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He WON the "Last Comic Standing" competition tonight! i guess the next time he performs at my local comedy club, he'll be the headliner. He was the opening act for a couple of years, and I saw him perform several times, so I already knew how good he was. I'm just pleased as hell that the rest of the country got to find out too. Part of his prize is that he gets his own standup special on Bravo. Guess I'd better get cable before it airs, heh heh.

I think all the exposure is going to have the added bonus of making cerebal palsy more known to the general public, which will be a good thing, because people will be less intimidated by it. By watching Josh Blue onstage, they could easily see that here was an intelligent man who just happened to have a body (in his case, his right arm was most visibly affected) that was less than cooperative or predictable. I know that when I was a teen, I initially made the mistake of thinking that my classmate with cerebal palsy was not intelligent because I could not understand anything he said (his speech was greatly affected). But then I saw some things he had written and realized how smart and funny he really was. And I developed respect for him because he wouldn't take any shit from anyone. If someone was rude to him, he would pop a wheelie in his wheelchair and land it right on the offender's foot! Josh Blue reminds me of my classmate because he too has made peace with his condition and encourages us to laugh with him when something is truly funny. Laughter is therapeutic for us all.

There are very few celebrities with either visible or invisible disabilities, and I think that gives the false impression that you have to look perfect or have perfect health to be entertaining. I know a lot of brilliant disabled people who feel forgotten by the world. I remember reading Michael J. Fox's autobiography and thinking how sad it was that he initially felt he had to hide his Parkinson's because it would end his career. And Montel Williams had the same mindset when first diagnosed with MS. The fact is, talent is talent. As long as your choice of career doesn't worsen your disability, I say go for it. You may encounter a lot of resistance, but you may pave the way for others who are too inimidated to shine.

Yayyyyyyy, Josh!