Today I’m honored to be interviewing Ali Farahnakian. Ali is the founder and owner of [LINK www.thepit-nyc.com] The Peoples Improv Theater (aka The PIT) and [link www.SimpleStudiosNYC.com] Simple Studios. In addition to running a theatre and school Ali is a teacher/actor/writer/comedian. He was a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, a writer on Saturday Night Live and has appeared on all the Law and Order’s, All My Children, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and 30 Rock.
1. How are you using the internet / social media to promote your personal career?
Honestly, I’m not using it as much as I should. I don’t have a website, I probably should. I don’t do the twitter, I probably should. I wish I had someone who was my tech person. I think folks at a higher level probably have people. And some folks coming up now, grew up with technology, understand it.
I recently started on Facebook because a friend from high school sent me photos of his kids and I had to join Facebook to see them. I didn’t realize I’d get inundated with friend requests. However, since I’ve joined good things have happened. I’ve connected with people. I think I should be more earnest about using it because it’s a great tool. When I first started doing comedy, you called people. That’s how you told people about your show. You put up posters. When I did “Word of Mouth” in 2000, the whole show was no posters, no programs, it was all through me calling or emailing people and word of mouth. I still think that’s one of the best ways: call people or email them personally. People are so inundated with requests, you can just check them and go through them and click, click, click and they become white noise. You need to find a way to make it personal.
I heard a story once about how when the internet first came out, Steve Jobs was asked how to explain the internet to people, and he said, “When humans are placed against other animals in their ability to traverse large expanses, humans come in 31st and the condor comes in 1st. But when you put a human on a bicycle, they are 3 times as fast as the condor. That’s the internet, a bicycle for the mind.” The internet lets you get on your bike and go, “Hey would you like to come to my show?” It lets you get in touch with a lot more people than you’d normally be able to get in touch with.
However, if you really want to get people to come see something, I still don’t think there’s anything like the human touch.
2. Have you noticed the payoff yet?
There’s this website called “Linked In”. Someone said, “Do you want to join?” I said yes, because I try to say yes to things. A friend of mine from DC who I took my first writing class in 1990 reconnected with me on it, then he said, “Hey they want someone to teach writing and improv at the DC Improv.” And he connected me to the DC Improv because of Linked In, and I’ve been going there twice a year to teach writing and Improv workshops. Social media has helped me go to different cities and teach, which I really enjoy doing. When I did a show, “Extemporaneous Ali,” it was all through email and Facebook. I did 3 shows and they all sold out.
Nowadays, I’m mostly running Simple Studios and The PIT. I do a show every Wednesday night at 10pm with “The Faculty” of The PIT that always sells out. So for me there’s nothing to be gained to send out a show invite. And I’ve been doing comedy for twenty years, anyone who wants to see me has seen me. There’s not as much of that “eye of the tiger” that there once was. At this point I do it for the love, I enjoy teaching, performing and cultivating small businesses.
3. Speaking of The PIT, how are you using the internet and social media to promote your theatre?
Social media is being used in both businesses, I’m just not the one overseeing it. We have a webmaster, someone doing twitter, Facebook and Google Ad Words. Whatever is out there, we do all that. It definitely benefits us. At the end of the day, what has gotten The PIT and Simple Studios to where they are is word of mouth. It’s about maintaining quality control of our product, which is our classes and shows. So when people come and they have sacrificed blood and treasure to take your classes or to use your space, you want to make sure they’re getting the best experience possible.
Twitter helps for Simple Studios, because if we have a room available in the evening, we twitter it and it sells out. Or for example, Fridays were a day we weren’t getting the same amount of traffic, so we changed our Friday deal to “Freaky Fridays” and made all the rooms bookable at walk in rates and all the rooms sold out. I don’t know how else you could do that without taking an ad out in the newspaper. Having a website, Twitter, email lists and Facebook allows all of that.
Without the internet I don’t know how you’d promote the theatre. In Chicago, they did it with phone calls and leaving messages on answering machines. People talked to each other more, you actually read posters.
4. Do you think the PIT would be as successful as it is without the internet?
It would depend on what city it’s in. if it was New York, I don’t think it’d be as successful as quickly. Things happen a lot faster with the internet. If you have something that’s good and you put in time and energy and believe what you’re doing, it just gets to people faster. It catches like wildfire. People can go on the internet, see your website, find out about shows and classes.
However, at the end of the day, people still call before they sign up. With Simple Studios you still can’t book via the internet because we want to maintain a human touch. Someone may want it every Wednesday from 7 to 10, but this Wednesday they need it 7 to 9. At this stage, it’s easier for us to make sure there’s a human touch with booking the space.
5. How do you think digital tools will change comedy?
The internet is making the world more flat. It allows people in the middle of nowhere with nothing to create videos and movies that would normally require an editing system and cameras. It will allow those people to create content like anyone else. It will level the playing field. In comedy, there’s live versions and internet/movie/television versions. In stand up, you’ll always be getting up with some kind of mic. You’re still gonna be one person talking to people. In improv, you’ll still be one group of people talking to people. Digital tools are making it easier for people to make content, I personally don’t have a TV at home. I watch all my TV on my laptop. That would’ve been unheard of five years ago. Do I watch less? I don’t know. I don’t watch shows with the regularity I’d watch when I had a TV, but now I know I can just go there and watch it when I want.
6. What do you think about posting videos of your performances online?
I think whatever benefits the performer. Why not? An artist is really doing what they do for an audience of seven or eight, and everything else is cake. Whoever else benefits great. It doesn’t matter what level it is. For me it’s hard for me to watch a lot of stuff on the internet. I don’t have that kind of time to be looking at videos. But why not? Like I say about my writing classes, it gives you a reason to write and place to bring your writing to have it looked at by someone who’s been there. If posting your videos helps you go out there and do shows and create a record of it for yourself, then great. Everybody’s technique and craft is different, so whatever works for you.
7. You used to do a show called “Virtual Reality” that used interactive multimedia to put the audience in different scenes. More and more comedians are using projectors and visuals as part of their act. Do you think this is a trend that will really take off, or remain the domain of a few specific comedians? (Dmitri Martin, “The PowerPoint Comedian” and “The Stand Up Economist” to name a few.”
You can’t do something that’s not you. I don’t think it will become a trend. You can’t become a guitar comic if you don’t play the guitar. In 1972 there were 50 great stand ups in the country. In 1992 there were 50,000 stands up in the country, but still only 50 great stand ups. There’s only gonna be the same number of people at that level, but there will be more people trying. I really believe if you want to teach and perform you can do it. You may not be able to do it in New York, you might need to go to a smaller town. But if you really want to, you can, you just have to find the right market or level that accommodates your level of talent and work ethic.
