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Orlando comedian Taetattedup is pushing the comedy scene forward, and she’s evolving, too
Taetattedup's Balloon Pop Comedy brings interactive laughs to Orlando
Published on June 16, 2025
Orlando comedian Jonte “Taetattedup” Vaughn is host of a new weekly comedy night at Proper, a downtown Orlando hotspot. Drawing inspiration from the viral YouTube dating phenomenon, Pop the Balloon or Find Love, Balloon Pop Comedy engages the audience by handing them some control of the outcome.
The YouTube dating show, created by Phoenix-based couple Arlette Amuli and Bolia "BM" Matundu, gained significant traction since its December 2023 debut for its accurate portrayal of modern dating dynamics, where people decide in an instant whether or not they like someone, just like dating apps, by popping a balloon if they’re not interested in a romantic prospect.
Vaughn has skillfully adapted this interactive element for the comedy stage. Each comedian faces an audience holding in their hands the power to end the performer’s set. If four in the crowd pop their balloons, the set is over. If that threshold isn’t met, the comedian gets to finish a five-minute set.
“I want the audience to feel like they are part of the show,” said Vaughn. “It’s time to evolve the comedy scene in Orlando and bring new ideas that get people involved. At the end of the night, they need to have really loved how they spent their time.”
The 8 p.m. Wednesday show is produced by Jarri Knows — one of his nine comedy productions currently in motion.
“I just want to reach an open-minded audience that knows what good comedy is, even when it’s bad,” he said.
Knows also runs Monday comedy at The Other Bar on Wall Street, Orlando’s longest-running open mic. The comedy don in recent years has built up a significant portfolio of projects in some of the area’s most popular venues, showing his versatility. While The Other Bar has a hole-in-the-wall vibe, Proper is an elegant craft cocktail lounge with a Danley Sound flagship system. Whatever the setting, Jarri is at ease, creating a wide range of memorable experiences for guests.
Jarri Knows expanded from standup to production and has established himself as a force in Orlando’s nightlife and entertainment scene | Photo by Marvick Yah Acha
Meanwhile, Vaughn’s comfort on stage is deeply rooted in her past experiences, long before she became a comedian. Growing up in Orlando, she frequently performed in church plays. As a kid, she was also a contestant on a Nickelodeon show filmed at Universal Studios, Splat.
Vaughn’s formal entry into comedy began in 2021. Unlike most comedians, her first time on stage was not at an open mic.
“I was in beauty school, and one of the students there kept telling me how funny she thought I was,” Vaughn told The Orlando Life. “She had a comedian friend she wanted to introduce me to, Desmond Atkins. He put me on a show at a venue in the West Oaks Mall. I knew in November of 2020 I was going to be on the show, and I practiced every day in the mirror right up to the show, which was in February of 2021.”
After that, she became a fixture in the local comedy scene, appearing in more showcases and at Wil “Dirtbag” Miller’s mic at Night Shade Lounge, at that time a crucible for new comedians like Vaughn and another rising star, Kam Patterson. The two met for the first time at Ross McCoy’s Wednesday open mic at Bull & Bush Pub in Orlando’s Milk District (now run by Blake Butler), and along with Derriel “Shopwitchaboy” Lewis and “King Quelz” Sumter set a new tone for set a new tone for Orlando comedy: bold, untamed and unfiltered.
Their sets crackled with a kind of fearless momentum and a refusal to play it safe. Together, with support and encouragement from more seasoned comedians like Miller, Vince Taylor, David Jolly, and others they pushed the scene forward.
All four were often seen at Taylor’s Comedy & Karaoke at The Dreams Lounge in Casselberry and his showcase Comedy at the Kingdom, at International Drive’s Bronze Kingdom.
Eager to absorb everything she could about the business of comedy, Vaugn stepped up to host at Dreams a dozen times or more, mentored by the veteran comedian.
Now, a few years have gone by and Vaughn is furthering her hosting skills.
“Because I’ve been on the scene for four years now and I’m out at shows so much, people don’t realize that I’m still working toward becoming a headliner. I’m still learning everything about the business of the game,” she said. “One of the reasons I partnered with Jarri on Balloon Pop Comedy is because I need more stage time. I’m going to learn how to produce and headline.”
Balloon Pop Comedy
Where: Proper, 112 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801
When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays
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