This couldn’t be a complete farewell tour for Galloblog without a John Crist post, amiright? My thoughts about Crist have oscillated over the past year or so. I held back on posting anything about him for a while because posting during the peak of the cancellation storm seemed exploitative and icky.
But, here we are. Let’s recap, for those of you who do not stalk this blog –
November 2017 – I post an extremely silly post about how I broke off my engagement to John Crist. This post was written largely to poke fun at the desperado of single Christian women in the church (e.g. taking every friendly gesture from Christian men wayyyy to seriously).
Spring 2018- the engagement post starts getting *tons* of views. I realize some people are actually taking this seriously. I feel a combo of “lol” and “yay! Blog traffic!”
February 2019 – I notice I’m getting a lot of hits from Twitter, which is very unusual for my blog. I investigate 🧐 and discover someone is accusing John Crist of being abusive to women and is citing my satirical engagement post as proof. I think “lol” and “oh dear.” So I private message John Crist on Twitter and explain the situation and offer to take it down if he would like me to. He actually replied (!!!) and said to keep it up because it was funny. Then he also said to let him know if I wanted free tickets to his next show in my area. So of course I was like “Hellz yeah!”
April 2019 – he gives me 2 amazing tickets to his show. He tells me to come say hey after the show. We have this ironic jokey text exchange –
So my boyfriend, friend + hubs, and I all went to the back to see him. It was a very quick conversation , but it something along the lines of “yeah, people are so mean online. Let me know if anyone ever gives you any trouble!” And that was pretty much it. I even have photographic evidence (I cropped out my boyfriend’s face for privacy – but my bf is the true babu of my heart!).
So anyway, fast-forward to November 2019- Charisma News published a bombshell article John Crist Cancels 2019 Tour Dates After Reports of Sexting, Harassment, Manipulation that detailed the sexual misconduct allegations from five women. “According to multiple sources, Crist has exploited his Christian reputation and platform to harass, manipulate and exploit young women over the last seven years. The allegations include, but are not limited to, individually sexting multiple women during the same time period, initiating sexual relationships with married women and women in committed relationships, offering show tickets in exchange for sexual favors and repeatedly calling these women late at night while drunk.”
A day or two later, John Crist issued a written response-
“My behavior has been destructive and sinful. I’ve sinned against God, against women and the people who I love the most. I have violated my own Christian beliefs, convictions and values, and have hurt many people in the process,” Crist said. “I am sorry for the hurt and pain I have caused these women and will continue to seek their forgiveness. I have also hurt the name of Jesus and have sought His forgiveness.”
I shared the entire saga because I find it bizarre. Our entire exchange was very innocent. Did he have creepy plans, and then change his mind when I mentioned a boyfriend? Unlikely, given married women weren’t an obstacle. Did he change his mind when he saw me in person? Unlikely, given that I am exquisite. 😉 Could it be that it was because he was dating Lauren Alaina at the time? Maybe he offers free tickets to many people, and only occasionally got a little creepy-creeps?
I have no idea. I don’t think I will ever know, unless I asked him directly. But I am not going to abuse having his digits. Not to mention the dude has probably changed his number at this point. All I know for sure is that he treated me 100% appropriately.
Now, a graceless segue into the main point of this post – should John Crist be canceled forever? I’ve thought a little bit about this, and I think John Crist needs to come back. Forever cancellation would be way too harsh. Why?
- His behavior was creepy, yes, but incredibly mild compared to “secular” comedians. Honestly if he wasn’t being labeled as an “evangelical Christian” – which I’m not even sure he would identify as – I don’t think anyone would even bat an eyelash. I mean good Lort, *opens can of worms* our President who is certainly not being shunned by the majority of Christian conservatives has unapologetically said and done much worse. And I’d like to float the idea that the personal failures of the U.S. President are more important than the personal failures of a comedian.
- Yes, his comedy was centered around Christians and church culture, but he never claimed to be a spiritual leader or offered anything remotely spiritual during his comedy acts. So I don’t think he should be held to the standard of a pastor or some other spiritual leaders.
- I hate this culture of wanting people to forever be buried because they had a moral failure. (Note – I mean John Crist level moral failure, not Harvey Weinstein.) Good grief – if you broadcasted everything I did – or dug up stuff I did when I was 19 – you would cancel me, too! The only saving grace for me is that I’m not important or famous enough for anyone to care. And what’s the long-term outcome for him – be forever banned from the career he’s been building for 10-15 years? Should we do this for all people who don’t hold up to our moral standards- like should I refuse to do business with a plumber if I know he cheated on his wife? Where does it all end? Should people who are canceled be put on government assistance for life? Imprisoned?? Euthanized??? I’m being dramatic, but seriously – I’m against shutting people out and sabotaging their future forever because they said and did some inappropriate things (NOTE AGAIN: of this scale).
- On a very selfish note, I miss his comedy. I think we need it right now. Trey Kennedy is a weak echo of John Crist and it’s not enough!
In toto…
My personal interactions with John Crist made me think he was the bee’s knees. What he admitted to doing is bad, and in no way am I trying to minimize the badness of it. But the punishment is disproportionate to the crime. Come back please!
galloblog 
Who says bees knees?….what century are you from…and he should come back but only if he supports your blog and gives you more free tickets so you can re-evaluate his lifestyle choices and post abt them online…seems fair since you are the only one supporting of him(that i know of).
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I’m from the century of YOUR BUTT!