8. How much information do you tend to share on the social networks?
I’m at the base minimum. I put a picture of me up there, a date of birth, I don’t share much. If I had someone who was my technology consultant, I’d do it. I focus on The PIT, The Studios and life. I think for those who can and know how to do it it’s a great tool.
9. How closely do you monitor what people say about The PIT on YELP, Twitter, etc? How important do you think that stuff is?
I don’t monitor it at all. I’m not one for personally going to message boards or chat rooms. I have built this living in the world of bricks and mortar. I believe you do good shows, good classes, treat people with respect and dignity and create a nice community. I’ve come from different communities, tennis, second city, fraternities. To me, not having come up in a world of computers, I’m more accustomed to being out there and playing. So there’s only so much I can do with looking at the online stuff. I know there are message boards, time is limited for me. If I’m doing something theatre or rehearsal space related I’d rather be teaching, performing or dealing with the details of running a small business.
10. Any last thoughts?
I’m just amazed you’ve been typing this up on a laptop this whole time. That’s amazing. Knowledge is power and tools are power and using those tools can benefit any business. To some degree, with people looking to have a comedy career, or a life in the world of comedy, they are their own individual businesses. It’s a matter of, “How do I get the word out about my business?” At the end of the day, the American public (and further) decides if they want to buy your product. You can create an airline and have it fail even if you had planes and pilots. Or you can create an airline that does very well and gets profitable.
Comedy is like anything else, just because you have the tools, if the product isn’t there at the end of the day, the product will deteriorate. I think more people get shots than they used to, and are able to make things more than they were before. Which is fine if it’s artistic and making yourself sane, but if it’s making money off it, someone has to deem it worth enough that they’ll benefit from paying for it.
Currently, the only way to generate revenues in media is: advertising dollars, angel funds or ticket sales. That’s the only way to make a living doing this right now. I think moving forward, the barrier between the advertising dollars and having a middle man of either a network or a studio will change. The advertising dollars may go more directly towards the people creating the content. You have a great website, you have comedy content, a company comes to you and says “we want to give you money to put our ad on your website”. You’ve cut out the middle man. Otherwise, you go to a network, do your show for them and they get you advertisers during your half hour or hour show.
At the end of the day, The PIT is built on 3 C’s. Craft, community and career. Work on your craft your career will come. Work on your community, your career will come. But if you just work on your career, you won’t have a craft or community at the end of the day. Nobody climbs mountains alone. You need other people. It’s a real team effort.
Today I’m honored to be interviewing Ali Farahnakian. Ali is the founder and owner of The People’s Improv Theater (aka The PIT) and Simple Studios. In addition to running a theatre and school, Ali is a teacher/actor/writer/comedian. He was a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, a writer on Saturday Night Live and has appeared on all the Law and Order’s, All My Children, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and 30 Rock.
1. How are you using the internet / social media to promote your personal career?
Honestly, I’m not using it as much as I should. I don’t have a website, I probably should. I don’t do the twitter, I probably should. I wish I had someone who was my tech person. I think folks at a higher level probably have people. And some folks coming up now, grew up with technology, understand it.
I recently started on Facebook because a friend from high school sent me photos of his kids and I had to join Facebook to see them. I didn’t realize I’d get inundated with friend requests. However, since I’ve joined good things have happened. I’ve connected with people. I think I should be more earnest about using it because it’s a great tool. When I first started doing comedy, you called people. That’s how you told people about your show. You put up posters. When I did “Word of Mouth” in 2000, the whole show was no posters, no programs, it was all through me calling or emailing people and word of mouth. I still think that’s one of the best ways: call people or email them personally. People are so inundated with requests, you can just check them and go through them and click, click, click and they become white noise. You need to find a way to make it personal.
I heard a story once about how when the internet first came out, Steve Jobs was asked how to explain the internet to people, and he said, “When humans are placed against other animals in their ability to traverse large expanses, humans come in 31st and the condor comes in 1st. But when you put a human on a bicycle, they are 3 times as fast as the condor. That’s the internet, a bicycle for the mind.” The internet lets you get on your bike and go, “Hey would you like to come to my show?” It lets you get in touch with a lot more people than you’d normally be able to get in touch with.
However, if you really want to get people to come see something, I still don’t think there’s anything like the human touch.
2. Have you noticed the payoff yet?
There’s this website called “Linked In”. Someone said, “Do you want to join?” I said yes, because I try to say yes to things. A friend of mine from DC who I took my first writing class in 1990 reconnected with me on it, then he said, “Hey they want someone to teach writing and improv at the DC Improv.” And he connected me to the DC Improv because of Linked In, and I’ve been going there twice a year to teach writing and Improv workshops. Social media has helped me go to different cities and teach, which I really enjoy doing. When I did a show, “Extemporaneous Ali,” it was all through email and Facebook. I did 3 shows and they all sold out.
Nowadays, I’m mostly running Simple Studios and The PIT. I do a show every Wednesday night at 10pm with “The Faculty” of The PIT that always sells out. So for me there’s nothing to be gained to send out a show invite. And I’ve been doing comedy for twenty years, anyone who wants to see me has seen me. There’s not as much of that “eye of the tiger” that there once was. At this point I do it for the love, I enjoy teaching, performing and cultivating small businesses.
3. Speaking of The PIT, how are you using the internet and social media to promote your theatre?
Social media is being used in both businesses, I’m just not the one overseeing it. We have a webmaster, someone doing twitter, Facebook and Google Ad Words. Whatever is out there, we do all that. It definitely benefits us. At the end of the day, what has gotten The PIT and Simple Studios to where they are is word of mouth. It’s about maintaining quality control of our product, which is our classes and shows. So when people come and they have sacrificed blood and treasure to take your classes or to use your space, you want to make sure they’re getting the best experience possible.
Twitter helps for Simple Studios, because if we have a room available in the evening, we twitter it and it sells out. Or for example, Fridays were a day we weren’t getting the same amount of traffic, so we changed our Friday deal to “Freaky Fridays” and made all the rooms bookable at walk in rates and all the rooms sold out. I don’t know how else you could do that without taking an ad out in the newspaper. Having a website, Twitter, email lists and Facebook allows all of that.
Without the internet I don’t know how you’d promote the theatre. In Chicago, they did it with phone calls and leaving messages on answering machines. People talked to each other more, you actually read posters.
4. Do you think the PIT would be as successful as it is without the internet?
It would depend on what city it’s in. if it was New York, I don’t think it’d be as successful as quickly. Things happen a lot faster with the internet. If you have something that’s good and you put in time and energy and believe what you’re doing, it just gets to people faster. It catches like wildfire. People can go on the internet, see your website, find out about shows and classes.
