Canadian Jon Lajoie wasn’t exactly discovering fire when, in 2007, he began creating and uploading original comedy songs to YouTube. In fact, as far as comedians were concerned, he was way behind the curve. But Lajoie used the tools exactly the way they were intended to be used, showcasing his unique point of view and developing a fiercely loyal following as a result.
What’s notable about Lajoie is that his comedy, with the exception of a 2 Girls 1 Cup-themed love ballad, is relatively uninspired by your typical Google Trends-inspired topics. And Lajoie’s ability to shift musical styles and personas makes him an extremely versatile comedic presence, able to quickly shift from the Kid Rock-esque Stay At Home Dad (complete with tiny little baby) to the pop ballad-esque High As F–k.
To try and break down why each is funny would be to kill the joke, but Lajoie’s overall approach is oriented around forthright, blunt takes on his subject matter. Even the most hardcore feminist wouldn’t be able to resist cracking a smile at Show Me Your Genitals, which is so fiercely misogynistic that the parody of rap music tropes is obvious.
And even Lajoie’s “missteps” are great — Bootlegs and B-Sides, ostensibly a number of failed song and video experiments, plays like a compilation of Seth McFarlane’s Cavalcade shorts, except more effortless, and thus even more hilarious.
Instead, Lajoie’s shorts, which score view counts in the millions, initially found a foothold on the YouTube charts thanks to his Canadian audience (his channel is the No. 2 All-Time Most Subscribed in Canada and No. 1 All-Time Most Subscribed Comedian), before gaining a following on Funny or Die. Lajoie has acquired Los Angeles representation and is now booking regular comedy gigs both in Canada and the L.A. area; he’s also recently secured fans in Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, and has a talent holding deal with HBO that includes creating a pilot. It’s the kind of success that makes everyone feel good, because he came about it honestly — by simply being funny.
