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Maybe you haven't read Anita Renfroe's books, or watched her comedy DVDs. Maybe you've never seen her comedy routine at a Women of Faith conference or some other women's event. But chances are, you have encountered Anita before. Because this funny woman with the funky style and sassy attitude is none other than the comedian you watched on that hilarious YouTube video your girlfriends forwarded you in e-mails.
In her three-minute clip, Anita, a 46-year-old wife and mom of three, breathlessly sings to the galloping strains of the William Tell Overture all the "momisms" you've ever heard or repeated to your kids: "If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?" or "Stop crying, or I'll give you something real to cry about!" The overwhelming popularity of the YouTube video—boasting more than 15 million hits—landed Anita regular guest spots on Good Morning America and even garnered her a profile in The New York Times Sunday magazine.
Not bad for this pastor's wife from Georgia, who got her start singing humorous ditties for church women's events. Through the years, Anita has built a loyal fan base and released a raft of comedy DVDs—most recently, one titled It's Probably Just My Thyroid—as well as humor books, such as The Purse-Driven Life and If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother (both NavPress). She even recently coauthored a marriage devotional book, Songs in the Key of Solomon (Cook), with her spouse of 26 years, John.
"We've always ministered together," Anita says of her husband. "But five years ago, John became amazed at what God was doing through this vehicle of comedy. He decided to leave the pastorate to join me full-time on the road. Now I like to say he's in charge of 'estrogen evangelism'!"
In this exclusive interview, Anita talks about being a YouTube phenomenon, not taking herself too seriously, and finding joy in tough times.
What prompted you to post that video on YouTube? My children dared me to put something online; I figured if it made me look cooler to my kids, why not?
So, just before last Mother's Day, I posted the "Total Momsense" song, thinking maybe 500 people would view it. At first it just lay there. Then last autumn, the video went from 100,000 hits to a million hits in only ten days. Obviously, I'd underestimated the power of YouTube!
That's when life started getting crazy. Good Morning America called me very early one morning to ask permission to show the clip. I might have been asleep with drool on my cheek, but I'm not stupid! I said OK. Then the producers asked me to appear on one of the next week's shows; after a few more appearances, GMA approached me about doing regular segments. I was honored.
I know God provided these opportunities, because, honestly, I'm not smart enough to manipulate them.
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