Early Life and Cerebral Palsy

• 🌍 Josh Blue was born in Cameroon, West Africa, with Cerebral Palsy due to a birth complication, leading to an emergency C-section.
• ✈️ He was medically evacuated to New York on his second day of life, smuggled in a wicker basket by his father and a nurse.
• 🌍 After recovering, his family returned to Cameroon for two years before moving to Minnesota, where he grew up.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 As the youngest of four, he believes his parents were less overprotective, allowing him more independence to grow and pursue his goals.
• 🇸🇳 A pivotal moment was moving to Senegal at age 15, which shifted his perspective and made him feel fortunate despite his condition.

Comedy Career and Challenges

• 🎤 Josh has been a road comic for 20 years, performing around 200 shows annually.
• 🌟 He has filmed five hour-long comedy specials and enjoys the process of making people laugh.
• 🚫 He recounts instances of being treated differently due to his Cerebral Palsy, including being mistaken for a homeless person or being kicked out of establishments.
• 🎭 A significant frustration is being pigeonholed as a "cerebral palsy comic" by the industry, with Netflix even suggesting he talks too much about it.
• 🏆 He recalls being invited to the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival late in his career, receiving a standing ovation, only to be called "courageous" by a festival executive, highlighting the condescending attitudes he faces.

Sports and Personal Growth

• ⚽ Josh was a member of the U.S. Paralympic soccer team for eight years, competing internationally.
• 🤝 This experience was crucial for him to become comfortable in his body and connect with other physically disabled individuals.
• 💪 He believes his athletic background, combined with his comedy career taking off simultaneously, was a significant turning point.
• 🧠 He highlights the incredible talent within disabled athletes, noting players who could compete at elite levels regardless of their condition.

Fatherhood and Current Events

• 👨‍👧‍👦 Josh is a divorced father of two, a son (15) and a daughter (almost 13), whom he loves dearly.
• 🚗 A major challenge is not being able to drive, requiring reliance on others for transportation, though his children now assist with tasks.
• 💔 He shares the profound impact of his son being involved in the recent East High School shooting, highlighting the frequency and normalization of such events.
• 😔 He expresses frustration and anger over the lack of action on gun violence, feeling that change only occurs when those in power are personally affected.

Early Comedy and Mentorship

• 😂 Josh has loved comedy since childhood, inspired by performers like Eddie Murphy and Bill Cosby.
• 🎓 He studied stand-up comedy in college, receiving credit for his senior year project.
• 🎤 His first club performance was at the Tacoma Underground, where he faced condescending treatment from the host.
• 👩‍🏫 He credits his success partly to a dedicated scribe, Rosa Marie Daniels, who assisted him through junior high and high school, providing not just academic support but also guidance and discipline.

Advice and Future

• 🌟 Josh advises his 16-year-old self to worry less about girls liking him due to his condition and to trust that things will work out.
• 🎤 He continues to promote his comedy, social media, and his edible brand, "Josh Blue's Dream," available in Colorado and Missouri.