SC comedian 'Barry McGunthrie Jr.' wants to make world better place through laughs, skits

Joey Thompson, or as he's known by many, Barry McGunthrie Jr., has been Gettin' Rowdy across South Carolina since 2010.

The 34-year-old comedian recalls a particularly rowdy moment in 2020 while working on a skit. He and filming friends, Joe Hamric and Dan Johnson, poured hot water on themselves during winter weather to recreate humidity.

"Dude, if there was an actor's union there, they would have sued me on-site," he said.

The friends still joke about the incident, texting each other memes in reference to the stunt.

And there are quite a few stunts in their popular YouTube and social media videos. For the Southern Weather video, Hamric flipped over a table. Thompson and Johnson did not know their friend was having problems walking until a week later.

"He really messed himself up pretty good in real life," Thompson said.

McGunthrie Jr. is the alter ego he created for many of his skits.

On his social media accounts, you can catch him poking fun at all things Southern in his "Gettin' Rowdy" videos. His series "Why Southerners Aren't in Horror Movies" are some of his most popular videos, with views in the hundreds of thousands.

On TikTok, he has more than 184,000 followers. On YouTube, he has more than 33,000 subscribers.

The Greer (or "Grrrrur") native's sense of humor comes from growing up with "some of the funniest people on Earth."

"It's a point of pride for me now to be an extension of the people way funnier than me, before me," he said.

Here's what drives Joey Thompson's comedy

Thompson said his comedic influences include Theo Von and Dave Chapelle. Actors Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell inspire him to, someday, pursue the film industry.

"Ultimately, I am trying to do movies. That's really what I would tell people. I have a script set in the South that is very Tommy Boy-esque. But I also love stuff like Huckleberry Finn. That was my favorite book," Thompson said.

Thompson is also trying his hand at stand-up comedy.

His "Gettin' Rowdy with Barry McGunthrie" show on Sept. 15 at the Simpsonville Arts Center had 160 guests in attendance with plenty of opportunities for fans to interact with the comedian on set. Attendee Kiki Mikkelson, of Simpsonville, said she appreciates how Thompson brings current events into the show to keep his routine fresh.

"Being a true, lifelong Southerner, I can relate to and enjoy his brand of ironic and sarcastic humor. He can be enlightening and poke fun at the same time." Mikkelson said. "I can probably see his act in a couple of months and hear something different. I think his mind will always be churning up new jokes."

When he is not playing the role of "Barry," Thompson stays busy. He is a subcontractor for a host of utility jobs, including an electrician. He's also a fill-in pastor at his church.

Like his pastor role, being a comedian feels like a calling for Thompson, giving more purpose to his life.

"I think the world can get really serious sometimes, and I'm starting to understand what I have is more of a gift than a burden," he said. "At times it felt like I had to go out and keep making this stuff [videos]. But now I'm trying to change my perspective to be, 'This is a gift from God' and I just want to use my abilities to make people laugh and make the world a better place."

When Thompson first started creating video content, he felt shy about his gift. Performing his skits in public made him feel self-conscious.

"To stand in a parking lot of a Walmart holding an iPhone with a piece of corn is not too flattering," he said. "It's scary. So if I'm acting cool, it's because I'm acting. It's not because I feel cool inside. I'm very scared."

Now that he has grown in popularity and supporters, especially in the Upstate, he knows getting out of his comfort zone was a risk worth taking. While shooting Gettin' Rowdy in Beverly Hills in 2019, a bystander asked if he could take a picture of him. Thompson realized the reach of his videos.

"Not everybody can do what I'm doing, so if I'm going to do it, then I better do it to the best. And if I'm going to do it to the best, I better have a lot of fun and better be pretty funny," he said.

Inspiration for Thompson's videos comes from unspoken thoughts ― the things people want to say but don't. His time on social media has shown him viewers are more interested in a relatable joke than a funny joke. For instance, when he said "Woodruff Road is hell" in one of his "Gettin' Rowdy" videos, it became popular with his Upstate SC audience.

"I'm not going to go on the record and say it's a good joke. It's just a statement of truth, and that has stood out to people more than some of the punch lines I worked so hard on," he said.

Here's what went down at the Simpsonville comedy show

Performing stand-up comedy may be new for Thompson, but he wants to deliver more to audiences while onstage. He wants fans who watch his videos to go into his shows not knowing what to expect.

He performs spontaneous, rapid-fire prompts where the audience can interact with him. He also mentions current local events or developments, such as Mauldin's new Bridgeway Station. He joked that the "castle" being built off I-385 resembled a Lego construction. He said the The Swamp Rabbit Trail is "a swamp with no Shrek."

A lover of music, Thompson has integrated parody cover songs into his shows where audiences can sing along. He turned Oasis' "Wonderwall" into a version joking about the Powerball. The Eagles' classic "Hotel California" also received a southern twist from Thompson, with lines like, "Welcome to the Hotel Dirty Myrtle ... such an ugly place."

Branson Dunaway, 19, traveled from Rock Hill to see Thompson's show in Simpsonville. He has been a fan of the comedian for a few months and enjoys his jokes about southern life and dry humor. He said his favorite part of the show was the music portion.

Hamric assisted Thompson onstage. He's grateful to have friends like Hamric and Johnson who share in his humor and help him in creating content.

"I don't think people understand how hard it is to pull some of these off," Thompson said. "I think they think I just show up. I wish I could say I was witty enough to think of all these jokes, but it takes writing with my friends."

Thompson's aunt, Linda Bindewald, also works behind the scenes at his shows, selling merchandise in support of her nephew. She has always helped him throughout his career, offering her home as a place for filming videos. Bindewald said Thompson's family are big supporters. Cousins have helped with props, filming and characters.

"It has been fun watching him grow and become such a talented comedian. He puts his whole heart and soul into everything he does," she said. "He is very close to my sons and it has been fun watching them all grow and succeed. 'Barry' is so creative and I can't wait to see what his future holds."

In his hometown, Thompson is loved.

"Growing up in Greer, a lot of people have watched him grow," Bindewald said. "One of the lines I always hear is, 'We love our Barry.'"

Nina Tran covers trending topics. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: SC comedian 'Barry McGunthrie Jr.' finds humor in Southern culture