In an age where political and culture war debates often spill over into entertainment, comedian Charlie Behrens believes that audiences crave something else—a break from anger and a room full of laughter.

Customs and Habits of Belém fox news numbers He has no intention of exacerbating the polarization that has alienated so many people from one another. He would rather use his comedic talents to bring people together.

“I think it’s polarized enough right now that I don’t have much interest in it,” he said. “I’m more interested in finding ways to bring us together, like going to a club or going to the theater or whatever.”

Comedian Charlie Behrens eschews angry comedy, arguing “there’s enough polarization happening right now”. (Photo courtesy of 2PM Sharp)

“I think when you get people in the same room and you have people who might not connect on other things, connecting over something just provides more touchpoints to know that even if someone has an opposing view to you, they’re not the devil, you know? You have to have something in common.”

born and raised in Wisconsin Behrens explores alongside his 11 siblings in his latest special, “good neighborliness,” how growing up in a large Catholic family in the Midwest shaped the way he saw the world.

“My first special was about the Midwest, which was more about looking at the world from a Midwesterner’s perspective,” he said. “There’s a lot more to it, and it runs deep into my family. I loved gambling with my grandma. I loved fishing with my family, and there’s a lot of stories about growing up. I’m one of 12 kids, so I’m a mass product — it just suits me.”

Behrens’ first exposure to comedy came not from his first open mic or competing for laughs at the school lunch table, but from sitting around his family’s kitchen table.

He explained to Fox News Digital that with such a large family, every dinner becomes a stage.

“If you’re going to say something, you better make sure what you say is good because it’s either going to make people laugh or people are going to use it to make themselves laugh at you.”

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“When you have dinner with a family of 12…the food isn’t the only thing that gets burnt,” he joked. “Everybody’s chasing each other. So it’s fun… It’s a fun way to grow up. I don’t think I’m the funniest person in the family – actually, definitely not – but it’s a fun way to grow up.”

While most of their discussions with each other are usually impromptu, the comedian shared one of the Behrens family’s Christmas traditions they call a “gimmick,” which happens in conjunction with their “Secret Santa” gift exchange.

Charlie Behrens speaks to Fox News Digital via Zoom. (Fox News)

“You choose someone, obviously be nice to that person, give that person a gift, and then you get to say what you did for them on Christmas Eve. But what we’re really looking forward to is after you do that, then you get to… roast that person,” he told Fox News Digital, adding that it’s his favorite part of the holiday.

Before starting his stand-up career, Behrens worked in a field not typically associated with laughter — journalism, where he said he infused comedy into his reporting.

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“I started working in local news early in my career and doing YouTube news. It was kind of like the early 2010s, mid-2010s… journalism and comedy journalism was being reinvented… It was always a mix of traditional journalism and like infotainment, where it was almost you trying to make the news engaging enough to get people to watch it,” he explained to Fox News Digital.

“A lot of it is headlines and then putting some punch lines or some jokes in there,” the comedian continued. “I think it got me into the structure of comedy — like title, punchline, title, punchline — and it just gets you into the rhythm of writing wisecracks… So maybe that helped me ease into comedy.”

As comedy adapts to an increasingly digital world, specials have gone from being released on vinyl, CDs and television to existing primarily on streaming services and sites like Netflix and YouTube.

Poster for Charlie Behrens’ latest special, Neighborly, currently streaming on YouTube. (Photo courtesy of 2PM Sharp)

While this evolution has helped comedians expand their reach, Behrens believes rapid technological advancements can also distract people from what matters most.

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“If you just look at technology…how technology is evolving exponentially, now you have artificial intelligence. So it touches on the absurdity of what’s going on at one end, but at the other end, you’re taking your grandma to the casino,” he contrasted. “Just look at something as simple as that and you see…technically we’re always looking for more and more, but what’s in front of us is so great and beautiful.”

He added: “If we put down our phones for a moment and acknowledge this, maybe we won’t always be looking for the next best thing.”

For Behrens, comedy is not about forcing his beliefs on an audience or scoring political points. It’s about filling a room with people from all walks of life and uniting them under an umbrella of laughter and solidarity.

His special “Neighborly” premiered on December 1, 2025 and is currently streaming on YouTube.

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