Where Did That Come From?
Tags: The Stand-Up DiariesWell, it’s the first blog of 2012 after an uneventful new years eve. Well, it was fun, just not fun for me. Oh yeah, you’re here to read about the comedy, not about how I got shot down by three ladies in two days LOL
Anyhow, I usually get two reactions when I tell people that I have entered the world of amateur stand-up comedy. The first is usually a positive one, unless you’re my family. Most people will say either that they could see me doing something like this because of my sense of humour, or else it catches them off guard but they are still supportive and send their best wishes for much success. The second reaction is where they get this puzzled looks on their faces and ask….
“Just where do you get your material from?”
On the one hand it’s an easy answer because I usually reply that I take my cues from the world around me, whether it be current events, the world of celebrity, friends, family, dating (I always said my dating life was a joke and would make great material one day), sports, etc. But on the other hand it’s not so easy to answer because, just because you find something funny, or have a funny slant on something doesn’t mean it will translate into what an audience will find funny. You need to see a previous blog where I talked about The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air t.v. show. No, I won’t tell you which posting that was because not only can I not remember, it’s up to you to read these things thoroughly and to get something out of them. 🙂
I have talked to friends of mine who I find funny, and they will tell me something in conversation that I find funny about a particular topic. Now then, just because they can make me laugh, and probably make their friends laugh with what they say, it doesn’t necessarily translate into success on stage (again, see The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air). I believe this to be true because you need to get these people on stage, and if they had a desire to do so, they would need to be aware of the comedic timing that I previously wrote about, but they also need to write in such a way that it’s funny to an audience.
This is where I have found some challenges recently. I won’t say that I get bashed every time I do The Comedy Grind (Gabbo’s) in Regina, but I don’t feel comfortable there yet, you know? I can’t confidently go on stage knowing that my stuff works. Maybe that is because they guys in Regina are more willing to offer their advice on the specifics of my set, while the comics here haven’t done so to the degree in Regina. Maybe as I get more familiar with the local comics here I can solicit their advice and that may change, but I just noticed that stark difference right off the bat. As I said before, I think my material is good, it just needs to be written better to get a more consistently positive reaction from the audience (again you lazy people, read previous postings LOL)
I get my material from the same places everyone else does, it just depends on if your brain is wired a certain way to see the humour in something that the next guy doesn’t see. As for how you write comedy, there is a book called Comedy Writing for Dummies, but I think I’m the dummy here LOL The best way to learn how to write is just to go and perform and listen to the advice that the audience or seasoned comics will give you. The audience’s feedback is very important to me. You guys are who us comics perform for. If you don’t get a joke, or if there is something you think I need to work on, tell me. I mean, if I don’t listen to you guys with a teachable spirit (thanks for the sermon Pastor Perry), how will I get any better?
Everyone gets material from the same places, with the only exception being your childhood. Everyone’s childhood is different because of the socio-economic differences that each one of us grew up around. No two childhoods are alike, but everyone has the same dating stories, relationship issues, family strife, kids, marriage, etc. So if you get two people who are taking the same event, say a wedding, both will look at it differently. Maybe one views weddings a certain way because of something they saw from their family in their childhood that was funny, or maybe they saw something that either disgusted them or screwed them up enough emotionally that now as an adult, the best way for them to communicate that is with sarcasm that translates into humour. The other guy might view weddings in a more positive light because he grew up in a good home, it’s just that he had goofy parents who knew how to laugh at themselves. I am not sure if that helps you get this jist of this or not, but it just goes to show you that no two people will ever find the exact same things funny.
Now if you write them a certain way, or deliver them with proper timing, then they can be funny to everyone.
And that my friends, is what I and all the other comics strive for when we perform for you.