If you're a newbie in Dallas and decide to check out a comedy club where you hear people laughing out loud, chances are high that you might be shocked when you sight the performer. She might probably be half your height and less than half your age. And trust us here, y'all will be mindblown by how this 13-year-old manages to crack you up. Some call it practice and some say it's all in the genes, but Saffron Herndon is undoubtedly one of the funniest people you'll come across in life.
Saffron grew up watching her dad Steve Herndon perform stand up and she says that she "just knew what to do." So six years ago, this little girl picked up the mic on a stage in Dallas and took a shot at making people laugh. And what happened next? Let Saffron answer that. "No one took me seriously at first. People still have a hard time with it to this day. But after years of working in Dallas, I think everyone knew that I was here to stay and began to take me seriously. I think, for a comedian to be taken seriously, they have to know you're funny and that you actually work hard on your craft. I think I've convinced my fair share of people," she tells us.
If you're yet to check out any of Saffron's material, you must definitely take some time out of your schedule to do it. Online dating, religion, babysitting, family — she talks about everything, just about. Is her comedy offensive? Maybe. But if you feel that way, then take a good look in the mirror and congratulate yourself for being offended by what a 13-year-old said.
In case you're wondering if Saffron's a puppet who performs someone else's jokes, you're definitely wrong. "I write all my jokes myself. Of course, I take notes periodically, but all my jokes are written by me." While Saffron tells me this, I secretly wished I was half as funny as her in my mid-20s. As she was talking to us, she was pumped about attending a new middle school the next day. "I am passing all my classes with A's," says this proud Texan. "School has always come naturally to me and has never really gotten in the way," she adds.
While we neared the end of this interview, I was curious to know who has managed to crack this little funster up. Turns out, she loves Phyllis Diller and Richard Pryor. Maybe she would have loved to be alive in the 70's. Maybe then she could have watched her favourite musician, Kurt Cobain, perform on stage. "Right now my favorite comedians are John Mulaney, Bo Burnham, Hannibal Buress, Tig Notaro and a Dallas local named Wes Corwin," she signs off.
We weren't done talking. But Saffron's got school next day. So it's a wrap.
