This is me at an open mic mostly working out new jokes related to my dropping out of school
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaaJ_CTQ700
0m08s Yes I’m seriously considering this as my stage name. I’ve even registered www.ProfessorBen.net (I hate that the dot com was taken).
0m29s I should use my hands more in this act out to convey emotion
0m49s This wasn’t a written part of my joke. I just called out the situation as I felt it… hopefully real crowds (aka non comedians) will laugh at the other bits of this, but if not I at least have a way to get them back.
1m34s The setup should be clearer, maybe something like “I knew I should quit grad school when I realized…”
1m41s Smile
1m47s No need to explain it
1m50s Great improvised tag about PCC (Pasadena Community College), referencing community college should become part of the joke.
2m22s Not sure if the TA opening for me bit is keepable
2m38s That was also an improvised line
2m56s I think it’s the Mormons and not the Jehovah’s witnesses that go door to door
3m09s Take a longer pause after “intolerable” before moving
3m27s This would’ve been a great time to say “wow it got really sad here again”
4m55s I had to go to one old joke because someone else talked about a topic that reminded me of it
Overall: I think this is the best response I’ve ever gotten at an open mic. While I’d like to think it’s all due to the material, I think a lot of it was due to me momentarily stopping my material in the beginning and calling out the situation of “did that get really sad for a minute?”