However, at the end of the day, people still call before they sign up. With Simple Studios you still can’t book via the internet because we want to maintain a human touch. Someone may want it every Wednesday from 7 to 10, but this Wednesday they need it 7 to 9. At this stage, it’s easier for us to make sure there’s a human touch with booking the space.
5. How do you think digital tools will change comedy?
The internet is making the world more flat. It allows people in the middle of nowhere with nothing to create videos and movies that would normally require an editing system and cameras. It will allow those people to create content like anyone else. It will level the playing field. In comedy, there’s live versions and internet/movie/television versions. In stand up, you’ll always be getting up with some kind of mic. You’re still gonna be one person talking to people. In improv, you’ll still be one group of people talking to people. Digital tools are making it easier for people to make content, I personally don’t have a TV at home. I watch all my TV on my laptop. That would’ve been unheard of five years ago. Do I watch less? I don’t know. I don’t watch shows with the regularity I’d watch when I had a TV, but now I know I can just go there and watch it when I want.
6. What do you think about posting videos of your performances online?
I think whatever benefits the performer. Why not? An artist is really doing what they do for an audience of seven or eight, and everything else is cake. Whoever else benefits great. It doesn’t matter what level it is. For me it’s hard for me to watch a lot of stuff on the internet. I don’t have that kind of time to be looking at videos. But why not? Like I say about my writing classes, it gives you a reason to write and place to bring your writing to have it looked at by someone who’s been there. If posting your videos helps you go out there and do shows and create a record of it for yourself, then great. Everybody’s technique and craft is different, so whatever works for you.
7. You used to do a show called “Virtual Reality” that used interactive multimedia to put the audience in different scenes. More and morecomedians are using projectors and visuals as part of their act. Do you think this is a trend that will really take off?
You can’t do something that’s not you. I don’t think it will become a trend. You can’t become a guitar comic if you don’t play the guitar. In 1972 there were 50 great stand ups in the country. In 1992 there were 50,000 stands up in the country, but still only 50 great stand ups. There’s only gonna be the same number of people at that level, but there will be more people trying. I really believe if you want to teach and perform you can do it. You may not be able to do it in New York, you might need to go to a smaller town. But if you really want to, you can, you just have to find the right market or level that accommodates your level of talent and work ethic.
8. How much information do you tend to share on the social networks?
I’m at the base minimum. I put a picture of me up there, a date of birth, I don’t share much. If I had someone who was my technology consultant, I’d do it. I focus on The PIT, The Studios and life. I think for those who can and know how to do it it’s a great tool.
9. How closely do you monitor what people say about The PIT on YELP, Twitter, etc? How important do you think that stuff is?
I don’t monitor it at all. I’m not one for personally going to message boards or chat rooms. I have built this living in the world of bricks and mortar. I believe you do good shows, good classes, treat people with respect and dignity and create a nice community. I’ve come from different communities, tennis, second city, fraternities. To me, not having come up in a world of computers, I’m more accustomed to being out there and playing. So there’s only so much I can do with looking at the online stuff. I know there are message boards, time is limited for me. If I’m doing something theatre or rehearsal space related I’d rather be teaching, performing or dealing with the details of running a small business.
10. Any last thoughts?
I’m just amazed you’ve been typing this up on a laptop this whole time. That’s amazing. Knowledge is power and tools are power and using those tools can benefit any business. To some degree, with people looking to have a comedy career, or a life in the world of comedy, they are their own individual businesses. It’s a matter of, “How do I get the word out about my business?” At the end of the day, the American public (and further) decides if they want to buy your product. You can create an airline and have it fail even if you had planes and pilots. Or you can create an airline that does very well and gets profitable.
Comedy is like anything else, just because you have the tools, if the product isn’t there at the end of the day, the product will deteriorate. I think more people get shots than they used to, and are able to make things more than they were before. Which is fine if it’s artistic and making yourself sane, but if it’s making money off it, someone has to deem it worth enough that they’ll benefit from paying for it.
Currently, the only way to generate revenues in media is: advertising dollars, angel funds or ticket sales. That’s the only way to make a living doing this right now. I think moving forward, the barrier between the advertising dollars and having a middle man of either a network or a studio will change. The advertising dollars may go more directly towards the people creating the content. You have a great website, you have comedy content, a company comes to you and says “we want to give you money to put our ad on your website”. You’ve cut out the middle man. Otherwise, you go to a network, do your show for them and they get you advertisers during your half hour or hour show.
At the end of the day, The PIT is built on 3 C’s. Craft, community and career. Work on your craft your career will come. Work on your community, your career will come. But if you just work on your career, you won’t have a craft or community at the end of the day. Nobody climbs mountains alone. You need other people. It’s a real team effort.
Today I’m interviewing Danny Browning about road work. I previously interviewed Danny about how he uses technology in his comedy career. Danny has been nice enough to share his seven years of road experience.
1. Do you book road work yourself or do you have an agent who does it?
Up until recently, I’ve done it all myself. Now I have a management company that helps point me in the direction to get more work. .
There’s comedy booking agencies across the country and those agencies book clubs and one nighters. Other clubs just book themselves. You just find these agencies, you find the clubs, then it’s a lot of phone work, emails and rejection. And you just slowly but surely get in with these bookers and clubs. My first year I made $9,000. That’s definitely gone up. Every year has gotten better. That’s due in large part because with every passing year I’ve picked up two new clubs, or got in with another booker. Now, I’m at the point where I’m in with the 3 or 4 major booking agencies. So the work comes a lot easier now.
2. How did you get your first road gig?
I was the house MC at a Funny Bone in Evansville, Indiana. There was a comic working 3 hours away in Farmington, Missouri, it was a restaurant called Spokes Bar and Grill. He asked me to open for him. I remember it like it was yesterday. That was my first road gig. I had to do 30 minutes I didn’t have close to 30 minutes. I had 20 minutes. I ended up stretching and doing 25 to 30 minutes. I wish I could see a video of it because I’m sure it’s shit. But I was able to do it, and I got $100. That was the first time I drove somewhere and got paid to tell jokes.
When I first started, I was desperate to be a comedian. I would take work anywhere. I remember I took a gig in Wilmington, North Carolina. It was a 12 hour drive. The gig paid $150. I knew I was going to lose money, but it was all about the experience. The experience of getting used to the road, going somewhere new, getting paid and learning how to be funny.
That’s one advantage New York comics have. You guys can go to a club and get on stage 3-5 times a night or more. And that sounds like a lot of fun. As a road comic, we can do open mics in our home club, but beyond that any experience we get has to be on the road.
