Chris Fleming (comedian)

Chris Fleming
Fleming in 2018
Personal information
Born (1987-01-29) January 29, 1987 (age 37)
Stow, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationSkidmore College[1]
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • YouTube Personality
  • Actor
  • Musician
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2009–present
Subscribers439 thousand[2]
Total views83.3 million[2]
Last updated: 07/05/24

Chris Fleming (born January 29, 1987) is an American comedian and actor best known for his YouTube series Gayle, in which he stars as the eponymous character Gayle Waters-Waters. In June 2019, Variety named Fleming one of its "10 Comics to Watch for 2019".[3]

Fleming is known for his unique, specific character comedy[4][5] and "powerful, ridiculous songs."[6] Much of Fleming's comedy is aimed at deconstructing social norms, including masculinity.[7] He has been described as accruing an online cult following.[7]

A staff writer for FSUNews, covering an appearance at Florida State University, praised his stand-up performance's underlying message, stating, "Fleming does not seem to give too much respect to anything, including himself, which allows him to rid different social norms and constructs of their power."[7]

Fleming has been described as a "progressive gender-bending role model."[7] Fleming has stated that he accepts any pronouns, stating, "Anything works for me."[8]

Early life and education

[edit]

Fleming grew up in Stow, Massachusetts and attended Nashoba Regional High School.[citation needed] During his junior year, he began stand-up comedy at The Comedy Studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts, studying under Rick Jenkins.[9]

In 2007, Fleming performed stand-up during HBO's 13th annual Comedy Festival in Aspen, Colorado.[10]

He received a degree in theater from Skidmore College in 2009,[11][12] and graduated one credit short of receiving a minor in dance.[13]

Gayle

[edit]

Gayle is a 40-episode, absurdist comedy series on YouTube.[13] The series is written by Fleming and directed by comedian Melissa Strype, who also plays Gayle's daughter, Terry Gross Waters-Waters.[12] It was launched in 2012 and its final episode was published in 2015.[13]

The series follows high-strung, eccentric suburban mother Gayle Waters-Waters and her ruthless journey to uphold social status in the small, fictional community of Northbread, Massachusetts.[14] Fleming developed the idea for Gayle through his stand-up comedy.[12] In 2019, Fleming described the origin of her character:

I did Gayle in my stand-up and she was inspired by a lot of folks that I saw growing up...It kind of cemented as ideas do in a very singular moment when I was in a Crate & Barrel and I saw a woman diving into a barrel of placemats. Like her legs were up in the air, and she was just digging through these placemats...it just kind of came from there...I just plucked her from a tree...I have elements of her in my psyche too; it's not gender-specific thing. It's fear of how you're seen in your community, that's what it is, that's the essence of it...Why I related to her so much is just that terror of how others perceive you.[15]

Fleming's mother co-stars as Bonnie, Gayle's best friend and biggest rival (i.e., frenemy).[12] Gayle's sensitive birdwatching husband, Dave, does not reveal his face during Gayle; his voice is provided by Fleming, while his legs are portrayed by Fleming's father.[12]

The soundtrack was composed by Brian Heveron-Smith,[13] Tom Lowery, and Chris Hartford.[16] The series is filmed in Fleming's hometown in Massachusetts.[17]

Forbes reported that, in the off-seasons of filming Gayle, Fleming worked as an SAT tutor.[12]

Circa 2013, comedian Margaret Cho grew an interest in the show. In 2013, she guest starred in the episode "Chibby Point" as Yo-Yo Ma, whom Gayle kidnapped from a Barnes & Noble.[18][19]

In 2014, the Gayle team went on a US tour with the show titled Gayle Live.[20]

Although much of his hometown supports the series, with some neighbors even participating as actors,[12] Fleming claims:

There's one woman, who a lot of [Gayle] was inspired by, who is NOT happy about it, at all...[she's] absolutely pissed [because her full name is used for a background character]. I forget to change people's names sometimes, so a lot of my life has been trying to explain to people's faces that something that is very obviously about them is not about them.[15]

Fleming has expressed regret that COMPANY IS COMING, a viral 2015 short featuring Gayle,[21][22][23][24] is the series' best known project and "what I get stopped at airports for."[25] He dislikes when Gayle is known purely as a "crazy mom character," claiming her character transcends the stereotype:[8]

I've played that character for so long I have such love for her...there's so many different facets to her. That's just one part of her being. I hate that that's what people think of her in general. There's so many other beautiful shades to her psyche.[8]

Sketch comedy

[edit]

Fleming runs a YouTube channel under his full name; the channel has gained over 445,000 subscribers as of August 2024. In addition to Gayle, Fleming has a variety of other content that ranges from music videos to car rants.[26] He also posts videos on his Twitter and Instagram pages.

