Making people laugh
There’s something funny about Mr. Chris Bontrager’s sixth-grade classroom at Farwell Elementary School, and no, it isn’t the smell (badum-cha). It’s Bradley Haubert, an 11-year-old aspiring stand-up comic.
“This is a good one,” says Bradley. “What’s green, fuzzy, weighs 500 pounds and would crush you if it fell out of a tree? A pool table.”
Bradley’s life as a comedian began shortly after he began to talk. It seems he was born with the gift of making milk squirt out of noses. He says his favorite thing is to make people laugh. He even has had the opportunity to “gig” in his own classroom.
“We had some time to kill before we went to recess, and I started telling jokes, and before I knew it, a crowd gathered around me. It was fun.”
When he isn’t telling jokes or doing impressions, Bradley – or “just plain Brad” – likes to rollerblade, play video games and hang out with friends. He also enjoys fishing from the shores of the Little Spokane River or one of the lakes in the north Spokane area.
Wrestling has been Brad’s sport of choice in recent years. He has wrestled on a league team for two years, although he took this year off to give basketball a try.
“I liked it (basketball), but I don’t think it’s my sport,” he laughs, gesturing at himself. Height is not Brad’s prominent attribute, but he is willing to give most anything a try.
“I’m pretty sure I will try out for wrestling in middle school. That seems to be my best sport.”
When asked about his dream job, he ponders the question while stroking his pretend beard.
“Well, obviously, I’d like to be a stand-up comic. I’ve watched a lot of comics, and I write some of my material based on their stuff. Dean Cook is my favorite comic, and I know he started out when he was really young. Sometimes I think I will only be a comic to pay my way through college. I’d really like to be a video game tester or designer.”
Brad says he enjoys school but admits that sometimes it’s a struggle for him. His favorite subject is social studies “because it’s fascinating and cool.”
He has decided that if he ends up at a trade school, he probably will study cooking. His favorite cook is his mom because she makes “the best key lime pie.”
“I don’t know if I could be a cook because I’m really allergic to peanuts, and I have to carry an epi-pen everywhere I go. That could be a problem in a restaurant. Hmm, I may have to rethink that. I hope the college thing works out instead,” he laughs.
“Hey, wanna hear another joke? I’ve got a million of them!”