Sometimes the news is so bad that the only response is to laugh at it, Christian comedian Chonda Pierce said.
“It’s a great cultural lesson of what’s going on in the world,” she says. “Roll With It.” “Now that they’re trying to censor and cancel comics, I’m like, ‘Really? You’re shooting yourself in the foot, because in 25 years, there’ll be no reality of what was really going on in 2023, because they’re trying to censor.’
“First of all, there’s free speech, and second of all, you’re missing some great laughs. The world today is so crazy.”
Pierce said she knows not everything is funny to everyone but that the art of comedy is a “sweet gift” from the Lord.
“God created every one of our emotions and allows us to use every one of them — even our anger,” she said. “He says, ‘Be angry but sin not.’ Everything that we do, all of the arts, was used at the beginning for worship.”
But Pierce knows entertainment and other venues have been tainted by the enemy, adding, “Satan took everything to make it ugly.”
However, she has yet to be canceled. “Can you believe I haven’t been canceled?” she asked “I would love to get canceled. I think it would be so cool, and great publicity.”
On a more serious note, she spoke about the importance of supporting faith-based movies, noting it sends a message to Hollywood to make more inspirational films. Audiences can do just that with the release of “Roll With It.” Pierce plays Bonnie Taylor, a woman who is demoted from her job and faces losing her home in an auction unless she can come up with $20,000 in back taxes. In true Pierce form, Bonnie is a riot as she navigates a karaoke contest in hopes of nabbing the grand prize winnings and saving her house.
She wants people to enjoy watching the movie. “I hope they just have a fun night,” Pierce said, adding that she also hopes the movie touches hearts.
“It’s kind of the last story idea my husband and I worked on before he passed,” Pierce shared. “It sat on my desk for a long, long time. I think I was in the middle of doing a Hallmark movie and one of the directors said, ‘Have you ever done a movie around your persona?’ And I said, ‘Well, as a matter of fact I have.’”
DONATE: Metro Voice needs you to support Christian news efforts.
Reviews have been positive and the film has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie features what the Tennessean calls “hilarious cameos” with cameos by Michael W. Smith and Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and others.
The film’s other stars include Shari Rigby (Overcomer, October Baby), Evan Hofer (Run the Race), McKaley Miller (You’re Killing Me and Where Hope Grows) and Brett Gentle.
The film ran for three days in early May and is set either for a broader release in theaters or to streaming.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