His 2015 video "COMPANY IS COMING,"[22] starring his Gayle character, went viral, accruing over 13.9 million views as of May 2022. In 2018, Fleming has lampooned this viral video as a Faustian bargain with a demon named Davis, who says, "We made a deal; one viral video in 2015 for a lifetime of servitude! You promised me your soul for your video COMPANY IS COMING going viral, and now sorority girls from the South like you for all the wrong reasons!"[27]

Fleming is known for his specific, unique character comedy.[4][5]

In 2020, he created "Sick Jan," a song and music video detailing his former H&R Block tax preparer who exhibited unusual behavior that intrigued Fleming.[4] In 2022, New York magazine interviewed him based on Sick Jan's similarities to Deirdre, a character in 2022 film Everything Everywhere All At Once. Fleming stated,

Jan's not an archetype, Jan's such a specific woman. ... [The] story of Sick Jan, the character herself, is so dense — maybe it's just that all tax preparers have a vibe of anarchy and Southwestern style. With Jan, obviously, it was one song, so I could focus only on the fact that she was chronically sick for three years and never addressed it. And also her desire to go to jail — her overwhelming desire. People talk about sexual tension in the video a lot, but it's just between Jan and the prison system. ... I remember putting her on speakerphone so my friends could hear her, because she would use this catchphrase while also coughing.[4]

In 2020, Fleming stated that "Sick Jan" and "DePiglio" are his personal favorite of his YouTube videos.[25]

In 2022, Fleming created a mockumentary-style interview with an eccentric male character who explains his invention of the word "umpteenth."[28]

Stand-up comedy

[edit]

In 2010, the 24-year-old Fleming moved to Los Angeles after signing with the talent agency who managed Dane Cook.[29] Fleming has stated, "I was signed to a manager who seduced me to moving out to L.A., and as soon as I got there, she promptly became a chef."[30]

In 2011, describing Fleming's brand of comedy, Jenkins stated, "Chris isn't a funny comedian; he's an interesting person who sees the world in a funny way. Chris's world is this rubbery, cartoonish, absurd place filled with over-the-top, self-important characters. It's a really cool world he shows us."[29]

Chris Fleming in 2017 at The Wilbur in Boston, Massachusetts

In January 2012, Fleming's friend, comedian Gary Gulman, invited Fleming to a party to meet successful L.A. comedians from Boston.[31] Upon arriving, Fleming realized he was at comedian Dane Cook's house, and it was a watch party of the NFL playoff between the Patriots and the Ravens.[30][32] While receiving a tour of the house, Fleming complimented its appearance, comparing it to a Crate & Barrel; Cook was not amused by the joke.[30] Dressed in androgynous clothing and having no knowledge about football, Fleming felt "freak[ed] out" and claims to have lost his sense of spatial awareness. He sat on Bill Burr's armrest "like a toy breed," eventually humiliating himself by sneezing "directly into the pleat of Bill Burr's khakis." During his 2020 Boba Everyday tour, Fleming describes the experience in detail.[30] On January 22, 2012, Dane Cook tweeted a photographic lineup of comedians at the party, including Fleming.[33] Fleming displayed this photo at the end of the stand-up routine as photographic evidence of the described party.[30] Fleming lampoons their differences in appearance by displaying the Bostonian comedians with a Dropkick Murphys song; then his own face accompanied by "Last Christmas" by Wham![30]

In 2016 and 2017 he toured the United States with his stand-up comedy show titled Showpig.[34] When asked the meaning of the title, Fleming stated, "I fancy myself a showpig – grease me up and send me to market!"[9]

Describing his comedic process to WBUR in 2019, Fleming said,

I burn the formula every time I make something. I really revel in making things that no one is asking for. I think it might be the nature of being anti-establishment is like, when people like something they're like "Oh we want more of this," I'm going to give them something completely out of left-field. I think that's a way to make inspired work. To follow yourself and not to follow what David Bowie called "The Gallery."[15]

Fleming is likely referring to Bowie's advice for young artists,[35] in which Bowie says, "Never play for the gallery...Never work for other people at what you do."[36][37]

Fleming's stand-up tour entitled Boba Everyday began in late 2019 and was postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[38] In October 2020, Fleming announced Forest Musings, a virtual show.[39] In August 2021, Fleming announced his stand-up tour, Tricky Tricky.[40] In May 2022, he announced a summer stand-up tour with venues in British Columbia, Texas, New York, Ontario, and Vermont.[41][42]

When Vulture asked for the best comedy advice he had received, Fleming responded, "Rick Jenkins, owner of the Comedy Studio [in Harvard Square],[43] taught me that, through clarity with your audience, even the most absurd idea can be accessible—also, that no idea is too absurd."[25]

