What country has the sexiest men on the planet?
Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder told the women in a sold-out crowd at Stand Up that it’s not enough to visit Israel, they need to experience Israeli men.
Sponder, who is originally from the Golan Heights, wasn’t advocating for himself. He spoke about how brave his wife was to give birth with no epidural or medication and in one of the funniest moments of the 75-minute set, he mimicked her screaming in labor.
Sponder performed at the first Chosen Comedy Festival in August 2022, and while it was clear was talented, the set was only five minutes.
At Stand Up NY, he went through a range of topics and commanded the stage, even joking about a mosquito that hounded him during his performance, as well as a sign from the wall that fell forward and tapped him on the back.
Among his best bits at Stand Up NY, he pointed out the contradiction that Jews have a tough time believing that Jesus walked on water but take a certain miracle from the story of Passover as “a solid fact.”
He also told the audience it is ironic that people have become dumber with advances in technology, namely apps that remind people to drink water.
“People get dehydrated and die, cause they didn’t have a charger,” he said, and explained why there are both positive and negative attributes effects of smoking weed.
Israel, he told the crowd, is the best country in the world, though he admitted one thing could use fixing, such as why Israeli men are always in a hurry and why people should hire Jewish lawyers.
Sponder’s performance was impressive, often getting big laughs from the crowd. His English has steadily improved and the heralded show he produces “Funny Monday” is in English, but on two or three occasions, he said a phrase in Hebrew and asked the crowd to translate. Sponder explained that while he has advanced a lot with his English skills, it’s not a big deal if he forgets a phrase here and there.
“Before, the English was an obstacle, but I’ve been doing the ‘Funny Monday’ show so it’s normal for me. “Once in a while, if I mess up a word, that can be funnier than the joke itself.” He added that there is a growing market for English comedy in Israel attracting people who have made Aliyah, tourists and Israelis as well.
His tour includes gigs in Chicago and Miami before coming back to New York to perform at The Comedy Cellar, where he will record a special on September 10.
He is excited to return to Los Angeles to perform on August 23.
“The weather is always great, and the people are really chill.”
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