General Has anyone here ever tried to do stand up comedy?

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D241

Banned
Jan 14, 2015
4,384
4,741
I've considered myself as someone who enjoys making others laugh ever since elementary school and I watch stand up comedies every day.

I've been contemplating at some point in my life trying to do stand up. Anything worth doing is worth doing right so thus far I have what I feel is a great opening joke and I have some other short jokes and short stories that are funny but that's probably only about 5-10 minutes worth of material.

I like how comedians have the "bring back" punchline where early on in a joke they'll have a punchline lets say some joke than ends with purple pussy. Later on somehow incorporate that same punchline as the "bring back" joke as those are always good. I don't have that yet.

Any advice or tips?

My opening joke is original so I don't want to share it here and have it stolen but it's a rape joke. I tried it out on one friend last night and he legit laughed and said...."That's good....that's reeeaaal good".
 

HEATH VON DOOM

Remember the 5th of November
Oct 21, 2015
17,281
24,721
I've considered myself as someone who enjoys making others laugh ever since elementary school and I watch stand up comedies every day.

I've been contemplating at some point in my life trying to do stand up. Anything worth doing is worth doing right so thus far I have what I feel is a great opening joke and I have some other short jokes and short stories that are funny but that's probably only about 5-10 minutes worth of material.

I like how comedians have the "bring back" punchline where early on in a joke they'll have a punchline lets say some joke than ends with purple pussy. Later on somehow incorporate that same punchline as the "bring back" joke as those are always good. I don't have that yet.

Any advice or tips?

My opening joke is original so I don't want to share it here and have it stolen but it's a rape joke. I tried it out on one friend last night and he legit laughed and said...."That's good....that's reeeaaal good".
Congrats. With your 1 funny joke you are officially funnier than Bill Burr.
 

SongExotic2

ATM 3 CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. #FREECAIN
First 100
Jan 16, 2015
39,772
53,672
I've considered myself as someone who enjoys making others laugh ever since elementary school and I watch stand up comedies every day.

I've been contemplating at some point in my life trying to do stand up. Anything worth doing is worth doing right so thus far I have what I feel is a great opening joke and I have some other short jokes and short stories that are funny but that's probably only about 5-10 minutes worth of material.

I like how comedians have the "bring back" punchline where early on in a joke they'll have a punchline lets say some joke than ends with purple pussy. Later on somehow incorporate that same punchline as the "bring back" joke as those are always good. I don't have that yet.

Any advice or tips?

My opening joke is original so I don't want to share it here and have it stolen but it's a rape joke. I tried it out on one friend last night and he legit laughed and said...."That's good....that's reeeaaal good".
Did you hear about that Everton player who had to get his arms and legs amputated.

Alan stubbs
 

Andrewsimar Palhardass

Women, dinosaurs, and the violence of the octagon.
Jan 8, 2016
5,234
6,822
I've considered myself as someone who enjoys making others laugh ever since elementary school and I watch stand up comedies every day.

I've been contemplating at some point in my life trying to do stand up. Anything worth doing is worth doing right so thus far I have what I feel is a great opening joke and I have some other short jokes and short stories that are funny but that's probably only about 5-10 minutes worth of material.

I like how comedians have the "bring back" punchline where early on in a joke they'll have a punchline lets say some joke than ends with purple pussy. Later on somehow incorporate that same punchline as the "bring back" joke as those are always good. I don't have that yet.

Any advice or tips?

My opening joke is original so I don't want to share it here and have it stolen but it's a rape joke. I tried it out on one friend last night and he legit laughed and said...."That's good....that's reeeaaal good".
I did stand up for a couple of years. It's fun and terrifying, but if you want to be any good at it, you'll have to hit the trenches in the hell rooms and pizzerias where most of the room is full of jaded comics and people who didn't come to watch comedy. You'll have to perform a ton for no money for a while at first as well, as you start to establish a name in whatever scene you start in.

You won't need more than 5 or 6 minutes of material at first. That's usually all you will get at open mics, especially when you first start. As much as you think you have your shit together and ready, go up with notes the first few times you go up.

In terms of the "bring back" punchline, it's actually called a callback, and while they do work well if they are crafted carefully, it's not like you have to have something like that to have a good set. The beauty in comedy is that it's nearly limitless. Use a specific joke format because it makes a joke better; don't start with wanting to write a callback just to write a callback.

I would strongly advise you to not open with a rape joke. It is very easy to lose an audience that isn't comfortable yet, and damn near impossible to gain them back if you aren't any good at comedy (prepare to suck btw, almost nobody is good or comfortable at first.)

Another thing to consider is that you literally never know if what you wrote is funny until you try it in front of an audience. I wrote some throwaway jokes that I thought would just be a quick joke that got a chuckle and they killed, and I also wrote some jokes that I thought were going to be huge, signature bits that got literally nothing when I told them onstage. One of the worst things a comic can do is start with something that's too offensive and doesn't land. It helps to earn the crowd's trust first. The hardest thing about comedy is that it's the only medium that I can think of that you can't practice alone. When you are learning how to play the guitar, you are sitting in your room by yourself when you make your mistakes. When you are learning how to do stand up and working on your material, you fail with a microphone on your hand and a spotlight facing you in front of a group of strangers. It's exhilarating, humiliating, and one of the most rewarding things I have ever tried to do.

