Category: Comedy

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Comedy Critique 36: Feb 24

I hosted an open mic after a Mardi Gras party that had about 10 people in the audience. I pulled in the 4 chatty girls that are sitting up front. That’s 9 overly engaged audience members in a row.

 

1m32s The subway joke works best if I first beatbox while I grind the pole, then go into my crazy voice for the second time. 

2m18s There was no need to finish my subway joke at that point. 

3m56s When I asked if purple held special significance, I was thinking about making a Barney the Dinosaur joke, but decided against it because the girl was a little chubby… 

4m48s I hope I haven’t scarred you, my reader. 

4m58s I should again repeat that she’s on it, and heighten by saying she’s the number one rated dater or something. 

5m51s This is the second time someone has mentioned a dead or dying dog. I still don’t have a good way to address this and am open to suggestions. 

5m55s Accusing them of lying is not a good way to go about it.

PART 2

 

1m03s Great job calling out what just happened. When I was watching this video I thought “I hope I said something about that “yeaaaah”” 

1m23s She bought me a shot so I drank and introduced people

PART 3

 

0m38s Funny cause its true

1m20s I should’ve replied to the comment of “they’re both fruity drinks”. 

Overall: I did okay hosting but had a talk with the owner later about how to be a better host. You can find that post here. I plan on using these tips and being a better host next time I do it. 

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Comedy Critique 35: Feb 22

This is my regular Sunday open mic. Usually it’s just comics, but this time there were 4 or 5 actual audience members.

 

0m24s I wanted to try almost all new material, so I decided to go with one of my most reliable jokes to start the set 

1m01s Change the word order so the punchline is at the end “Instead of George Washington, I’d rather be Tom Collins.” 

1m25s If anyone laughs when I say “because my comedy career is going places” it could be funny to stop, turn to them surprised, and say “Wow you’re a dick.” 

2m05s My BigBenComedy.com jokes needs to be rewritten to be much shorter, or funnier. 

2m21s I need to follow up “it wasn’t my girlfriend” with “it was the girl with a boyfriend who I hooked up with last week” 

2m51s If I practiced explaining what happened more, then this might actually be funny. 

3m23s I keep looking down and to the chair because that’s where I put my notes. 

3m49s I should commit to this bit even more and go more over the top. A white boy like me trying to rap is hysterical in a “laughing at you” way. 

Overall: Most of the newer jokes have promise, they just need to be reworked. Otherwise, the set was decent. I don’t always get a chance to practice my new material outloud before getting on stage and I need to work on not letting that happen.

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Comedy Critique 34: Feb 21B

This show had about 12 audience members and the five most disruptive that were up front were all the people I had managed to pull in off the street. They weren’t nasty hecklers or anything, just a little overly interactive especially with some of the comics before me… 


1m53s I need to think of a way to use this as part of my routine. Something like, “There’s two types of people, those who love their dogs, and those who look at em and say, “Hey, at least they get fed.” 

2m01s From their nervous laughter about kids locked in the basement, I should’ve kept going with this, asking them about their malnourished children and such. 

2m25s Many times a small response to a heckle is more effective than a big blow up. Everyone behaved themselves from this point on. 

2m44s I need to keep my hand out there longer 

4m48s Emphasis should be on “snuggle slut” not on the word “the” 

Overall: I think I did a good job with the small crowd and not getting thrown off by the audience interactions

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Performance Critique 33: Feb 21a

This is a paying audience at the place where I bark. I think there were about 10 people in the crowd.

0m32s I don’t need to say “most people get into stand up because…” I can just go straight into why I got into it.

1m27s I need to hold my hand out there for 2 seconds after I finish my line.

1m38s I need to go to my punchline before the audience member can respond, or else the punch gets flattened. I also shouldn’t have ignored his comment. I thought that would work because a different time I responded then went on with my joke and it didn’t work out so well. I think the best way to do it next time is to address the situation then go back by saying “I guess you weren’t laughing a minute ago because you love sweaters.”

1m56s I think the “dot com” after “puppies for yuppies” is a failed experiment. People either get the joke or they don’t.

3m30s The teenager in the front row was making like he was a pimp. I did the best I could with a reaction.