Gender identity

[edit]

Fleming lampooned his audience's questions about his gender in a 2016 video titled "Am I A Man?" His response was, "Can I consider myself a man if, in a pinch, I can dry myself off with a hand towel?"[44]

When asked for his preferred pronouns in a 2019 The Peak interview, Fleming stated, "Anything works for me."[8]

In 2016, Fleming gave the following definition for manhood:

My concept of a man is someone who whacks their elbow a little bit at a Bertucci's and has no hang-ups about freaking out—zero qualms about going full Streetcar Named Desire at 2 PM...[44]

Fleming satirizes his relationship with masculinity in his comedy, such as with his 2016 song "I'm Afraid to Talk To Men"[45] and 2022 monologue "Men and Me."[46] When asked if he felt secure in his masculinity, he responded,

Oh, I'm not secure with my masculinity, I just don't have any masculinity. There's just such a lack of it, I have no respect for it.[8]

Fleming routinely describes the way he is perceived by others in his stand-up. In regards to his appearance, he has compared himself to "a cocker-spaniel who is bi at best,"[44] "a woman...from the woods [who is] deeply ill,"[30] and "an American Girl doll that got left out in the rain."[46] In 2022, he stated, "If I'm at a restaurant with a group, the waiter will ask the women, me, children, then men. That's the order of operations...I've got a Gaia thing going on, Mother Goose energy."[46]

Filmography

[edit]

Pilot

[edit]

Beginning in about 2019, Fleming created WarnerMedia/Adult Swim pilot I'm the Mayor of Bimmi Gardens.[4][47] The pilot was shot in Atlanta, Georgia in the summer of 2021.[48][49] It featured Fleming as the protagonist, a "mayor of a town off the coast of Florida (but technically a territory of Maine)."[48] Other actors included Victoria Pedretti, Perfume Genius, and Ms. Pat.[4]

In 2022, Fleming told Vulture: "[The pilot] didn't get picked up by the network that we made it for, so we're trying to get it somewhere else."[47] On August 3, 2022, Fleming shared screenshots of the pilot along with captions explaining scenes and thanking the actors.[48]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role
2012 Genderfreak Zach
2019 The Last Laugh Palace Comic

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2012–15 Gayle Gayle Waters-Waters Main role; Writer[50]
2019 Corporate Todd
Splitting Up Together Rando
Twelve Forever Mr. Fleming Voice role
The Diaper Sert
2020–23 Bigtop Burger Cesare Voice role
2021 Adventure Time: Distant Lands New Death Voice role, Episode: "Together Again"
Summer Camp Island Professor Q. Voice role, Episode: "Oscar and the Monsters Chapter 1: Unaccompanied Oscar"
2022 Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant Donny Episode: "Cheese"

