Comments on: A Glorious Waste of Time: Jordan Brady’s I Am Comic

By: Chris Rhatigan

Chris Rhatigan — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 03:36:37 +0000

Very smart commentary on a subject I love. I think it’s kind of sad that the 80s/90s boom of comedy is dead. I spent many an after school watching Stand Up, Stand Up and other slapdash Comedy Central shows–that’s where I first heard Dave Chappelle and Steven Wright and all those great comics.

On being a comedian, I would definitely recommend Louis C.K’s FX show, Louie. In almost every episode he deals indirectly with what it’s like to be a comic with frequently depressing results. I recently saw him perform at a casino in rural Iowa and it was the best 40 bucks I ever spent. That man is a genius.

By: Jordan Brady

Jordan Brady — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 02:36:10 +0000

Thank you Mr. Jimmy Callaway. “Bow-chicka-wow-wow”.

By: Axechucker

Axechucker — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:47:14 +0000

I saw I AM COMIC just last year; Ritch Shydner had me at different times cheering and facepalming his often clumsy efforts. It was my introduction to the “desperate comic,” for there he was, valiantly attempting to get back on that horse, over and over again. The elation of one of his rare good gigs was almost a surreal experience; you can almost feel how sweet the air tastes after catching that elusive “on” night. Great fucking documentary.

Comedy’s not dead, but it is a funny thing (el oh el), because of how the stand-up world works, as the onus lies both on the comedian and the audience. Martin jokes wouldn’t work as well if they were told by Pryor, and vice versa, though the exact same audience might enjoy both equally. Some comics rely on a specific kind of audience. You can hit a Jay Mohr show and everyone will be screaming for Walken. No matter how many times he does it, they want more of it. Same old lines? No problem (and he’s happy to do them). It’s sometimes like a midnight ROCKY HORROR revisit.

Other guys almost have to rely on the fact that you’ve never heard the joke before. One example (and I can’t remember the comic’s name for the life of me) was this guy who opens his act by saying, “I’m going to do an impression, and you won’t think it’s funny. But trust me: it’s funny.” And he basically then does an impression of his cat answering the phone.

“Merow?”

That’s it. Audience kind of chuckling nervously. The comic goes on to the rest of his routine. But every so often, he has a joke that doesn’t quite hit. Or it’s just a little off. He pauses, looks at the audience, then says, hopefully, “Merow?”

More laughter.

So they start to catch on. He’s purposefully putting a few duds into his act; 3/4ths of the way through “Merow?” is getting the biggest laugh, and by the end they’re actually shouting for it. It was brilliant. Even if he’s not sticking purposeful duds in his show, he’s making them part of the ultimate punchline if he DOES have them.

Anyway, great article.

By: M C Funk

M C Funk — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:05:13 +0000

Very educational. I hope I remember a quarter of this history of stand-up. It would mean I quadrupled my knowledge on the subject.

As for the conclusion, I love that part best because I already believe it. Moore’s ‘The Comedian’ passed that gem to me, and I’m glad to see your take on it.

They say that pain tells you that you’re alive. Laughter must be what makes that pain worth living it.