3m42s While saying “this joke will bomb” got a laugh, the actual joke didn’t because I communicated it wasn’t funny. Next time I should play it up, like, “since it doesn’t happen to you, this will be even funnier.”

5m04s I could get rid of the line “I’ve been dating around and”. Just start with “I met a new dating personality…”

5m30s If the audience member replies with a “yes I have”, I should phrase my next line in the form of a question: “Isn’t that so demasculating?”

5m50s Pause for a second or two after “fan base” to try to draw out one last laugh.

Overall: A true professional comic would’ve been able to make this small dispersed crowd laugh their heads off. I’m not that level yet but I didn’t bomb either. There’s also room for me to tighten up some jokes and plenty of ways to improve my crowd work.

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“The Comedy Bible” Quotes (3/3)

This is part 3 of 3 of quotes from The Comedy Bible by Judy Carter. Here is part 1 and part 2.

  • “I fell into the trap of equating fame with success. For so many years I felt like a failure. It didn’t matter if I got a standing ovation, had a great writing day, or even pulled in some big bucks doing comedy – I wasn’t a household name. It took me a long time to realize that success is a state of mind. My critical voice that nagged, “But you don’t have a sitcom,” quieted down as I started focusing on small triumphs – like finding a great premise, writing new material, having a great set. Today I enjoy my career. Only about 1 percent of comics are famous, yet there are a lot of us out there making a fine living from the road, corporate gigs, TV appearances, writing for other comics, speaking, and of course, writing books. Enjoy where you are – today.” (276) 
     
  • “Whether you want to write comedy or perform it, getting good is a daily challenge, and you have to work at it all the time. It’s not something you do when you feel creative. It’s something you do not matter what, even when you’re too busy, too tired, or too burnt out from your day job. You even do it when you’re recovering from plastic surgery. Why? Because that’s what it takes to get good.” (282) 
     
  • “You have to work on new material and new scripts every day.” (283) 
     
  • “Be willing to throw out material – even if it kills. If you get a chunk that kills and you do it every show, soon you will depend on that piece. You may even become frightened to perform without it. Take a courageous step and toss it out for a few months, to make room for another piece to add to your stockpile of killer material.” (283) 
     
  • “Comics with smart material but amateurish stage presence are called writers. If you want to be successful as a comic, get on stage, on any stage, as much as you can.” (284)
     
  • “No matter how talented and funny you are, if you don’t spend your waking hours asking, “How can I improve my craft?” chances are you will spend the rest of your life asking, “Would like to hear our specials today?” (288) 
     
  • “Whether you are a comedy writer or a stand-up, in order to stand out it is essential that you distinguish yourself by magnifying your brand of comedy – your identity, your image, your persona. It’s not a cerebral decision you make about yourself. It’s who you are—exaggerated times ten.” (293) 
     
  • “In order to stand out from the pack, evaluate yourself.
    1. What are your signature jokes? (Usually the jokes that get the biggest response.)
    2. What type of audience do you feel most comfortable in front of (corporate types, college students, women, gays, Italians)/
    3. What article of clothing suits you best? Rodney Dangerfield wears a rumpled coat and tie, giving him that “I don’t get no respect” look.
    4. Create an ad for your act that sums up what you do and targets your audience. What name would you give your show? Sandra Bernhard’s stand-up show was called Without You I’m Nothing. This summed up the tone of her show. Six of my students got together and came up with Six-Pack of Comedy and had a clever flyer with their pictures on a six-pack of beer. What kind of pictures would you have in the ad? Can you come up with a one-sentence phrase that sums you up?” (296) 
     
  • “Not everyone will love what you do, but you need to find the people who will.” (299) 
     
  • “You are ready when you have developed some depth and character, and you can work any crowd. You have to bomb to succeed. Some comics spend all their time honing a ten minute set that only works in New York. Then they go to Nashville, where their chunk on subways doesn’t work because Nashville doesn’t have subways. You have to know how to work all the states. The road is like college and you need it like an education.” – Rocky LaPorte (313)

Have you read the book and think I missed something important? Do you want me to try to explain any of the quotes above in more detail? Let me know via the comments. I read all of them and respond to 99%.

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