We’re teaming up with our friends at Sambazon for 100 days of little ways to change our world. Follow along for the next 100 days of action (and giveaways) on Instagram @Sambazon and at www.sambazon.com/100. And don’t forget to tell us @GOOD about how you’re changing your world with the hashtag #100Startswith1.
#100StartsWith1
Champion: David Spates
Action: Share something funny with someone who needs a laugh.
David Spates says he’s always been a joker. “I grew up in kind of a rough household, and I just didn’t like all the negativity, so I’ve always put my own positive spin on life.”
Spates’ comedic outlook came in handy when he first tried to hack it as an actor in Los Angeles nearly twenty years ago. He appeared in a few funny movies and TV shows, but it wasn’t until 2007 that his career really started to take off. It was still the early days of YouTube when Chris Crocker first posted his infamous video plea to “Leave Britney Alone!”
“I remember watching that video when it first came out and it had 600 views in a day. I was like, ‘Really?’ And the next day I checked, and there were 6,000 views. It blew my mind, though these days, I think that’s kind of a low number.” Spates figured that online videos might be a good way to get his name out there, so he started his own YouTube channel. As of publication, nearly 189,000 people subscribe to his comedy sketches and off-the-cuff routines.
Spates says his followers keep him honest. “If I miss posting a video, they let me know!” A few years ago, one subscriber revealed to Spates that she’d been contemplating suicide, but after watching a few of Spates’ videos, she changed her mind. “I’ve been through a lot of hard times myself,” says Spates, “and I think I understood somehow that comedy could be a lifesaver. But that moment made me realize how powerful laughter is. And it’s a give and take relationship—when I spread joy to someone else, they give me the energy to keep going.”
Spates Challenges You To…
Spread a little joy to someone in your life who needs it. You’ve got three options. Whichever way you go, use the hashtag #100StartsWith1:
[youtube ratio=”0.5625″ position=”standard” ]
1. Share a funny video or picture and tag a friend or loved one. It doesn’t matter what you share—though if you’re on the hunt, go ahead and share the video above.
2. Leave a funny surprise where a colleague or family member least expects it. Whether you decorate a coworker’s cubicle in the rival team’s regalia, or you just hide a silly toy under your kid’s pillow, be sure to snap a picture so you can post it later.
3. If you get ambitious, make your own funny video. You can shoot it directly in Instagram or aim for a higher production value, but Spates says it doesn’t matter. “You hear this cliche all the time, but it is so true. What really matters is, you have to be yourself. On the internet, people pick up if it’s not you—they’re looking for genuine experiences they can relate to; they like to feel like they know you.”
For inspiration, Spates offers up a few things that always make him laugh:
- Hearing kids laughing
- Watching old people yell at each other
- People who do stupid things getting instant karma
- Getting tickled
- A good clean prank
- The look on my dog’s face when I catch her doing something wrong
- The look on Wisconsin fan’s faces when they lose to Duke
We’ll be sharing some of our favorite funny moments right here on GOOD—make sure we can find yours with the hashtag #100StartsWith1. Visit Spates online for more of his videos.
