Schools
Jimmy Handshaw Is More Than Your Average April Fool
Blowing up a balloon with his nose and licking his own elbow: Just two of Jimmy Handshaw's comedic talents.
Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Jimmy Handshaw
- Age: 17
- School: Ocean City High School (senior)
- Accomplishment: Blowing up a balloon with his nose and licking his elbow.
In honor of April Fool's week, we picked a Whiz Kid with the gift of making people laugh.
Jimmy displayed his stand-up comic skills for the first time in the "OC's Got Talent" show in February, and though he didn't win, he tickled a lot of people's funny bones. (Click on the video icon to see his performance.)
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Let's face it, if you don't think it's funny that someone can blow up a balloon with his nose and lick his own elbow, then you just have no sense of humor.
Of course, there's a lot more to Jimmy, son of Jim and Patricia and older brother to Jack, 15, and Josh, 14, than these two tricks.
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“I think everyone is funny in some way,” Jimmy said, “but I think my parents are proud I have the guts to stand up and do that. My mom just asks me not say anything that would disgrace the family.”
Comedy, Jimmy said, is his fallback plan—he plans to study pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island. Who knows—someday maybe Jimmy will be a famous stand-up comic pharmacist and we can say we knew him when.
Before starting college, he'll be working his fourth summer at Oves Restaurant at Fourth Street and the Boardwalk, where he says he enjoys cracking people up while renting them bikes and surreys.
OK, back to what we know you all want to hear more about: blowing-up-the-balloon-with-nose and elbow licking. Jimmy explained that it was Wojo Franks, his best friend since kindergarten, who first dared him to try these tricks–just to see if they could be done. Does that mean Jimmy would try anything somebody dared him to do?
“Within reason,” he admitted.
It was a no-brainer for Jimmy when the organizer of the O.C. Band Jam asked him to emcee, which meant entertaining the audience with jokes and stories while bands set up to perform.
“It was for a good cause,” Jimmy said. “I didn't really plan it out in advance what I would say. I thought I was going to go up, tell stories and hope people laugh. My policy is–just give it your best shot.”
And there you have it, folks: Words of wisdom from a wise guy. And that's no April Fool's.