Comedy specials

[edit]
Year Title Streaming service
2018 Showpig YouTube
2023 Hell Peacock

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Chris Fleming '09".
  2. ^ a b "About chuntzit". YouTube.
  3. ^ "Variety Announces 10 Comics to Watch for 2019". 13 June 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Alter, Rebecca (2022-03-31). "Chris Fleming Breaks His Silence on Deirdre Beaubeirdra". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  5. ^ a b "Mic'd Up: Ronny Chieng, Chris Fleming bring their freshest to The Wilbur". Vanyaland. 2021-11-08. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  6. ^ "Chris Fleming draws inspiration from the strangest of places". Vanyaland. 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  7. ^ a b c d Northerner, Kenneth. "Chris Fleming's stand-up teaches valuable lessons to FSU students". FSView. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  8. ^ a b c d e ""Masculinity means nothing to me" and other life mantras with Chris Fleming". The Peak. 2019-02-11. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  9. ^ a b Robert, Jeffrey. "Interview: YouTube Star/Comedian Chris Fleming Is Just A Big Comedy "Showpig" | Seattle Gay Scene | Your Daily Gay In Seattle". Seattle Gay Scene. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  10. ^ "Chris Fleming during HBO's 13th Annual U.S. Comedy Arts Festival -..." Getty Images. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  11. ^ Boston Comedy: Funny Grown Here. "Chris Fleming Interview March 2010". YouTube. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Humphrey, Michael. "Meet The Man Inside The Madwoman, Gayle Waters-Waters". Forbes. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  13. ^ a b c d Wenzel, John (9 July 2017). "The Ideal Jester for the digital age". The Denver Post. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  14. ^ The Next Big Thing in Digital Comedy: Gayle Waters-Waters. The Paley Center for Media. 2013-11-12. Archived from the original on 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ a b c "Comedian Chris Fleming On Shape-Shifting Comedy, Terry Gross And New England Moms". www.wbur.org. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  16. ^ "Dadgeplott, by Brian Heveron-Smith & Friends". Brian Heveron-Smith. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  17. ^ "Local Comedian Chris Fleming Brings Fictional Local Web Character 'Gayle' to Boston Stage". BDCWire. 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  18. ^ Gayle - Episode 26: Chibby Point. Chris Fleming. 2013-04-08. Archived from the original on 2022-08-04. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ "Margaret Cho – Chris Fleming (Gayle Waters Waters) – 1:22:19". radiopublic.com. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  20. ^ Zaino III, Nick A. "Comic takes 'Gayle' offline in Davis Square". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  21. ^ "This Is the Most Rewarding Way to Motivate Yourself to Clean Your Home". Lifehacker. 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  22. ^ a b COMPANY IS COMING. Chris Fleming. 2015-11-10. Archived from the original on 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ "With 21 million YouTube views and counting, Chris Fleming is a jester for the digital age". The Denver Post. 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  24. ^ Edwards, Theresa (2015-11-12). "This viral video is the perfect guide to frantically prepping your home for the holidays". SheKnows. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  25. ^ a b c "For Chris Fleming, No Good Idea Is Too Absurd". Vulture. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  26. ^ "Chris Fleming - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  27. ^ Davis. Chris Fleming. 2018-10-25. Archived from the original on 2022-09-24. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ "The guy who came up with the word 'umpteenth' : Video 2022 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  29. ^ a b Clark, Andrew (2011-07-31). "Some funny things happened on the way to LA". Boston.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g My Superbowl Sunday with Dane Cook. Chris Fleming. 2020-05-09. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ Levy, Marc (2017-08-03). "Comedy Studio seeks new space for 2018, ending a 21-year run atop Harvard eatery". Cambridge Day. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  32. ^ "Patriots to face Ravens in '22 home opener". www.patriots.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  33. ^ Cook, Dane [@DaneCook] (2012-01-23). "@billburr @garygulman @johncampanelli1 @thechrisarmy @paulhughescomic @wayneprevidi @keithfoti @chrisfluming #Patriots http://t.co/xYCWKroS" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2022-05-29. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via Twitter.
  34. ^ Bedford, Keith. "Chris Fleming is going beyond 'Gayle'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  35. ^ David Bowie on why you should never play to the gallery. Stuart Semple. 2016-05-12. Archived from the original on 2022-11-26. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via YouTube.
  36. ^ "David Bowie's tribute to Bob Dylan on one of his final songs". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  37. ^ "Looking back at David Bowie's advice for young artists". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  38. ^ Fleming, Chris [@chrisfluming] (2019-09-23). "new show new tour BOBA EVERYDAY tickets at https://t.co/38VHrFh8Vk https://t.co/o7s6VQVnLw" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via Twitter.
  39. ^ "Chris Fleming: Forest Musings – new media touring". Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  40. ^ Fleming, Chris [@chrisfluming] (2021-08-25). "https://t.co/38VHrEZy3M https://t.co/15B2Urstm5" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2021-11-21. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via Twitter.
  41. ^ Fleming, Chris [@chrisfluming] (2022-05-20). "summer tour tickets for you at https://t.co/38VHrEZy3M (nyc and toronto onsale tuesday) https://t.co/TidgUTUvD0" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via Twitter.
  42. ^ "Chris Fleming". Chris Fleming. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  43. ^ Zaino III Globe, Nick A. (November 24, 2021). "By George, the Comedy Studio is coming back to Harvard Square". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  44. ^ a b c Am I a Man?. Chris Fleming. 2016-03-03. Archived from the original on 2022-09-23. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via YouTube.
  45. ^ I'm Afraid To Talk To Men. Chris Fleming. 2016-07-18. Archived from the original on 2022-10-15. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via YouTube.
  46. ^ a b c men and me. Chris Fleming. 2021-07-15. Archived from the original on 2022-05-29. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via YouTube.
  47. ^ a b "Katie Ballard, Hair Department Head, Karri Farris, Makeup Department Head, BOOKED on Adult Swim Pilot, "I'm the Mayor of Bimmi Gardens". – CEC Entertainment". Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  48. ^ a b c Fleming, Chris [@chrisfluming] (2022-08-04). "last summer we shot the pilot for a show called I'm the Mayor of Bimmi Gardens in which I play the mayor of a town off the coast of Florida (but technically a territory of Maine) with some incredible people https://t.co/UQpHJKFoJq" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2022-08-04. Retrieved 2022-12-02 – via Twitter.
  49. ^ "Film Production Resume". Film Buildings LLC. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  50. ^ Gayle (TV Series 2012– ) - IMDb, retrieved 2020-10-12
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