It’s not a good day for Big Jay Oakerson since the even bigger NBA star Joel Embiid is on an early summer vacation. 

Oakerson is as passionate about basketball and Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers as he is about comedy. 

“I love the Sixers,” Oakerson said. “I live and die with them. I can’t believe they lost and their season is over.”

Oakerson is a Philly dude and a Philadelphia comic through and through. It’s extra painful for Oakerson, who lives in New York, since the New York Knicks beat the Sixers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. Philly natives stay with their teams. 

Then there are Philly comics, who deliver stories in a very distinct manner. 

“You can always tell a stand-up who comes from Philadelphia,” the late David Brenner said during a 1995 interview. “There’s something in the water.”

There’s a thread that links Brenner with Dom Irrera, Kevin Hart, Craig Shoemaker, and Oakerson.

“Philly is like no other city,” Oakerson said from San Jose, California. “It shapes you.”

Your chance to see what a Philly comic sounds like comes May 17-18 when Oakerson performs four shows at Summit City Comedy Club.

Early introduction

It’s not surprising that blue is Oakerson’s favorite color. The veteran comic is as blue collar as fellow humorists Jeff Foxworthy and Ron White

“That’s just how it was for me ever since I can remember,” Oakerson said. “It was all blue collar. I grew up blue collar. I take pride in being a blue-collar comic.”

Oakerson, 46, is also a blue comic. 

“It all starts with Andrew ‘Dice’ Clay,” Oakerson said of the adult humor. “My stepfather showed me Dice’s special, The Diceman Cometh, when I was 12 years old, and that opened my eyes and mind.”

An old-school comic had an even bigger impact on Oakerson. 

“When I was a kid, I was listening to Howard Stern, and I heard Buddy Hackett on the Stern Show, and he was hilarious,” Oakerson said. “I started digging into Buddy Hackett, and he was very dirty. For some reason, I’m drawn to that stuff and so is my audience.”

What to expect

Oakerson is at his best when riffing about relationships and his lack of political awareness.

It’s not as if Oakerson is concerned about being politically correct. The New York-based comic killed it during his 2023 special Dog Belly, which is on YouTube.

“The special has some wild stuff in it,” he said. “I’ll talk about the trouble I got into.”

Oakerson is referring to an epic outdoor stand-up show he headlined in suburban Philadelphia in 2021. A disorderly fan was verbally crushed by Oakerson. However, the heckler’s brother crept on stage and pulled the stool from which Oakerson was sitting out from under him and chaos ensued. 

“A drunk lunatic started all of this trouble after I destroyed his sister,” Oakerson said. “It was unreal. I got on top of him, but my fans pulled me away and said, ‘Don’t get in trouble for this. We got this.’ The guy who surprised me on stage got arrested that night. It made for a crazy story.”

Expect Oakerson to wax about his 21-year-old daughter when he performs at Summit City: “I’m trying to figure out if I should be happy being completely in the dark about her personal life. She’s a good kid. She’s not doing drugs.”

Oakerson cares about his daughter, but his policy about everything else is anything goes. 

“I don’t get why people are upset about the trans movement,” Oakerson said. “I think it’s ridiculous to cut your wiener off, but should a trans person be allowed to work in a store? Absolutely. I’ll talk about that when I come in.”

Crowd work makes up a healthy bit of Oakerson’s sets. 

“What’s so interesting is that the most seemingly boring couple is more interesting than you would think,” Oakerson said. “If the most straight-laced couple allows me to ask a few questions, I promise you, I’ll get to the weird that no one knows about. Look at Jared (Fogle) from Subway. Who knew what was going on with him? Jared seemed like a run-of-the-mill nerd. I get people in the audience to reveal strange things since I’m open about what’s odd about me. My self-deprecation leads to some interesting revelations from fans.”

Paternal figures

Comic Jim Norton believes the best comedy comes from folks who have struggled through difficult situations. 

Oakerson has faced considerable adversity. His biological father was primarily absent for much of his childhood.

“It’s not easy when you don’t have a father around,” Oakerson said. “Ask any comic.”

During a 2005 interview with Chris Rock, I asked how Rock became a success while growing up in crime-ridden Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed-Stuy. 

“We were the only family on the block that had a father,” Rock said. “It made a huge difference.”

Damon Wayans said the same thing when asked how his incredibly successful family came of age in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen when it was bleak during the ’70s. 

“Our father made sure we were accountable,” Wayans said. “He turned us into men.”

Contemporaries

Oakerson had to figure things out himself. After briefly attending community college, he became a bouncer at strip clubs and worked as a chauffeur. 

“I did all that could to pay the bills,” he said.

All of Oakerson’s spare time was devoted to comedy, and he became a solid stand-up. Dave Attell, who is one of the most underrated comics on the circuit, noticed and tabbed Oakerson to open some of his gigs. 

“There is no one quite like Dave Attell,” Oakerson said. “Dave has been in the business for so long since he’s unlike the hacks and cruise ship comics since he keeps his finger on the pulse. He knows what’s going on. His references are relevant. He’s also hilarious.”

Nu-metalists Korn are fans and added Oakerson as a support act.

“It’s been an amazing career,” Oakerson said. “I had to work hard for all of this.”

But it’s the blue-collar working class roots, and the relentlessness born from growing up in Philly, that has helped him put together an enviable career. 

Oakerson recalls hanging out with the aforementioned Hart when they were cutting their teeth as humorists in Philly clubs. 

The diminutive Hart is not just one of the most successful comics in the world, headlining stadiums. The equally obsessed Sixers fan is also ubiquitous in the world of commercials.

“It’s wild how things have gone for Kevin since he would come over and play Madden with me,” Oakerson said. “I remember being broke getting ready to do open mics with him. Now look at how successful he is. It’s amazing.”

Oakerson is a solid success in his own right. His days of working as a bouncer are way in the rear-view. 

“I worked hard to get where I am,” he said. “I’m still working hard since I’m not where I need to be yet.”