That said, being on the road, I learned how to do 30 minutes. I learned what it takes to do an hour, and I learned pacing and timing and crowd work, everything that’s involved in being a comic. That definitely helps. Doing those short 7 to 15 minute sets like in NYC, it would be cool to start the night with 5 minutes of new material and by the end of the night have it half polished.
Jerry Seinfeld talks about that in Comedian. He develops his new act in NYC. Then he says, “now it’s time to get out on the road, tighten it up and learn what will be funny on a much broader level.” If you do the road right, that’s what happens. You develop an act that is funny to everybody, no matter where you are. The same jokes I told in NYC, I will tell in Sioux Falls, SD and Macalister, Oklahoma. You learn what’s really funny to everybody.
Some Chicago comics have mentioned that road comics have a stereotype of having really hacky material because they’re working for drunks and end up having material fit for drunks. And there is some of that, and if you’re not careful you’ll fall into that, but if you do it right and you constantly try to be original and find material that will work, the road is very beneficial.
Then again, any comedian that does one thing too much, whether it’s colleges or corporate events or strictly bar shows on the road, doing only one thing makes your act get weaker in other venues. If you work thirty colleges a month, and do nothing but colleges, then your act will become very college friendly and a lot less club friendly, I think. I knew a guy who used to be an excellent club comic, then he started doing corporate comedy, now there’s certain clubs that won’t hire the guy because he’s become so crisp and corporate clean. There’s no sharpness or edginess anymore. Working in NYC could be the same way. If you do too much New York work, you might develop an act that works in New York City: you might have seven minutes of riding the subway which would kill in NYC but not in Indianapolis. People in North Dakota wouldn’t give two dog shits about the New York Subway experience. Once you get out on the road, you have to find something else to talk about.
3. Does road work progress slowly where you have 10 weeks the first year, 20 the next until you’re up to full time, or what’s the process?
Yes. It’s slow. Ideally you get in with a booker and they throw you some road work. Then you get in with other bookers. The best case scenario would be to hook up with a big name comic that can take you on the road. And work at the best clubs, The Improv’s and the Funny Bones. For most guys though, it’s a slow process. The first year I had 15-20 weeks of work. That’s light. But with every passing year, the clubs increase and the work increases, hopefully.
4. What do you like about the road? What do you dislike?
I like traveling, I’ve been in forty states. I’ve got to see a lot of this country. I like meeting all kinds of other comics from all over the country. I like being able to tell jokes to an audience one night in one town and the next night I’m in a different town entertaining those people. No show is ever the same. Now that I’m headlining more I like that I can try out more new material and stretch my legs a little more and find myself. Especially with the smaller venues, the road is a great place to work out your material and work out what’s funny.
As much as I like the travel, I dislike it too. Take this weekend for instance, I left home yesterday after I’d only been home for one day. I got home Tuesday night, was home all Wednesday then I left Thursday. I drove 7 hours to the University of Iowa and did my show there. Then I got up at 5am this morning for a ten hour drive to my next gig tonight, a corporate event at a military base. Then early tomorrow morning, I drive 7 hours early to Omaha. After that, I’ll be driving 10 hours home. I’m logging 35 to 40 hours in the car in a period of 72 hours.
This weekend is a little extreme though. A lot of times, these clubs are weeklong events. I may drive 6 hours to get to a club, but once I’m there, I’m there. I don’t have to drive. But there are a lot of times when you’re doing a lot of driving. You might be going to a different venue every night. Now that I can pick my schedule a little more, I try to keep my drives between 5 and 7 hours, but you have to go to where the work is. If I get offered a headlining week in Minnesota, I gotta take it.
Another advantage of the road is that I’m cutting my teeth and nobody knows who I am. The next time I go to NYC, or when it’s time to get my chance in front of someone important, I’ll be ready. I know Jeff Foxworthy headlined the road for 12 years before ever going to LA. Then he moved to LA, by then he hit the ground running.
5. In my interview with Judy Carter, she mentioned getting sick of the “Comedy Roach Condos”. What are they?
Some clubs you do put you up in hotels, others put you up in apartments and some put you up in a condo. A condo is usually a house with 2 or 3 bedrooms where you stay with the other comics for the week. The nicer clubs keep their condos nice and the comics keep them nice. But there are some places where they’re not kept nice, they’re very dirty. I don’t know a comic who looks forward to having a condo.
I stayed in a condo somewhere in Arizona and it was so dirty, it looked like they had changed the motor oil on the condo floor. I was afraid to walk barefoot through there. I would always wear shoes. It was a horrible, horrible place. I’ve stayed in one condo in Colorado where I had to share a room with the MC. That’s okay, but the MC was a female comic from LA. That was just a weird situation because we had to be roommates all week long. We were sleeping in a room that looked like Dick Van Dyke’s bedroom: there were 2 beds with a lamp shade in between. I’m sure it was weird for her, it was definitely weird for me. So I could totally see where a woman would get tired of the condos real fast.
Although there are some clubs that keep the condos real nice. For example, in Nashville, TN last summer, this condo was two floors, two bedrooms, each bedroom had its own bathroom, hardwood floors, wireless internet and a private deck. It was much nicer than my house. If you have to stay in a condo…that’s the way to do it.
6. Where is it harder to get in for road work: colleges or with clubs?
For me it’s been colleges because I’m trying to go through NACA, the college booking agency. I’m trying to go through NACA just like 3,000 other comics and musical acts. The competition is fierce and it’s hard to get face time. So That’s been the hardest.
Some of the bookers, like The Funny Business Agency and Heffron Talent, when I first hit the road I was half way in with them. Then it took 2-4 years before I really established myself. Now I’m in and I get work.
The key to getting in with bookers and clubs is to have a headliner reference. If you can get that and have a decent video clip, it might be easier. When I started out, I didn’t know any headliners. I was just some kid trying to be a comedian. It takes a little bit more of a time investment when you do it that way.
7. Anything else comics should know about the road?
I’ve had several New York guys express how boring it would be to be out on the road and not have anything to do all day in a hotel. It can be boring, it doesn’t have to be. No matter what town you go to, there’s always stuff to do. You might have to look for it, but there’s always stuff to do. Unlike NYC, if you go on the road and work a town you’re the star. Tonight in Macalister, Oklahoma, I’m the man. People are coming to see me. It’s going to be a long time before that would ever happen in NYC. It’s a good feeling. It gives you a certain confidence on stage. I would encourage NYC comedians to start working on their road connections and start getting out on the road as much as they can to learn how to be funny for 30+ minutes and to get the life experience.
