Science experiment - is everything funny?

[Ahmabeliever]

That's a great list.

I will add that many of those artists cross over into several of the sections. Some have likely played with all of them, others will show you many of those styles in one show.

I would also add musical comedy. - Wierd Al, Flight Of The Conchords, Gish, Corky & The Juice Pigs, Tenacious D, off the top of my head.

[Boerseun]

Latest headline on Yahoo - "Late wife's message found"

Ripping that one to pieces will inevitably end up in something that'll be right at home slap-bang in TheOnion.

Imagine...

"Chaos broke out on Tuesday evening in South London when mr. Nigel Smythe got home to an empty house. What appeared to be a normal case of being stuck in traffic took a turn for the worse when dinner time came around. A panicked mr. Smythe forced himself to sit down at the dinner table, where he set out plates, cutlery and condiments, showing a true British stiff upper lip in the face of adversity. Having donned a napkin, tidily stuck into his collar, he waited it out as the hours ticked by excrutiatingly slowly. Not being able to keep his demeanor any longer, he got up to phone for pizza delivery, where he came upon a note from his wife which informed him that she'll be late that night, having to finish off a project at work."

[alexander]

Bush will mark the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq with a giant rave party; program includes a third world country leader hanging, numerous torture events, economic jello, if you have a life to loose, or money to blow, admissions are just under the price for a barrel of oil estimated for 2010, public is not welcome...

[Ahmabeliever]

EDIT! EDIT! EDIT!

In her last moments Susan Franks drove into a crowded intersection at speed while txting her husband. The grieving widower thinks the txt message killed his wife and wants mobile phone usage in vehicles banned.

The txt has been recovered - 'brakes feel spongy'.

SARCASM - sarcasm has been described as the lowest form of wit and is frowned upon even more so than puns. Why? Personally I think it has to do with the tone, sarcasm sounds more like a complaint, a disgruntled person, than an observation. When approaching political (or any) subjects you feel passionately about you can become 'unfunny' very quickly.

I personally don't touch politics unless it's a one liner, for this very reason. It ceases to be a comedy show and turns into a lecture.

People don't want to be challenged too much, think too much, they've paid money to be entertained. If they paid money and you are Bill Hicks, then yes, they want to hear what you have to say about the government, if they don't know who you are - rule number one - be funny.

The grieving period for disaster can also be applied to political humour and satire, however, it is you, the comic, that needs to get over it, or at least get a grip, before it is material for stage.

Sarcasm is done a lot in comedy, and done well, but not in a diatribe with no punch lines.

"Bush will mark the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq with a giant rave party; program includes a third world country leader hanging, numerous torture events, economic jello, if you have a life to loose, or money to blow, admissions are just under the price for a barrel of oil estimated for 2010, public is not welcome..."

So you have something to say here, but it's not getting out, that's why it's long, you keep writing, the real emotion hasn't surfaced, I think what you meant to/would like to say was

I wish the Bush administration would just fuck off and die.

Sometimes getting the real emotions/feelings out helps decrease the inner tension you carry concerning a subject, and the subject becomes usable material you can then talk about, not rant over.

So what if you went.... "Bush will mark the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq with a giant rave party; program includes a third world country leader hanging, numerous torture events, economic jello, if you have a life to loose, or money to blow, or... ahh, stuff it, why doesn't he just fuck off and die!

That's funny.

Why am I saying this type stuff - when you get on stage, you need your own personal issues either resolved or put on a shelf. If you can't do this be frank, not sarcastic.

If you've not learned to stop wearing your heart on your sleeve you will appear vulnerable(which looks like nervous), and this will make the audience nervous, and sympathetic, 2 emotions that don't belong in a comedy show. You may even scare some if too passionate, definately not the desired response.

As usual, there are exceptions to every rule. If your comedy style is going to be sarcastic, political or angry, then get on stage sooner rather than later and learn to deliver it palatably.

