Cleaner Stand-Up Comics
Stand-up comedy is a popular form of entertainment in the U.S. You’ll find lots of stand-up comedy clubs here, where you pay a cover charge (fee to enter) to hear one or more comics tell jokes. On cable television, stand-up comics often have comedy specials, which are usually just filmed versions of their stage show shown on TV. A number of comics who started out doing stand-up have gone on to become stars of their own television sitcoms (half-hour comedy shows set in “real life” situations), such as Jerry Seinfeld in Seinfeld, Ray Romano in Everybody Loves Raymond, Ellen DeGeneres in Ellen (the sitcom first, then the talk show).
If you’ve ever been to a live (not recorded) comedy show or have seen one on cable, you know that many comics like to use profanity (use offensive language). Some of the most famous comics of all time, such as Eddie Murphy, are known for their foul-mouthed (bad language) performances. However, as one owner of a comedy school in New York City points out, having a foul mouth can lose comics jobs. That’s because, in addition to working in comedy clubs, a large number of comics are hired for corporate gigs (live performance for a company). According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, this is why:
Big-city clubs have a dirty secret: Even the pros (professionals) earn only a few hundred dollars a set (each comedy performance), if that (if they even get that much). Stand-up’s steady (constant) money is at colleges, festivals, churches, and—for $10,000 a pop (each)—in the spotless (clean; not dirty) dinners, trade shows (conventions for an industry, such as travel) and pep talks (events to get their people excited and motivated) put on by corporations.
For these gigs, bookers (people who find entertainment for an event) are looking for entertainers who will not offend most people, with performances that are appropriate for families. Having a foul mouth may get a comic quick laughs, but he or she may get passed over (overlooked; not get the opportunity) for these lucrative (paying a lot of money) jobs.
Having clean (not offensive) sets may be difficult for some comics, since part of the nature of stand-up comedy is to push the envelop (do things that go beyond what is socially acceptable ) and to challenge conventional (traditional; normal) thinking or behavior. But it may be worth their while (worth it) to develop clean routines (performances) if they want to work.
Is stand-up comedy popular where you live? Do comedians have a tradition of being foul-mouthed? If so, are there limits to where they can perform?
~ Lucy
Photo Credit: Eddiemurphyrawposter.jpg from Wikipedia
October 25th, 2012 at 7:03 am
Hey, Lucy, hey, Jeff.
Hope you are doing well.
Methinks that people should choose what kind of humor is more interesting and exciting for them and there mustn’t be any limits or laws that restrict joking and other related things.
Needless to say, a lion’s share of world famous comedians tends to use bad language, offensive hints and mockery.
Nothing can solve this problem at least these comedians themselves will change the way they behave, treat us and joke.
Humor is a curious thing. It resides when the man believe it resides. It’s a trick, a shadow on the wall.
It is an honor to be your admirer, Lucy and Jeff.
I’m appreciative of what you do for us every day.
Best wishes, have a great weekend.
October 25th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Dear Lucy,
The image you put up there threw me off for a second or two.
The image reads “raw”
I thought you Were answering some question about the expression “get a raw deal or sth.”
The thing is ,I first check the image or title of the post without reading the content. Then, I try to write down sth about in my wording . And,in the end ,i compare note with the post
You know ,stand up comedian is not as popular in Canada . Still,you see people in comedy clubs watching the show.
Honest, I don’t know any famouse stand-up comedians here in Canada.
I mean rarly you see people do it at a profesional level
Most of them do it on the side. I
Mean , do it as a moonlighting to earn some extra money, or do
It merely as a hobby.
I did it once or twice for free. I liked doing it. It was a kind of opening act for the main show. Sth like that
Needless to say, I got screwed up ,big time !!!!
I tried to get a stage once or twice after that
Never been successful, though
I m telling you it is not easy
Most of the times ,there are some hecklers among the audience heckling you. You must be quick on your feet to answer them jokingly otherwise you may loose the stage.
There is different genre to it like improve, prep , stand up ,and so on.
You get a 15 to 30 minutes window (time slot) to do the show.
According to my experience , the key is to think on your feet.
The first time I did it , I was so
Keyed up that I said everything in 2 ,3 minutes. I mean it was stupid.
It is like a project and you are the project manger for it. You must time yourself and you must know when to say what otherwise you would loose the audience and eventually the show.
What ever you do, you don’t wanna boo out of the stage. It is so humiliating !!!
Yours
Pete
October 26th, 2012 at 12:45 am
Hello everyone out there,
Thanks Lucy! so many new words and expressions.
I found interesting: push the envelope.
I did not get it because I was thinking why should I push an envelope?
After looking up at its origin I have learned that it comes from mathematics and aviation. It seems that there is a “mathematical envelope”
Well,I have learned something new this morning.
I was thinking Jeff would make a quite good stand up comics. At times as I am listening the pod. he makes me laugh.
Mainly, when he’s kind of cynic.
You too Lucy make me laugh. I remember just yesterday as i was driving and listening one of your pod. The episode
where this guy goes at a reasturant and asks boxed wine. I remember thinking what an idiot and had a laugh.
Stand up comedy is quite popular in Italy.
Thanks.
October 26th, 2012 at 4:57 am
STAND-UP CONCERNS.- If compared with the US and rest of the anglosaxon tradition, stand-up comedy is different in configuration and relatively new in popularity here in Spain. Our comedy tradition has been ballasted by a past of very strong censorship coming from the moral status-quo formed both by conservative governments’ officials and preposterous catholic religious acting as virtual inquisitors. In this miserable scenario our comedians didn’t have a tradition of being foul-mouthed because profanity in any slightest way could mean trials, severe fines and even imprisonment. This situation has out put to high-profile to comedians, and putting instead to conventionally aseptic comedians, and staging performances of pre-script approved. But also it has created some highly imaginative ones, authentic pushers of envelops, always bordering the limits. Sense of humor varies a lot from culture to culture, is very particular and adapted to circumstances. Limits exist indeed, but also do easy resources and bad taste. The last frontier should be one of self setting, against open vulgarity and non-sense foul-mouthed, because specially on TV shows, it can foster mimetic behaviours over some sections of the audience, like teenagers for instance, where they may get a false sense of lack of respects to social rules, they might easily assume that if adults are they laughing so much at dirty comments then there’s nothing wrong translating them into real life or even worst, happen to a wide spreading off their natural and temporal stupidity.
October 26th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Hey Lucy,
For me, as human being, we seem to be too lazy to figure out something as relaxing, and we’d like to judge or laugh at stupid things someone had done…so the easy way to serve our rights is “dirty” words! imaging living in a world without any moment to stop thinking about something, to relax…what a boring world! so as a business man in entertainment industry, do you want to serve your customers that way? (at least the majority of customers)…not at all right? I think the problem is how “dirty” a word is accepted to be in public…It depends on your sense of humor, your culture, the society!…so foul mouthed comedies is not bad at all…don’t raise some red flags in religious fields or policy, controversial issues…!
Best regard!
October 29th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Hi Lucy,
yes comedians have a big stage since some years in Germany. In clubs, in TV and some of them make their shows in big soccer-stadiums.
Best regard
Nele