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I 100% agree with the crux of this post. I don’t think your interactions excuse him from being a creep. I think he was a nice guy that often gave out free tickets and met fans, but let’s say he did that for thousands each year. I think the number of women he took advantage of is probably relatively low compared to the number of people he had non-creepy interactions with. Still though, it looks like a large group of women if you isolate it. Creeps can be kind too. I find what happened to Crist to be so similar with what happened to Louis CK. Louis got in trouble for masturbating in front of multiple women. The thing is he asked for consent every time. Creepy? Sure. The same as Weinstien, hardly. Same with Aziz Ansari. His story is so similar to Crist it seems. The fact is that Aziz, Louis, and Crist all strike me as creepy, but they did not assault anyone. Listen, I’m a 29 year old dude that used to be in a band. I know for a fact I’ve done things similar to Crist and have a nearly identical story to what Aziz was accused of when I was in my younger twenties. We can’t cancel people forever just because they made mistakes. Very different than Weinstein or Cosby. When you rape multiple people, I think you’re done. But that’s why they’re in prison or under trial! Anyway… Just my two cents.
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Thanks for your thoughts! I think there needs to be an acknowledgment of scale. An unintended consequence of the me too movement has been putting an off color joke in the same bucket as rape. Obviously off color jokes shouldn’t be condoned but the failure to distinguish them actually deadens and numbs us to truly disgusting and deplorable acts.
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This grown man both has sexual desires AND loves Christ?! Tell me it isn’t so! He flirts with women who place him on a pedastool and then feel hurt that he didn’t live up to their standard? [Gasp]
Look, he did a douchey thing. But he’s not a douchey person. If he didn’t violate anyone, then no harm done (outside of his relationship with our Creator)
Apologies are appropriate, but his personal/sexual life is none of my business. I hate to hear he’s struggling and I do hope he finds healing. Definitely shouldn’t be punished for his ethical shortcomings, as I wouldn’t want mine being scrutinized.
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Haha yes, thank you for mentioning the role of the women involved. Even though he was / is a quasi celebrity, it’s not like they were powerless to resist his allure 😆 what happened to them seems more along the lines of “icky” than abuse.
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And I absolutely feel for those who were let down by his actions. That’s a fair response. And those women are allowed to call him out for being icky… as a celebrity he signs up for people sharing his questionable actions. I simply choose to look past this because this is one part of him, and it does not erase those other good parts.
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Agreed! 💯
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Yes yes yes! I agree with you and I miss him so much. I hope as a person he is doing well. I hope he will do comedy again, but I’m sure it’s very daunting given how judgmental our culture has become. And you are spot on with Trey Kennedy 😄
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Yeah I’m interested to see how it all plays out. I really think he could help people through the quarantine blues right now, so I hope soon! Thanks for reading and commenting 😀
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John Crist is a person , a human just like all of us. We are all quick to judge but slow to forgive. There is no need for punishment, it sounds like John Crist May be doing that to himself. Sometimes our sin has a way of leaving us buried in our mess . We serve a GOD who LOVES US Unconditionally, even when we can’t love ourselves. JESUS CHRIST came to die for our Sins so that we don’t have to be smothered in our sin. We can ask for forgiveness and be set free.
If JESUS CHRIST can forgive us then why do we put so much pressure on what the world thinks of us??
You are Loved by Christ The King ♥️
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🙌
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He is sadly hi-level douchey; top-to-bottom!
A master manipulator & victimizer. Wish it wasn’t so, but it is. ‘What’s the answer?’ is the actual question. We don’t need to toss him aside-but I need proof he’s not victimizing & that he’s transparent to someone. And on a daily basis-before I feel the same way about him.
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Do you know him personally?
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I was searching online for info because I just don’t know how to feel about his come-back. I have a very weird feeling seeing his face and him joking again.
I guess I was very upset for the women that felt creeped out when they saw him becoming more successful, knowing what he had done to them, but also feeling like the behavior was douchey and wrong but not criminal—could not be charged for it.
I saw him live and it was a great show—I guess I must have put him on a pedestal too without realizing it and it was a special night out with my son—who I have told about the accusations (which I believe to be true) and don’t want him to see me supporting a sexual abuser/maybe more accurately a sexual deviant.
Like many have said, if someone investigated into our pasts and our experiences when we were in our 20s, we would be in the same boat to some degree.
I honestly assume that every famous guy (secular) from rockstars to anything that has a subculture and following has probably used their fame to get attention from girls at one point or another or in every city they played in! I just don’t trust guys to be respectful of girls when they are in that situation. Christians should be held to a higher standard and the smart ones usually set up an accountability system to help. Anyway, all that to say, I’m not surprised, I don’t like it, I wish it had never happened, and I don’t quite understand why it bothers my gut so much! But in my head, I do support the opportunity for people to come through bad behavior and be supported to change and grow. I know I have been!
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I can understand being creeped out. I may be more creeped out if I knew all of what truly happened. I guess what’s most important to me is to not let myself get addicted to the feeling of self-righteous indignation. He is responsible for him, I’m responsible for me. And I don’t want to be someone who relishes pointing out the faults of someone else
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That is a very good point. He is taking responsibility, so as an outsider, that’s all I can know about the situation.
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We should all resist the urge, if we have one, to ;ook for & point out faults in others. Feeling morally superior in is foolish and asking for trouble in our own lives. This entire situation is just horribly sad.
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Forgiveness is one thing. Putting someone in the same situations they seem to have struggled with previously another. .I’m not referring to performing.
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