Matt Falk Comedy: Either offending everybody or nobody

Since his successful Dry Bar Comedy in Provo, Utah, Matt Falk may need to start going to more baptisms for the material.

"This was one of those perfect audiences," says Falk.

Since the video was uploaded on Saturday, his bit on "baptism envy" has been viewed over 400,000 times.

Falk says the inspiration did not come from any specific baptismal processional or video: "It was me thinking about my life and what I've done. ... I knew there was something kind of funny about this - something universally funny about the difference between being sprinkled or being dunked when you're baptized."

"The challenge was coming up with a way to tell this joke that is universal because literally, in the beginning, everyone I would talk to about it hated it," says Falk. 

Falk had the chance to workshop the baptism material with a diverse amount of audiences: "When I would tell the joke in secular crowds they would hate it because I was talking too much about God or I was bringing my faith into my act. Christian crowds hated it because they felt like I was mocking these things."

"I wanted to tell this joke and I want to make sure that either everybody is equally unoffended or everybody is equally offended. I had to try and find a balance and walk that line. It was really tricky with this bit, but I think it was worth it," says Falk.

"When I first started telling this joke, nobody wanted me to be telling this joke."

Falk, when performing for any crowd, has two rules: "For me, as a Christian, I have to make sure that I'm doing something that I don't go against my own conscience. For me, the big rule is not to make fun of God. As long as I'm not making fun of God, then I'm okay, as long as I'm making fun of man and making fun of humans and our own traditions the way we do things then that is okay. On the other side, if I'm not preaching to a secular audience, I feel like I'm okay. ... When I can combine those two, I finally found that balance."

"It's really important to make fun of us - to make fun of the way we do things and to find the humour in it.

Falk also points out that, in this video specifically, he is poking fun at the traditions we as people have deemed important. Comedy and laughter, says Falk, can help play a role in bringing us closer to the simple truth of the Gospel.

"Specifically, with our faith," says Falk, "I think laughter has an important role because when we make fun of something it kind of sheds light on it a little bit."

For Falk, comedy has more value than just a career or a fun way to spend time while strangers laugh at him on stage.

"I think our whole job as Christians is to act like new creations," says Falk. "After Christ died and rose again, everything radically transformed. I think we have this responsibility to renew the earth and to bring about these positive things with Christ and work with him.

"I think comedy is maybe, hopefully, one of those things that can help renew the earth, that can help bring about His kingdom. He created us with a sense of humour ... He knows that laughter is good."