You can also switch styles, or build a character, test the water, have a go, if it's disastrous, try something else.

ps: I've seen some AWFUL acts get better, it took many years but they now get paid work. That being said, I'd never of hired them, they're just not that good. Filler is what I call acts like that, fine for club owners who want some cheaper acts to fill in the time slots, not for a promoter who wants the best tour he can put together. Again there are exceptions, and rarely would the public know the difference between filler and non filler, but I do, and discerning punters do. Here's a hint - filler acts all sound the same, cover the same stuff, do everything in 123 timing, callbacks, grossouts, black lines, use every trick in the book to enhance the lack of material.

Here's a home truth - EVERY ACT IS FILLER when they start out no matter how good they believe themselves to be, without stage time, you don't know what you are doing.

People with wit like freeztar before starting out, that's some serious potential.

The competition can be fierce, and many show people are completely vacuous wankers who'll kiss your cheeks and would love to see you dissapear (less competition). If the love and enjoyment aren't there, it is too steep a hill to climb. if you love it, though hard, it's a fantastic journey.

There is nothing stopping anyone from performing comedy at a hobby level, except themselves. Whether the public thinks it's comedy or not is a different story.

[Ahmabeliever]

PS - now I've made it sound hard - you know what you need to start - 5 minutes!

5 minutes of material is a fairly standard 'open mic' set. An open mic is a pro MC introducing new acts. Or sometimes a new act can be an open mic slot in a pro show.

5 minutes sounds like nothing, but on stage it is more than long enough to do a short routine.

Hint - write fifteen minutes (or more) then edit out everything you can except the funniest stuff, then have a go.

Some clubs are very strict on time limits. Get this right. Some won't have you back if you go over time. Learn the time slot they want, and learn to keep to it.

Many moons ago I was an amateur on holiday in Brisbane and the local club said I has 7 minutes. I went in and the set was changed to 5 - and I didn't know how to edit it there and then, I was first up....

I actually said no, I can't do it. - Had I lived in that town I could have screwed up a very good connection right there and then. Be prepared!

Lesson? - Learning the timing for chunks of material helps you change on the fly. Also, as you get better, and subsequent longer sets, you can chop and change your performance style just by accessing 'chunks' of material of similar length.

The boy/girl stuff is falling flat - pull out the mutant nijas and try that!

And timing - clubs shine a light in your face when you have one minute left, wind the set up with a good line, and get off. note - sometimes you don't see the light you're looking down or wherever... know your set, time your pieces.

[Thunderbird]

CNN Headline News, April 1 2008
Crawford Tx
President Bush shoots his own hunting dog after an unsuccessful hunting trip.

When reporters asked why he would do such a thing, the President stated........

[Ahmabeliever]

If the dog doesn't catch the pig, you eat the dog.

[Thunderbird]

Originally Posted by Ahmabeliever

If the dog doesn't catch the pig, you eat the dog.

Then Bush should be on a spit. If you don't hear from me again I'll be at GETMO.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Ahmabeliever

PS - now I've made it sound hard - you know what you need to start - 5 minutes!

5 minutes of material is a fairly standard 'open mic' set. An open mic is a pro MC introducing new acts. Or sometimes a new act can be an open mic slot in a pro show.

5 minutes sounds like nothing, but on stage it is more than long enough to do a short routine.

Hint - write fifteen minutes (or more) then edit out everything you can except the funniest stuff, then have a go.

Some clubs are very strict on time limits. Get this right. Some won't have you back if you go over time. Learn the time slot they want, and learn to keep to it. ...

Not a dissimilar preparation to any public speaking, and good advice. Did you hear about the clever comedian who came to a club fight with a bomb?


Screw the clubs closet comedians; broadcast yourselves!!!

(best viewed full screen for full club bomb effect; imagine if it had an audio track. )

YouTube - Beyond News!!

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Thunderbird

CNN Headline News, April 1 2008
Crawford Tx
President Bush shoots his own hunting dog after an unsuccessful hunting trip.

When reporters asked why he would do such a thing, the President stated........

"It wasn't me, it was Cheney."