I worked with a New York City comic who has every TV credit a guy can have, HBO, Comedy Central, 2 national TV commercials. He’s done it all. And the questions he was asking me about the road were questions that a beginner would ask. He didn’t have any idea about bookers and how all of that worked. That really surprised me. I’ve noticed since then, a lot of guys are like that. It’s one of those things where living in The City, the comedy is always right there. It’s not a necessity to find other places to work.
Here’s another example: On Monday, I stayed with a comic in Astoria, Queens. There is a comedy booker named Linda Rohe who runs Coastal Entertainment. She books clubs in Pennsylvania, New York, and San Antonio, Texas. She literally lived two blocks away from my friend in Queens, and he’d never heard of her. And she’s the type of booker, if you do live out in New York, you can walk in her office and introduce yourself. And plant the seed. It might be 6-12 months down the road, but then she’d be able to throw you work in PA or even San Antonio if you could do it.
For you New York guys, just go to Google and type in “comedy bookers”. Off the top of my head I can name five: Funny Business agency, Heffron Talent, Summit Comedy, Hysterical Management and Linda Rohe, because she books in your area. Between those five, they could get you 20-30 weeks of work a year.
Keith Alberstadt is a good guy to talk to. He’s a former road comic from Nashville. I was doing the open mic at the Nashville Zanies when I was 21 and I met Keith down there. He’s was a hard working road comic. Then he moved to NYC and has been on Letterman and gotten some writing credits. He’s really thrived in NYC, and a lot of that is really because of his road training. He knew how to be a comedian well before a lot of guys who’d been in New York.
And when he got to NYC, he was instantly getting road work in PA. On Friday and Saturday he’d drive 2 hours away and make $600. Take that list of bookers and start investing your time. Think of it as planting seeds for the future. You might not get any work in the next 6 months, but if you get it in a year that’s great and then in 3 years you might be their main comedian.
There’s also some great websites, I don’t know if you have websites where NYC comics go, but there’s a site, RoadComics.com. RoadComics.com is a forum created by a former comic, I’d recommend everybody get on that site. It’s basically a lot of road comics posting on there and it’s a wealth of comedy information. Anything you want to know about being a comic, I guarantee someone has already asked the question on that forum. That’s the perfect site. You don’t have to talk to anybody, but there’s been tons of questions asked about comedy, clubs and bookers. Anything you want to find is on there.
There’s also ComedySoapBox.com where you sign up there and you get to see every club in America and who books it.
Today I’m interviewing Danny Browning. Danny has just started his 7th year as a full-time comedian. He has performed in over 40 states headlining comedy clubs, corporate events, and colleges.
1. How are you using the internet / social media to promote your career?
I use the internet and social media to make a name for myself. Facebook and twitter are both excellent ways to gain a following and get your name out there. On Facebook, I might mention that tonight I’ll be in whatever town and then link to my website. I have over 2,000 Facebook friends so when I do that I get a lot of website hits.
I also use Facebook to advertise. I purchased advertising on there, created an ad, and I pay for however many times the ad is clicked on. I’m able to market those ads towards a specific area. For example, last night I was working in Iowa City and I marketed it the ad to 18-24 year olds who lived in Iowa City. That ad popped up only on that groups Facebook page.
2. Have you noticed the payoff yet?
It’s hard to say for certain. The first week of January is usually a pretty hard week to get people out. I used the Facebook advertising and Thursday through Saturday nights were packed. The club managers said they’d only been averaging 35 people a show and they didn’t even sell out on New Years Eve. During the show, when I asked where all the Facebookers where, I got a rousing response.
So the short answer is I don’t know if it works yet, but it seems like it does. I definitely get more feedback on my website and I have more people who know my name. The thing with Facebook is I’m friends with some comedians who I look up to and there have been times when I might be going somewhere , see that those comics are going there or have been there and I’ll drop them a note. This opens up a dialogue with a comedian that I’d otherwise never get to talk to. And that’s another way to spread your name. There’s certain comedians now who know who I am strictly because of Facebook.
Also, when I ran an open mic in Louisville, Kentucky I always got at least 10 people from Facebook to come out to the show. I know this because I’d post the info on people’s Facebook page and they’d have to print out the ticket to go to the show. The night before Thanksgiving we had 360 audience members.
3. What do you think about posting videos of your material online?
Overall, it’s good. It’s an excellent way to showcase yourself to fans and anyone who might be interested. People can get a taste of who you are. Bookers and club owners can also get a taste of who you are and what you do. Sometimes, I’m a little bit worried about other people taking those jokes. And once those jokes are out there, they’re pretty much done. You can still use them in your show, but if 25 people went to myMySpace page and they’ve seen my video and they hear the same jokes at the show, then you know… that’s not necessarily good.
4. How do you think digital tools will change comedy?
From a business stand point it makes it a lot easier to get in touch with people. Since I deal with comedy club bookers from across the country, it’s a lot easier to email them. It’s also nice that any comedy club I go to, I can go to their website and see who’s on their lineup, I can get their contact info. Before the internet, all you knew about a comedy club was what you heard other comics say. Now it definitely opens up the world. It makes it easier for comedians. I just picked up a headline week at a club in Michigan all through email. I sent him a link with my video and he sent me back an email with dates. That was the easiest thing in the world.
Back in the day, all comics had was telephones. Ever since I’ve been a road comic, I’ve had the internet. There’s still a lot of phone work, but I can’t imagine what it was like before the internet. When I first hit the road seven years ago, I had to send out tapes and DVDs. In the past two or three years it’s been a migration towards digital video and email. I’ve had clubs watch my link and ask for a full length DVD, and I’ll go ahead and send it, but now, almost everybody wants instant gratification. Here’s his video clip, is he funny? Wham, bam!
5. How much information do you tend to share on the social networks?
I usually have one liner jokes up there or I’ll tell them about the road. For example, on my drive from NYC, I left at 3:30am and I had 740 miles to go so I kept everybody updated as to where I was and what I was doing.
That’s another thing, I use Facebook to keep a photo road diary. I use my phone to take photos of stuff I find amusing on the road, and I send it to Facebook to an amusing album called “scenes from the road”. It’s just another way to promote myself. I just put up a photo of a gas station called “Kum and Go” and I have five comments already. Once someone looks at one picture, they usually look at others. It’s just another way to remind people of Danny Browning and what I’m doing. I do try to stay away from super personal stuff on the Facebook and use it as strictly a business tool.
6. What’s your weirdest online experience involving your comedy career?
One experience was a pain in the ass. I was working in Minnesota, and after the show my girl and I had an argument so I went out to a bar. Then I started taking pictures with these two girls. Nothing happened with them, I was just taking pictures, but they posted their pictures on MySpace, tagged me, and then it popped up and my girl saw it and it looked like I was really partying with these girls, which didn’t look good for me. I had a lot of talking to do to get out of that one.
