! Bernice Larson! Kermet Apio! And headliner Sam Miller! Plus, the whole night will be hosted by Emmett Montgomery, beloved weirdo, host of Friendship Dungeon and Joketellers Union, and one of 2023's Undisputable Geniuses.

It's going to be very funny! I hope you come! Tickets are available here! Exclamation points!

This week, ahead of the show, we're getting to know all the comics. Up next is Chris Mejia, host of the Good Comedy show and fellow Vanderpump Rules fan. Of course I asked him about VPR! OF COURSE I DID.

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A post shared by Chris Mejia (@chrismejiacomedy)

How does it feel to be declared an Undisputable Genius of Comedy?

In the duration of the time I've spent living in Seattle, there's been so much amazing comedic talent that cut their teeth here and often never got any sort of love or recognition from the city. Seattle comedy means a lot to me and I always want to see the great talent here be appreciated while they're still here. So I ain't gonna front, to get to be a part of something like this means a lot and I absolutely can't wait to let this go to my head and act better than all of you next time I'm at Trader Joe's.

The show is at the Egyptian, which is rumored to be haunted. Do you believe in ghosts?

I'm ghost agnostic but also I don't fuck with ghosts, I ain't gonna test that out. If the Egyptian really is haunted, ya better not leave me alone in any rooms. I know white people love to go to haunted places to test that shit out because ya love being in places you don't belong (I've seen ya build a PCC in Central District), but nope I'm good, bro.

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A post shared by Chris Mejia (@chrismejiacomedy)

You have a funny bit on your Instagram about Seattle audiences and how we smile but don’t laugh even when something is really funny and you know, you might be right. As a Pacific Northwest native I just never noticed it until I lived somewhere else for a while. As a transplant, do you think the Seattle Freeze is real? 

Oh absolutely without a doubt the Seattle Freeze is real and anybody who denies that is toxic and therapy is a hopeless endeavor for you. It's genuinely hilarious that Seattleites will claim Californians or East Coasters are fake when meeting strangers, being nice, saying you want to hang, making actual plans, and then ghosting and canceling only to never see them again is probably the fakest thing anybody could ever do. Ya know you can say no, right? Like saying you want to hang when you have no intention to hang is not the "being nice" gesture you think it is. That said, I've been living here long enough where I've caught myself doing the same thing sometimes so honestly I'm a part of the problem, too. There's something in the water.

I appreciate that you seem to follow reality TV as much as I do. Let’s play Fuck, Marry, Kill! Jax, Sandoval, and Schwartz.

FIRST AND FOREMOST ALLOW ME TO SAY THAT VANDERPUMP RULES NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TO ENSURE CONVERSATION. IF THERE IS A MOUNT RUSHMORE MADE FOR REALITY TV, VPR IS 1000% ON THERE. IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND YOU HAVE A HIGH HORSE ABOUT NOT LIKING REALITY TV I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT EVERYONE IN YOUR FAMILY IS ANXIOUSLY WAITING TO WRITE YOU OUT OF THEIR WILL.

Anyway, this is the most important question you could have asked me and I could do a TedTalk about the raggedy beings on this show:

• So right off the bat, as much as Jax deserves to be brought out to the nearest public square and quartered medieval-ages style, it's the right decision to kill Schwartz. Schwartz is like if a weasel that was lost from its pack drank a potion and became a real boy. He's the human embodiment of when you see a chihuahua shivering because they're in a room-temperature environment. We need to put him out of his misery because he spat in the face of God and defied natural selection, it's the right thing to do.
• Marry Sandoval. Hear me out. He's about as much of a catch as a flaming lump of coal in your mouth. He deserves to be turned into a eunuch and sentenced to work as a deep-sea fisherman on one of those Most Dangerous Catch boats. I'm saying you should marry Sandoval because you can lock him into a government contract while you make every waking moment of his life an absolute living hell and then expeditiously file for a brutal divorce as your lawyers pry from his hands everything he's worth, which sadly is just a half-used bottle of Tresemmé and his collection of necklaces that he clearly purchased from Claire's.
• Look, we have to admit that out of the three Neanderthals, in terms of receiving a mildly decent dick down, your best chances are with Jax. Yes, you absolutely will need a tetanus shot after Jax jackhammers you for 10 minutes while probably looking at his own reflection in a mirror, but look at your other options. Schwartz probably fingers as good as the Crypt Keeper and as for Sandoval I have too much self-respect to get my back blown out by a man with the musical skills equivalent to the house band at Chuck E. Cheese. idgaf what ya say, the bar is NOT that low to justify banging Sandoval.

What’s your favorite place to see comedy in Seattle right now?

Yeah imma just shamelessly plug the monthly comedy show that I co-host with my dear friend and hilarious comedian Bo Johnson. The show is called Good Comedy and we get so many amazing local and nationally touring comedians, it's such a fun time! During the winter we run our show at the Here-After comedy club, but since the sun is coming out we'll be doing an outdoor run at Bickerson's Brewhouse in Ballard! First show is on Thursday, May 30th!

The Stranger presents the 2024 Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy Sat May 4 at the Egyptian Theatre, 8 pm, $25, 18+. Tickets are available here.

Read our other interviews with Andy Iwacio, Monica Nevi, Kermet Apio, and Juno Men.