Know Your Neighbor: Laugh Out Loud with MJ Benevides

Laughing is the oldest of human emotions. It’s a stress reliever and coping mechanism. The first cackles occurred when early man narrowly averted death, perhaps a saber-toothed tiger attack or surviving a high fall from a tree. Rather than being overwhelmed with dread, laughter balances our response to potentially harmful events and stimuli. Our senses of humor have evolved, but from Jackass to Charlie Chaplin, death still lingers in the background of most jokes.

Contemporary author George Saunders says laughter is what happens when we’re told the truth more quickly than we’re used to. In cynical contrast, Nietzsche viewed laughter as a response to the existential loneliness of the human condition. A combining of both ideas would state that death is the only truth in life, an absurd fact that we humans can only combat with laughter. Twenty-four-year-old Warren comedian M.J. Benevides fundamentally understands this.

“I’m afraid of dying without having left an impression on everyone I’ve ever met,” Benevides says. “If I can tell someone a joke and they remember it for the rest of their lives then I’ve made an impact.”

These are profound words and thoughts from a young man with the majority of his life ahead of him, but Benevides is far from your average twentysomething. For starters, he’s a larger than life figure, quite literally. Tipping in at a muscular 260lbs, Benevides began making an impression on the football field playing defensive tackle for . He was also Homecoming King and elected Most School Spirited by his classmates. During his senior year, Benevides was shy a few art credits and took up guitar and acting. He won a leading part in Thoroughly Modern Millie. It’s rare these days for a young man to excel in both athletics and the humanities, but Benevides is a Generation Y Renaissance Man.

“I had an amazing time in high school,” he says. “I didn’t want to miss anything. I wanted to experience every aspect of the high school. I wanted to make a name for myself and my family.”

Benevides comes from a tight-knit, first generation Portuguese family with solid Old-World values. He loved performing on the stage, but upon entering college, sought a major that would assure him reliable work after graduating. He took some classes at CCRI and then transferred to where he is now finishing up a degree in criminal justice.

A few months ago, Benevides watched a friend perform stand-up at the Comedy Connection in East Providence. Benevides thought it looked relatively easy. People had always told him how entertaining he was. Only three classes away from graduating, Benevides didn’t mind jumping off the deep end into comedy. He thought he’d give the stage another chance.

After the show, Benevides approached the manager about performing the following weekend. He agreed and told Benevides to bring some people with him. Benevides returned the next weekend with 30 friends. He was a hit. The manager split the door with Benevides and asked him to come back. Benevides brought another 30 people and so his career had started. He’s performed a handful of times since and sees no end in sight.

“My father thinks it’s a joke, pun intended,” Benevides says.

Most of Benevides’ act centers on what it’s like to be a big guy. He also cracks jokes about being Portuguese, about having an Azorean father who would give him 50 cents to buy something from the dollar menu at McDonald’s. He also draws humor from his experiences as a volunteer fireman. Like football and firefighting, comedy is a dangerous trade.

“The only difference between football and stand-up is that you wear protection on the football field,” Benevides says. “When you’re on the field, all eyes are on the team. When you’re on the stage, all eyes are on you.”

Benevides has taken his larger than life persona to the stage. His father calls him Mr. Hollywood due to his son’s busy lifestyle. Benevides attests that although his father thinks he’s out living the fast life, the truth of the matter is that he’s busy working and taking part in his various activities.

Benevides plays indoor football for the Juggernauts in the Team Works league. He also runs and sponsors his own softball team for which he plays second base. He bartends and bounces at local bars. He rides a Harley Davidson with a motorcycle club. He volunteers at the firehouse. Benevides brings all of these daredevil activities to the stage with him. Being a larger than life figure means somehow outlasting death.

“I want people to remember me after I’m gone,” Benevides says. “Laughter seems like the best way to accomplish that. If I can get people to understand what it’s like being a big guy or what it’s like being Portuguese then maybe I’ve done something, maybe they’ll remember that for the rest of their lives.”

Those interested can watch Benevides perform at in Warren on March 15. He’ll also be performing at Bailey’s Pub and Grill in Providence on April 2.