Finally, be nice to promoters and take care of them when you can, but know that they are even scummier than the comics are. Also, at first you will want to memorize every word that you are going to say onstage, and that's good for when you are starting, but eventually you will have to leave that bubble and be more free. If you memorize everything you are going to say and time it to exactly the amount of time you are allotted up there, but something happens that you want to comment on, or someone heckles or something, it can throw you completely off because you were so married to what you practiced. Some comics (Carlin, Jeselnik, etc.) can get away with scripting every word but it's rare because it is hard to make it not sound like a speech. Be ready for variables and realize that you are likely entertaining drunks who want to be a part of the show, so don't be surprised when someone starts yelling things at you. Also, try not to go straight for "shut the fuck up you cunt whore" when someone heckles you, as that can backfire big time. I told a biker gang full of 40-60 year old men to go fuck themselves from the stage when I was 22 or so, and I completely lost them and got threatened by the youngest one before I left. I also had a lady come onstage and try to physically remove the mic from my hands once, but I was a better comic by then and was able to play with it.

If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to help you, just don't ask "do you think this is funny" and write your bit out on here, because that's not how it works. When I started, I did that a few times with other comics that I know, but the good ones will always tell you to just try it on stage.
 

Andrewsimar Palhardass

Women, dinosaurs, and the violence of the octagon.
Jan 8, 2016
5,234
6,822
Also, and this isn't based on any preconceived ideas of your funniness, take the close to ten minutes that you have now and cut the fat out. Since you've never done stand up before, there's a good chance that at least half of that isn't funny at all onstage. Do what you think is your absolute best material, with as many punch lines as possible. Get to the jokes with as few wasted moments as you can.
 

Rambo John J

Eats things that would make a Billy Goat Puke
First 100
Jan 17, 2015
71,541
71,465
public speaking is some real ass shit

I get nervous being humorous when it gets above 8 or so people(poker table size) at a time
 

Rambo John J

Eats things that would make a Billy Goat Puke
First 100
Jan 17, 2015
71,541
71,465
Also, and this isn't based on any preconceived ideas of your funniness, take the close to ten minutes that you have now and cut the fat out. Since you've never done stand up before, there's a good chance that at least half of that isn't funny at all onstage. Do what you think is your absolute best material, with as many punch lines as possible. Get to the jokes with as few wasted moments as you can.
sup hardass?
you da man
 

Andrewsimar Palhardass

Women, dinosaurs, and the violence of the octagon.
Jan 8, 2016
5,234
6,822
public speaking is some real ass shit

I get nervous being humorous when it gets above 8 or so people(poker table size) at a time
Yeah, it can be really scary. My first booked show was a Raider fan club meeting. 50 or 60 middle aged Raider fans. I am a sickly looking white guy who at that time had braces and couldn't find any clothes that fit properly. I was so scared someone yelled "curfew!" and I just kinda laughed and didn't address it. Threw me completely off and I never got them back.

I eventually got to the point where I preferred larger audiences though, because the laughs are louder and if you do mediocre you still made a chunk of people enjoy themselves. I performed in front of literally two people at this show at a punk rock club. Two people in metal folding chairs. That was more nerve wracking than performing in front of 150+.
 

Andrewsimar Palhardass

Women, dinosaurs, and the violence of the octagon.
Jan 8, 2016
5,234
6,822
Also D241 @D-raw if you have to drink the first time to get up, do your thing, but don't make it a regular thing for a while until you're comfortable. It can turn into a shit show really quick.

Funny story- I went to an open mic on Orange County one time, and a guy got so high before he went up (trying to ease his nerves) that he went on stage and couldn't remember a word of his material. Not a single word. Went up, said hi, never started his bit. Just stood there for (not exaggerating) 3 minutes in complete silence just randomly going "dammit, what was it....." it was one of the most uncomfortable things I have ever watched.
 

Andrewsimar Palhardass

Women, dinosaurs, and the violence of the octagon.
Jan 8, 2016
5,234
6,822
And, if you are going to do an open mic, make sure to watch the other comics respectfully and laugh when they make you laugh (some comics will fake laugh to support their friends but it's so obvious and obnoxious that it ends up hurting in the long run.) Try to stay after your set and watch some comics if possible, and make friends with the nice ones or the good ones (not always the same guys.) Don't talk or ignore the other comics on the show, especially if they sat respectfully while you were up there.

I had a situation where I had one of the best sets of my life at this hotel in Visalia, CA. There was a crowd of 70 or so people, and the promoter of the show went up after me. A drunk old man in the crowd started to walk up to the stage to shake my hand while I was up there, and we had a good time about it, so when the promoter was onstage the old man walked up to me and was LOUDLY saying "fuck this guy (pointing to the promoter), you need to be in HOLLYWOOD!" and he kept trying to take a selfie with me but he's old and couldn't figure out the camera on his phone. The promoter was so mad. I was supposed to get $40.00 for that set, and he ended up paying me $20 in $1.00 bills.
 

silentsinger

Momofuku
Jun 23, 2015
21,038
14,484
public speaking is some real ass shit

I get nervous being humorous when it gets above 8 or so people(poker table size) at a time
Seriously. I used to present a lot and pulled it off well enough but I was having kittens before I had to.

Pretty sure I couldn't do it anymore.
 

Jesus X

4 drink minimum.
Sep 7, 2015
28,766
31,291
I considered it because it is very easy to have a platform for it as an amateur in L.A county and the O.C but then I saw Brendan shaub doing it and it sort of killed any ambition I had toward comedy. maybe ill do it for fun once.
 

silentsinger

Momofuku
Jun 23, 2015
21,038
14,484
I considered it because it is very easy to have a platform for it as an amateur in L.A county and the O.C but then I saw Brendan shaub doing it and it sort of killed any ambition I had toward comedy. maybe ill do it for fun once.
He had a two night slot here at our improv place in SJ. I considered it but I really don't know enough about him.

I went to see Joey Diaz on a recommendation from someone here and Rogan which worked out great.