7. Your website is a .biz instead of a .com, why is that?
When I first hit the road I was broke. I made $9,000 my first year on the road. I needed a website, .biz was $2.99 a year and .com was $9.99.
People have always told me I should change it to .com and I never have. I’ve grown to like the .biz. I’ve had a lot of people ask me about that before. When people Google me, my website is the first thing that pops up. That’s what’s important. So I’m not worried about people being able to find me. Between myspace, facebook and my website, if people want to find me online, they will.
8. You’ve been doing road work for 7 years, how has technology changed the road experience?
With all the traveling I do, it’s pretty convenient to go on the internet and find the map from where I’m going to where I need to be. The Tom Tom navigational system is the best thing a guy with my job can have. I didn’t have one when I started, I got one last year and I could’ve kicked myself in the ass for not getting one sooner. That should’ve been the first purchase I made. Satellite radio is nice to have in the car too.
There’s also no such thing as being off the grid anymore. With webcams you can see and talk to your significant other and family. Text messages, cell phone, Facebook, it’s a lot easier to stay in touch with people. And it’s a lot harder to hide from people…
9. Do you use an electronic press kit?
No but I’ve been told I should get one. I don’t know if they work or not. I know guys who use them who have been successful, and I’ve seen guys who do corporate events have an online press kit. I asked one booker, Eric Yoder at Funny Business Agency what he wanted to see on the screen, and he said he wants all the info right in front of him. He didn’t want to go through a lot to see who you were. He said, “the simpler the better.” So I always make a link to my video clip and a link to my website. Anything I would put in an EPK is either in the video or on the website.
I don’t think it’s a necessity but anything that makes you look more professional is good. To be a comedian, especially on the road, it’s all about professionalism. When you present yourself to a club or booker, when you get to the gig, when you tell your jokes. Be professional: do what you’re told, don’t get drunk and make an ass out of yourself. And be professional afterwards, a follow up with the booker or the club goes a long way. If an EPK can make you look more professional then do it.
Today, I’m really excited to be interviewing Judy Carter, Goddess of Comedy — or how she prefers to be called, just “Goddess.” Judy Carter is an acclaimed standup comic, wrote The Comedy Bible and has appeared in over a hundred television shows. Judy also runs Comedy Workshops which trains aspiring comics in the how-to’s of comedy. Judy has appeared on “Good Morning America”, Oprah, CNN and ABC World News Tonight.
How are you using social media to promote your career?
I use Facebook and twitter, but not to directly promote my career. I rarely write “there’s a class starting” or “I’m performing at ha-ha’s.” I use it to establish who I am and what I offer. I’ll give an insight, write something funny, or offer some kind of advice. Something that is helpful to people who read it rather than tweet about a pimple I got after I ate a donut.
The biggest mistake comics make is being too self-centered. Whether you’re on twitter, Facebook or standing on a stand up stage you have to think of your audience. What do they need? What do they want to hear? I use those mediums to connect to my audience. People who are just obsessed with promoting, rather than sharing are boring. Thank God for the FB “hide” button.
Take Wendy Liebman, she’s a wonderful comedian and she has six or seven Facebook entries everyday that are incredibly funny. I don’t know how she does it. Reading her entries gives you a sense of what it’s like to be a comedian. Then in passing she’ll go “I’m performing tonight at The Cleveland Improv”.
That’s really my biggest secret to success: to think about the audience. Then again, there’s a guy like Larry David. I watched Larry before he was the richest comedian in the world. I’d watch him intentionally perform material that the audience wouldn’t like. He’d play to the comics in the back of the room and developed his own unique brand of comedy that way. He really followed his own authentic voice and you can certainly see that on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” But people like that are rare, very rare. Most of us get the check at the end of the day because the audience liked us. If you’re a comic and you’re creative don’t turn off that creativity when you put out your press release, or promote your event. Give it some thought: How will this interest people? What kind of title can I give it? Not just another showcase that says “come see me, me, me!”
In addition to Facebook and twitter, I noticed you have three different websites. Can you spread yourself too thin by being on too many social networks and having too many different sites?
Yes, you can spread yourself way too thin, as I’ve done right now. If I’m doing my twitter update, my Facebook update, my blog update, when will I have time to write new material? The answer is, I don’t. Comics can get caught up in the minutiae of social networking and forget that what they’re supposed to do is write new material and make observations about life. The problem is – most comics don’t have a life.
I read George Carlin’s autobiography and reminded myself that he did 13 HBO specials. That’s a 13 hours of material, not an hour of comedy club material but 13 hours of double-A-rated-top-material. There are a lot of people doing an hour in a club, but if they were doing an HBO special and had to take out their “padding” their material would condense to twenty minutes. Carlin had 13 hours of HBO plus his all his albums plus all the other things he did. He had time to put it all together because he wasn’t so busy answering emails and twittering. We have to be careful not to be so seduced by technology that it gets in the way of creativity.
How do you find the balance between making time for the creativity with responding to people and building a fan base? You can’t just ignore everyone’s email, right?
There are other ways to build a fan base. I’ve always believed building a fan base is really important when you do a show. Gather people’s emails and when someone tells you they like your act, rather than giving your card to them, which is a good idea, it’s an even better idea to take their card. When I do a show sometimes I’ll speak to 2,000 people and I’ll make sure they get something for free by giving me their email that I’ll send to them. I try to make it compelling for them to want to be on my mailing list.
Ever since I was 8 years old doing magic shows, I’ve had a database. Although then it was on 3 x 5 index cards at the time. At our office we use SugarCRM which is a web based database system. There’s a free version. We had it customized for our business, which was expensive. It’s very easy to setup a business, maintain a database and send out mailings.
I believe in being direct. I won’t mask the fact I have a class on Facebook, instead I’ll send an email to my list. Even when I’m promoting a class or product, I still give away free information. I’ll tell them, “we scoured the internet for job opportunities for comics and we’re listing them for you for free. And here’s some advice on how to talk to an agent on the phone.” We always send out a newsletter where there’s one product that we’re selling and everything else is free. The truth? I actually do care about others and it makes me incredibly happy to see my standup students on TV.
This doesn’t relate directly to technology, but do you still do comedy clubs?
No. I did that for 17 years. When you’ve stayed in the roach infested comedy condos, there comes a point where you want to move on to something else. But I certainly learned so much from working the clubs. I know how to work when there’s three people in the audience and they make you go on. I know how to work when they’re totally smashed, heckling, and throwing things. Well, there I’ve learned to duck. A lot of comics complain about those gigs, but it gives you your chops.
