2 weeks Ago By Jack Hobbs
Laughter usually brings everyone together and that's what comedian Corey O'Brien hopes to do in his brand-new Red comedy show . During his thought-provoking tour, the self-described "hardcore liberal, gay Democrat" will travel to several states that voted for President Donald Trump and have an open discussion about certain issues that have been appearing in the news. Speaking exclusively with The Mirror US, the 32-year-old Pennsylvania native explained why he thought it was important to embark on the tour.
"I feel like after Trump won , a lot of people that were just in his corner were just like 'Perfect, now you're going to go off into the shadows' and I feel like I spent 32 years coming out of the shadows that I'm just like, no, there's no way in hell that I'm going to allow a person or people to make me feel like that again." O'Brien, known for his impersonation of the president and other figures on social media, stated that he fully believes that the tour would also provide an outlet for Republicans to hear about issues in a less intense setting. "So now I feel like there are people, believe it or not, there are people on the other aisle that at least would be willing to listen," he added.
Hailing from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, O'Brien stated that growing up in the conservative town "really shaped kind of how I viewed myself in my early years." He also spoke about how, throughout much of his childhood, he allowed others to sway his thoughts and opinions. "I was the only gay boy running around town.
I was very flamboyant, but I felt like there was always something wrong with me," he said. O'Brien added that wasn't until much later in life that he was able to channel his negative thoughts into humor and comedy. "Everything I talk about on stage was something that once brought me a lot of pain and anguish," He told the outlet.
"And now I've used comedy to cope and really just free myself from all of that." O'Brien's tour is scheduled to kick off next month in Arizona and will make stops in Texas, Pennsylvania, before concluding in Dania Beach, Florida. When asked about why he chose these states when Trump managed to secure 312 electoral votes, O'Brien stated that the foul locations were hopefully a launch pad for a much wide-ranging tour.
"I feel like for me, I mean picking these states, I honestly kind of just wanted to start off and do a few, I wanted to test the waters," O'Brien admitted. "I definitely, hopefully in the future want to add more, but right now I felt like I have a connection with Pennsylvania, Arizona is close to me, and Florida is just so incredibly disgustingly red. So I was just like, okay, let's do that.
And Texas is the same way. I mean, I had connections to all these states." "I wasn't just staying in one location like the West Coast or just the East Coast," he added.
O'Brien revealed that an added benefit of visiting these states would be to reach out to the queer people who are living in these areas. When asked what topics he planned on bringing up to his audience, Corey stated he was not gonna shy away from anything. "I'm not going to avoid anything.
I mean, I'm already putting myself into the lion's den, going to red States, so I'm not going to avoid a thing," he told The Mirror US. "I feel like a lot of people do have their minds made up already." "I'm opening the door and saying, here, I'm, I'm willing to have a conversation with you guys.
I'm really willing to put myself on the forefront," he added. "So if they walked in the door, if they bought a ticket, then I feel like they are too. And nothing is off-limits.
I mean, whether it be transgender athletes to Matt Gaetz's eyebrows, I'm going to talk about everything." "I really feel like it's my time to go to the forefront and have those conversations," he said. "Not to mention there are queer people that live in these conservative cities.
So I feel like if I can come and be my authentic self and allow these people to come and celebrate me in a way, I'm celebrating them and letting them know that they're not alone." According to O'Brien, this tour is unlike anything he has ever done. "I feel like it's different because I'm putting myself and my talents, my comedy, and just who I am.
I'm really putting myself out there for people to rip apart." "And also for people that disagree with me, to really, I'm giving them a chance to confront me, confront who I am head-on, and I'm doing the same thing. I'm confronting people head-on that don't agree with me, that are close-minded, ignorant.
" O'Brien also stated that he's not afraid of anything crazy happening to him while on tour. "I feel like I'm strong, confident, and I feel like I'm powerful in who I am as a gay man, just a person in general. And all the work that I've done in my life, whether it be in recovery, whether it be growing up in a small town and just overcoming all of this, I'm really not fearful of much," he said.
"I mean, of course, I'm not going to deny that there are crazy Trumpers pretty much all of his supporters are. I mean, hell, my dad's a Trumper, but I'm at a place where I'm willing to fight for the young Corey." DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.
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