Jay Pharoah on Virtual Comedy Clubs, 9/11 Announcements, and ‘Dragon Ball’ Love

In another lifetime, I was a high school teacher in Chesapeake, Virginia. One of the students in my school went on to become one of the top stand-up comedians in the world and a breakout on Saturday Night Live. Recently, I had the honor of reuniting with Jay Pharoah to reminisce about high school, discuss his career, and celebrate his innovative virtual special as part of Meta Horizon’s Soapstone Comedy Presents series.

Jay and I get into his origins as an impressionist and their time at Indian River High School, including a hilarious story about Principal Frye’s school-wide announcement on 9/11. They also discuss Jay’s craft of comedy, the state of modern hip-hop, and why Dragon Ball is the way to his heart.

The next showing for Jay’s episode in the Soapstone Comedy Presents VR series will be available in Meta Horizon for Meta Quest headsets owners on December 26 at 5pmPT, with additional replays to follow. The comedy series is also available on horizon.meta.com and the Meta Horizon mobile app. You can subscribe for event alerts here.