Now I’m a motivational speaker. I show companies how people can use their sense of humor to get out of stress, problem solve and promote creativity. I made my switch to speaking when I realized that making drunks laugh was what I did at the dinner table growing up and I decided I didn’t want to work that way anymore. I’m a teacher and a comic and motivational speaking let’s me combine both of my talents. Speaking is awesome, I wish I discovered it earlier.
How has the internet changed how you find students and clients?
We don’t have take post cards and lick stamps anymore. That’s nice.
We have a website ComedyWorkshops.com that has a lot of content: it lists clubs, agents and job opportunities for comics. And we want to have more content on it. We try to make it so people can use it, before they’re famous.
At ComedyWorkshops.com we have online groups where comics help each other write material. I find that’s really valuable. People to post material, then I’ll come in and start punching up jokes. Then everyone else comes in and starts punching up jokes. If you want to get good at comedy, write jokes for someone else. It’ll give you confidence. It’s so much easier to write jokes for someone else than for yourself. When I write material I pretend I’m writing it for someone else. It gives you more distance and doesn’t have your ego in it and all your insecurities; it makes it a lot easier.
I also have JudyCarter.com which is my personal speaker website where it shows what I’m doing as a speaker. Right now I use that exclusively for corporate speaking bookings. It’s working really well. Clients now will be directed to that site, watch a couple of videos then they actually book me right from that site. Sweet, as no need to send out DVDs. Mostly what I send out are Electronic Press Kits (EPK). You can create an EPK for free at www.ComedyDemo.com.
EPKs are better than directing a booker to your website. Nobody has time to go to someone’s website and look for the right video. An EPK allows you to send your press kit to a booker and it looks like an email but has a graphic interface and your videos, bio and credit are all right there in the email. It’s a one page sales promotion.
Here’s a big secret: If I get a call from a Healthcare Hospital looking for a wellness keynote, my EPK will have quotes from similar gigs I’ve done for healthcare, recommendations from other hospitals, in the bio it says I’m a “healthcare humorist”, it gives topics just on healthcare and the video is just healthcare jokes. So when someone is looking for a healthcare speaker and they get to my EPK they go “this is exactly who I’m looking for” and I get booked. And if it’s a financial company the EPK will be similar but say I’m a “financial humorist”. These EPKs can be created on the fly and are the most valuable tools to send to the booker because boom, your materials are right there.
I do a lot of research on the company who is booking the show and I have 25 EPKs I send out and I tweak each one to make sure they look like exactly what the client is looking for.
I’ve gotten so many enquiries from comics looking to break into the motivational speaking market, so I’m going to be releasing a three DVD program called “Speaking Career in a Box” It will be available in March at ComedyWorkshops.com and it will contain everything anyone wants to know about how to make money as a motivational speaker. Motivational speakers certainly get paid a lot more than stand up comics. It’s a challenge to be really funny and edgy and yet clean. I still try to push the envelope.
When you’re working a comedy club, you can refine a joke night after night. You don’t have that luxury when you’re doing a one time speaking gig. How do you go about getting it right on the first time at corporate gigs?
When I started out doing corporate gigs, I sucked, but after 10 years at it, I got better. I also have a great support team. I’ll be ready to go on and calling for a comedy lifeline to a friend and say “they just had the SWAT team perform before I go on, I need to write a quick joke about it.”
What do you think of posting videos of your sets online? A lot of comics are paranoid and don’t want to even post their good sets online because of material getting stolen.
I’ve had people steal my material, and now that time has passed I’ve seen where they’ve gone with it: nowhere. If you’re stealing material you’re not going to get far. I care if someone steals my material but mostly, I just feel sorry for that person.
If you’re not posting your jokes online because of a fear of theft, you’re an idiot. What are you doing? Hoarding it to show to your grandma on Passover? You gotta put your stuff out there if you want to be seen. I put all my stuff out there because it’s my calling card — it’s how I get gigs.
But I don’t put anything bad out there. I would never put a bad gig on the internet. That’s how people see you and decide if they’re going to represent you and book you. Be careful with what you put on the internet. Everything I put on tape I’m careful too. Everything I put on the internet I ask myself, “Is that okay for a corporate client to see?”
How have digital tools changed comedy? What’s the future?
It’s changing so quickly, as soon as I tell you how it changes, it’ll change again. There seems to be more places to work but at the same time less places to work. The problem is now, because of union busting with SAG, we’re not being paid as much. We’re not getting money for residuals. I don’t know about the contracts for downloadable material, if you’re in the union you get paid something, but not enough.
People will always need comedy content. Sprint was paying people $25 per minute of material that they were using as content. Some of our bits take five years to come up with, and to sell it to Sprint for $25 for forever so someone can hear it on their phone, that’s pretty cheap.
On the other hand, I’ve found certain technologies invaluable. I‘m a big user of Jott.com. Every time I have an idea, I say it into my iPhone which connects to Jott.com. Jott transcribes the voice memo and emails it back to me. It’s already in written form so I can add on to it. I find that really valuable. You can see all your Jotts on the website so you never lose them. I find that to be really great.
There’s also program The Journal Software by David Michael. It’s really cheap. It’s a way to keep a journal. I have stuff all over the place, all over my house, I write on open mail envelopes. This program lets you publish blogs from it, but it’s not on the internet. I like my very private material to be on my hard drive and not anyone else’s.
What’s your weirdest online experience involving your career, that you’re willing to share.
Nothing – that I’m willing to share.
How much information do you share on Facebook and twitter, what’s your level of detail?
I don’t think anyone is interested in what I ate for breakfast. I don’t understand why someone posts something like that. Unless it’s something funny I had for breakfast. Coco puffs – funny. A lot of times I’ll share stepping stones of life: trips, where I’m at, insights. Sex? I put that on my journal on my hard drive.
Any other thoughts on comedy and technology?
It’s really important as a comic to stay healthy. A lot of us don’t. I have an office treadmill computer, so when I’m on the phone or something, I’ll do my email on it, etc. It’s easy to put a monitor and keyboard on it. I love the iPhone app “Couch to 5k”. They guide you into running a 5k. It tells you “walk” then “run!” We also have a whole room in our house devoted to the Wii because the Wii Fitness is the most fantastic thing ever.
Today I’m honored to be interviewing Bobbie Oliver. Bobbie has been doing comedy for over twenty years and has performed all over the country, including eight straight years of road work. Bobbie has done the Las Vegas Riviera and been on The Nashville Network and Entertainers with Byron Allen. She currently performs, teaches and resides in Los Angeles, CA.
1. How are you using the internet / social media to promote your career?
I have three websites, a blog, an online newsletter called The Rubber Chicken gazette and of course I use Facebook, MySpace and email.
