Being a stand-up comedian seems to require a combination of courage, self-loathing, and an inability to be embarrassed. Even if I was funny, I couldn't imagine having the stones to get up on stage and do a set.
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It’s such an art form, though. Look at Rodney Dangerfield. Absolutely one of the all time greats, and he’s literally just up there dropping terrible, corny ass Dad Jokes.
Nobody else could do his set and pull it off. And that’s why comedy is so unique.
It also requires, apparently, years of being bad to mediocre at it yet keeping at it constantly before seeing any real results. If anything, it is amazing that we have great stand ups at all.
For every Shane Gillis, I'm sure there are probably 10,000 other dudes as naturally funny who, quite intelligently, didn't spend their 20s in abject poverty driving across the country to be ridiculed most nights per week just to chase the powerball odds of stardom.
If nobody else is going to do it, I will . . . @KingLlama GET IN HERE!
Bought several items from them. Great stuff. LED light packages are a must!
Had an old work buddy do an open mic night at Comedy Off Broadway years ago. We all went to support him and it was shaky but fine. He left feeling reasonably ok. The guy at COB told him to come back in a few weeks but to not tell anyone he was doing it again (no support). Needless to say, he bombed to the point of never doing it again.
It's just constantly walking a tightrope without a net underneath. That's the best way I know how to describe it.
A year ago tonight was my first (and kinda only) true "bomb" set. It was for a corporate gathering, at the end of their Christmas dinner. They were there to eat, get their awards, and get gifts from management. They weren't there to hear jokes, and they certainly weren't there to hear me.
It was an absolutely miserable experience. But I did three shows the following month anyway.
I'm approaching it the way I want to, so my stress level is pretty minimal. I'm not trying to "make it" as a career comic, so I can be choosy and do the shows I want to do, when I want to do them, and how I want to do them. I'm stressed for the friends I've made who are trying to do it full-time, hitting every single open mic, and living/dying with each set. It's really hard to watch, and I've tried to be supportive in any way I can.
What I love most about it is the craft....taking a seed of an idea and constantly working it to squeeze as much out of it as possible. Obviously, the adrenaline from a joke that kills is something beyond description. Making a room full of strangers laugh hard at something is as close as I'll get to knowing what it must feel like to dunk a basketball, etc. Those are the two things that keep me coming back. That, and all the hard drugs that are readily available to me.
Along with legit theater, A stand up show is as close to a guaranteed relaxing date night as you can have, imo.
Bonus points that you/she can't talk, so there's not even anything to argue or be annoyed about.
Bonus points that you/she can't talk, so there's not even anything to argue or be annoyed about.
Dangerfield (sorry, I’ve been hooked for a while): from what I’ve seen, his act never changed much over the years. But as he got older/more experienced, he took his timing and delivery to a whole new level. Just a total expert. All his quirky little facial maneuvers, adjusting his tie awkwardly, the finger point, the weird sounds, etc. Same act, but much better results. It’s amazing how much all that stuff paid off.
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