OK. Hmmmm ... I see where you're coming from here, Jerry. But sorry, man. But I gotta call this one like I see it.... And "shit is always funny" is such a straight guy attitude ... or at least a guy attitude.
When a guy goes into shit jokes (and it's almost always a guy) I tune out. A little voice in my head just says, "This is the best you could come up with? The most interesting thing about you is that you take a shit? Time on stage is precious, and this is what you want to do with yours?"
Sadly, shit-joke hacks literally seem to have nothing better to talk about. Or perhaps more likely, they're not willing to take a risk and expose themselves by talking about something personal.
I once sat in a workshop and listened to the owner of one of NYC's top clubs tell a comic, "don't do shit jokes in my club."
While maybe not all club owners have this attitude, I think most do. Ignore this at your own peril.
"But Eddie Murphy did it!"
Yeah, and Jeanine Garofalo did a Comedy Central special, reading from her notebook which she had on stage. (That's her in the cartoon. I couldn't bring myself to use an image that's appropriate for the topic. Ick.)But these comics already have a following, earning them a platform from which they can do, just about whatever they want. Those of us down here at the bottom haven't earned that yet.
I firmly believe that shit jokes and performing from notes will not move you up the ladder.
Jerry, you've certainly helped me understand why guys write about shit. But I'm no more interested in the topic than before.
Perhaps my perspective will help guys understand why some people (chicks in particular) tune out on these kinds of topics. I can just see the comics up there thinking, "but people, takin' a shit is funny!"
And I can see a large part of the audience thinking, "maybe, but we just don't care."
I think ass fucking jokes are hilarious. Funny is funny, right?
But I've learned (from painful bombing) that if I ignore an audiences' sensibilities they'll quickly decide to ignore me back.
3 comments:
Hey Dale,
Thanks for the feedback, but I'm still on the fence about the issue.
I subscribe to the idea that if you can make something funny, and the people laugh, who cares what the subject is. Maybe I'm right, or maybe inexperience is talking.
Presently, I'm a comedic underdog (open mics and amatuer nights), so I'm of the mindset, "say whatever, if people laugh, you did great." When you're starting out you need any laugh you can get. So if talking about shit gets you a few laughs (which build confidence), you got to do it.
Although I agree, that as you develop you must open up and get deeper on stage, if not...HACK!
And you're totally right about not taking notes on stage, its not a good move, instead of taking notes on stage write a set that fits your style better, and you'll have no problem remembering it on stage.
Once again, thanks for the feedback.
Hey Jerry,
If I may, let me rephrase my point like this.... The way I see it, there are only three possible outcomes to shit jokes:
1. They don't laugh (which is quite likely, even if the jokes are funny) and you alienate your audience.
2. They laugh but no one books your hilarious shit joke act.
3. They laugh and you become the best shit joke comic in the world.
Are any of these appealing to you? They aren't to me.
I just don't get why so many guys seem to want to spend time, energy and stage time on this topic and then refuse to accept that even if an audience does laugh, it's not success if it doesn't move their careers forward.
Come think of it … why the hell am I spending all this time writing about this? ;-)
Of course, these are my opinions.
Dale
I'm not into shit jokes or ass-fucking jokes. Does that mean my soul is just cold and dead?
Also very, very not into Jeanine Garofalo, thanks for not posting a pic. That poor girl is a f'n mess. Not funny, always angry and generally unpleasant. If she was in a celebrity auction, I'd pay not to have lunch with her.
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