2. Have you noticed the payoff yet?
Totally! I think my individual websites have been most helpful, and after that I’d say Facebook. When I got my website up for my class, my business increased exponentially. And I’ve also noticed that Facebook creates a lot of recognition. When I go to different places, people come up to me and go, “Oh hi, you’re Bobbie Olivier, we’re Facebook friends.” It helps keep you on people’s minds, plus I post videos on my website.
Every time someone signs up for my comedy class, I ask how did you hear about me, and it’s getting more and more where people are saying “I Googled comedy classes, and your name came up.” I pay to have certain search words come up for me. And Chuckle Monkey — I can’t say enough about what a huge resource that is that we didn’t have available to us in the early 90s. You can find out about open mics and bookers, and I also advertise on chuckle monkey. I get way more people from my internet ads than from my print ads. A lot of newspapers write about me, and when they do, they always say go to standupacademy.net for more info.
3. What do you think about posting videos of your sets online?
I put videos of myself on my website but I don’t utilize YouTube and I don’t put videos on Facebook or anything — I prefer to have my own control over it. I know a lot of people use YouTube and I think that’s great but I think if you use it you should dismantle the comments or set them so that you have to approve them so you don’t have a video full of people dissing you online. With the internet people love to go online and make mean comments about people’s acts. Plus, if they’re on my website then I own them, and I know that some web sites (like Facebook and MySpace) have changed their regulations and what they actually own.
4. How do you think digital tools will change comedy?
I can tell you how much they’ve changed comedy already. Comedy now versus comedy then is like a doctor putting leeches on people versus all the medical technology we have today. It’s night and day.
When I started in 1989 there was no internet. I mean it existed but not for the common people. So technology has completely changed everything. When I first started, there was a yearly book that would have the names and contact info of comedy clubs and comedians. I was in the book, but if you moved during the year, you couldn’t update that information until the following year. It was very antiquated and a very cumbersome way of finding out about people.
Also, it used to be that we had black and white headshots as people didn’t have easy access to affordable digital cameras. We always had to find an expensive photographer and pay for the negatives. Now you can have your friend take a headshot of you and get it online in minutes. It used to take weeks or months to get anything sent out and the cost would really add up, and you’d have to print photos in bulk. Now you can print your own pictures real cheap and one copy at a time. It’s the same with your resume. If you get something great on your resume you don’t have to wait until you get more resumes printed.
We also used to work in VHS which is real expensive to mail, and there was no place bookers could go and look at you except your press kit. You’d have to physically mail them a big VHS tape, which if you’re sending a lot of, got real expensive. Now you can send a DVD or let someone look at you online. Technology has completely revolutionized standup comedy and the way you can promote / pimp yourself: it’s easier, cheaper, more accessible. Like I said, it’s night and day.
5. Do you think this “ease of pimping” has led to more bad comedians?
Not necessarily: I started the tail end of the comedy boom when everyone and their brother was a comedian. It’s still like that in LA now, but it used to be like that everywhere. I don’t think that when a person is deciding to be a comedian or not, they think about promoting themselves yet. I don’t think it’s affecting how many people become comedians, I think it affects a comedian’s ability to look better than they actually are because of a slick promo kit, and maybe they can pimp themselves heavier and faster than they could before.
By the way, if you’re a comedian reading this, you can get a nice electronic press kit: It’s not really a website, it’s about $100 a year, and it has everything that goes into a press kit but it’s online. There’s a place for video, headshots, a calendar, press reviews, but it’s more compact than a website. I think it’s easier for people to view the video and it’s cheaper. Some people use those to submit to NACA and all that. You can view one such place here. However, if you can afford your own website, do it!
I also think it’s much easier to create a fan base on the internet. I was on the road full time from ‘91 to ‘98 and I know a lot of comics would collect fans’ mailing addresses and send them post cards when they were coming to town next, which is difficult and costly. Now you have Facebook, email lists and Twitter (which I’m not on) and fans can find out much easier when you’ll be there.
6. How much information do you tend to share on the social networks?
I use my Facebook for multiple things. One is to communicate information with a large group of people like “I’ll be out of the office today and email you tomorrow.” I also use status updates to say witty things throughout the day so people will comment on it, see it or respond — and it keeps you in people’s minds.
I have pretty much an open book policy. Being a comedian I try to make myself vulnerable and share personal things about myself. I think whatever you try to hide the internet will bring up anyway. When I Google myself I’m amazed where I show up. I’ve seen people who have done blogs on me that I never knew existed. I was mentioned on someone’s blog and the blog said they’ve seen me perform and worked with me, but had never taken my classes but recommended my class. I saw another blog that named my blog a top ten blog. Just a lot
of different things I never knew were out there about me. I’ve also seen some comedy contests I’ve won and that they’re using my name in advertising. One last example was a story in the University of Laverne: I would’ve never known was there without Google.
7. What’s the weirdest stuff / “perks” that you’ve experienced due to your combination of technology and the internet.
People are constantly offering to pay me to pee on them for some reason. I don’t know what it is about me that makes people want me to pee on them. But, I do have to pee a lot, and I could use the money!
A lot of times someone will have seen me on a show and friend me on Facebook. But comedy in general can always get you drugs and laid. I mean I’m married so I don’t go around getting laid on Facebook, but you so could. I got contacted by the Myth Busters people the other day, they had to have heard of me somehow and I’m sure having a strong internet presence helped a lot.
8. A majority of comics are males. Have you noticed any differences in how male and female comics use the internet to promote their respective careers? Is there some information you’d feel comfortable sharing online if you were a man that you don’t feel comfortable sharing as a woman?
I think that as a woman, I would never put my home address on the internet. I ended up getting a PO Box because I needed a public address for deposits and registration.
I think the biggest difference, isn’t male and female but age and experience. I think the younger people, you guys, grew up on computers so you’re very familiar and very savvy, whereas us older people can be kinda late to the game on that.
I have so many stalkers, and I’m not sure it’s a problem men have. When I say I’m gonna be somewhere on Facebook, there’s always people showing up I didn’t know were gonna show up. I have a few people who follow me around that I’d rather didn’t but you can’t really exclude who gets what information. Although, I’ve had to go in and block people from my Facebook, but you have to make info public if you’re a comedian. So people know where I am. If you wanted to kill me it would be easy to find me. And I don’t think men are thinking about that when they’re walking to their cars after the show.
9. Why do you think there’s so many fewer female than male comedians?
Women aren’t raised to be what you have to be in order to be a comedian. You have to be tough, ballsy, and vulnerable. Women are raised to be sweet. And audiences can take things from a man they can’t take form a woman. Men can be dirtier. Women in our society aren’t taught to be outspoken and boisterous and give their opinions on everything like you have to do with comedy. It’s definitely a man’s game but I definitely prefer women in it.
