By Mina Briseño

Part comedy, part social commentary, part travelogue, Roots of Comedy With Jesus Trejo gives you an inside look of the other side of the laughter, revealing how the most memorable comedy traces back to the roots of a community with themes that are central to the series. Jesus Trejo, an LA based comedian embarks on an emotional odyssey as he visits with comedians from all walks of life, delving into their childhood, style of comedy and their why.  Why they become a comic, why they choose the jokes they tell, and just plain piercing the facade of the comedian.

Along his journey, Trejo visits six U.S. regions (Denver, Portland, Minneapolis, Austin, Los Angeles and Chinle, Arizona).  He meets with six rising comedians who explore the mosaic of our nation through the lens of stand-up comedy. The six episode series with 30-minute episodes is executive produced by Jesus Trejo, Juan Devis and Danny Lee, and co-produced for PBS by PBS SoCal and BIPOC-production studio CALICO in association with the National Multicultural Alliance. 

Trejo is a Los Angeles-based comedian, actor and writer. Born and raised in Long Beach, Trejo’s first hour stand-up special Stay at Home Son recently premiered on Showtime. He was a Staff Writer on Hulu’s now cancelled TV comedy  This Fool and also the host of Tacos Con Todo. a web series in which he navigates the LA taco scene with celebrity guests. Also an author of two upcoming children’s books, Trejo was named in “Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch” in 2017 and is a paid regular at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles.

Beginning on Friday, May 24 all six episodes of Roots of Comedy With Jesus Trejo will stream for free on the PBS app and PBS.org as a special release. The series will also be available to stream on the PBS YouTube channel, following the television broadcast premiere on PBS stations across the country on Fri., June 21 at 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT.

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Jesus Trejo, who is a staple in the Los Angeles standup comedy scene, just released his long-awaited first comedy special debut on Showtime, Jesus Trejo: Stay at Home Son, which premiered on May 29, 2020. It’s now available to view on Showtime and for streaming on the Showtime app and Hulu Showtime add-on.

Trejo has spent 13 years making a name for himself in the live standup comedy circuit. Along with multiple recognitions, he was most notably featured in the “10 Comics to Watch in 2017” list in the business trade Variety , alongside popular comedians Tiffany Haddish and Hasan Minhaj. Trejo also hosts his own YouTube show with comedians, Tacos Con Todo (Tacos with Everything), with an array of popular comedians from Joey Diaz, to Pauly Shore, to fellow Long Beach native Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias.

The 33-year-old Long Beach, CA native began his interest in comedy, like most comics, as a fan of comedy. As a child, Trejo was exposed to the comedy of his Mexican immigrant parents, including the popular Mexican comedic icon Cantinflas. Another early major influence, was Bobby’s World, an early 1990’s animated series starring standup comedian Howie Mandel. Eventually, he discovered and became a fan of a wide variety of heavyweight standup comedians such as Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Hicks, Sam Kinson, and Richard Pryor. Trejo was also heavily influenced by the pioneering Latino comedians Paul Rodriguez and George Lopez seeing them as “voices to my upbringing”.

For years, Trejo, especially during his high school years, dreamed of being a comedian and having his own comedy special, like his comedic heroes. When he revealed this dream to his parents, they were let down over his decision of going into comedy. A reaction most successful comedians faced in their earlier days. Trejo’s parents, like many immigrant parents, saw the American Dream as going to college and having a job or career with a stable income. Although Trejo did attend college, Cal State Dominguez Hills, majoring in marketing, his calling was standup comedy. With comedy in his heart, he continued to pursue his heart’s passion.

Trejo’s fist standup performance was at 20-years-old, at an open mic in Long Beach, where he “bombed”. As a result, it took him one year to get back on the stage. After getting over that initial setback Trejo became more persistent in standup comedy, navigating through both the achievements and disappointments that come with being a standup comedian. He realized early on, “Even though I love the art, you know there is still a business side to it. You have to match up the art with the business”. Over time his weekend open mic participation slowly turned into paid gigs, eventually launching his professional comedic career.

Recognizing Trejo’s talent at an AARP comedy event, AARP Studios made Trejo the focus of their first original film, Care to Laugh. They filmed for a year, documented Trejo being caregiver when both of his parents were diagnosed with cancer.  Jesus moved back home with his parents to oversee their care and to take over his father’s landscaping business.  All this while also trying to pursue your own career and personal goals.

While it’s traditional for Latino families to help care for elderly parents, the role of the caregiver is usually expected to be filled by the women of the family, while the men’s role is limited to just working outside of the home and bringing home a paycheck. Trejo challenges this expectation, showing a positive and progressive image of the Latino man. He demonstrates how a son can be just as capable and responsible as a daughter to care for elderly parents as a caregiver. Also, he shows that Latino men can be caring, compassionate, and nurturing. Trejo wants to, “Write a positive narrative of our culture, and to have more men like myself step up and care for our parents.” A perspective he went in-depth within his special Stay at Home Son.

Stay at Home Son, was filmed over two shows at The El Portal Theatre in West Hollywood, CA. Through his unique and sincere brand of humor, Trejo discussed a variety of subjects of his life, from childhood to the present. Most notably detailing the funny, yet awkward situations of caring for his parents as an only child. With situations such as having them follow a strict medical diet, only to find their stash of chicharróns. Another notable story of the special was the awkwardness of a seven-year-old Trejo having to translate for his Spanish-only speaking mother, and the demands of an English-speaking thief trying to rob them. This special was a refreshing and funny perspective of a Latino Millennial filled with sincerity.

For the premiere of Stay at Home Son Trejo and his parents had their own viewing party at home, with pizza, cake, and a good table cloth. After watching the special and seeing all of the work their son put into this special, they were finally proud of him. They got to witness their son succeed in his American Dream. This special was just the beginning of what will, no doubt, be a bright future in comedy.

In my conversation with Trejo, I mentioned how exciting it was to see another Latino with a standup special like Garbiel Iglesias and George Lopez. He responded with an abundance of sincerity, “I’m very fortunate and I’m blown away to be mentioned in the conversation, in the scene with those huge names.” Trejo continued, “I still have a long way to go. These guys are legends and have put in the work. Overall, I hope to one day be in those conversations more and more, but I realize [how much] work [it will require]. I’m excited to get to work and put out more specials.”

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