Comedian Resists Easy Ball-Touching Joke About Dillon Brooks

By Clay Beyersdorfer

MEMPHIS, TN - Local comedian Mike Johnson (@mikeymadeafunny) was faced with a moral dilemma over the weekend when Memphis Grizzlies’ guard Dillon Brooks Grizzlies was ejected for hitting LeBron James in the groin during Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Known for his irreverent humor, Johnson wrestled with the urge to make a juvenile ball-touching joke in a tweet but ultimately resisted.

"As a comedian, I strive to push boundaries, but I also have to be mindful of social norms and show respect. I won’t lie to you though, it was really hard,” Johnson told EOTB before muttering “That’s what she said,” under his breath.

End of the Bench managed to capture a screenshot of the tweet before it was deleted.

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Upon further reflection, Johnson admitted the joke would be “crass and immature,” and decided to take it down.

“As someone who has been hit in the balls by many women, I can assure you that it’s not fun,” Johnson said. “My heart goes out to him, and that’s why I ultimately deleted the tweet.”

Many of Johnson's followers were surprised by his decision, as they are accustomed to his edgy style of humor. 

"Mike always says what everybody is thinking, so I was shocked he took the tweet down about Brooks," said one of his longtime followers, who wished to remain anonymous. "Cancel culture at its finest I suppose.”

Despite missing out on a potential viral tweet, Johnson stands by his decision. 

"As a comedian, I have a responsibility to be mindful of the impact my words can have," he explained. "Much like an elderly man’s testicles, it's easy to go for the low-hanging fruit, but I want to strive for smarter, more insightful humor."

Johnson's act of restraint has sparked a larger conversation online about the line between edgy and offensive humor. Some praised his decision, while others criticized him for censoring himself. Johnson, however, remains steadfast in his choice.

"I know I could have gotten a lot of retweets with a ball joke, but I didn't want to contribute to the culture of tasteless humor I was seeing online already," Johnson said. "There are plenty of other ways to be funny without resorting to cheap shots. I mean take a look at Dillon Brooks’ career versus LeBron’s, now that’s a joke. Shit, I should probably tweet that. Someone else already has? Damn."

Moving forward, Johnson plans to continue using his platform to promote more “edgy, topical humor,” even if it means passing up on easy opportunities for laughs.

“I’ll stick to just owning the Libs from now on,” he added. 

End of the Bench will have more as this story develops.

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