nuttynutskin
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/grammar.
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Thinking of trying my hand at stand-up
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nuttynutskin
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Lol... I've been LMAO this whole time. I told people to say whether my jokes sucked or not, but most seem to have missed the "why" part.
coelophysis
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Man, I've been having this same debate in my head lately. I thought this thread was going to be one of substance though.
Why don't you try your legs at stand up instead of your hands? What are you some kind of shock artist?
Why don't you try your legs at stand up instead of your hands? What are you some kind of shock artist?
nuttynutskin
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Man, I've been having this same debate in my head lately. I thought this thread was going to be one of substance though.
Why don't you try your legs at stand up instead of your hands? What are you some kind of shock artist?
You've thought about trying some stand up? I'm not exactly sure what you mean by the other question, I'm guessing you mean actually doing it... Idk it's just something I've thought about at times but I wanted to see if anyone thought my jokes were any good lol. Obviously it doesn't seem like it besides a few thought the wine one was ok. And yes I have a morbid sense of humor that a lot of people probably don't get.
China Rider
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I listen to multiple podcasts hosted by stand ups
they all say the same thing, if you want to get into stand up, just get on stage anywhere that will take you, as frequently as possible
eventually you'll realize it's not for you or you'll find your voice, while maintaining a constant stream of misery the rest of your life
they all say the same thing, if you want to get into stand up, just get on stage anywhere that will take you, as frequently as possible
eventually you'll realize it's not for you or you'll find your voice, while maintaining a constant stream of misery the rest of your life
gr33n3y3z
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quidamsoul
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I have done stand-up, alternative theatre productions, spoken word and poetry. Love performing.
Are you generally shy or extroverted? Ever faced an audience with a microphone in front of you? Some people find it to be the most delicious high, while others simply cannot handle it. What kind of setting would you first perform in?
Are you generally shy or extroverted? Ever faced an audience with a microphone in front of you? Some people find it to be the most delicious high, while others simply cannot handle it. What kind of setting would you first perform in?
coelophysis
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I don't think posting your joke in a thread is going to help you figure out if it's funny or not. Like someone else mentioned, the funny is in the delivery.
And who cares if it's funny? Does it have to be jokes? Why not just different perspectives on topics you feel like addressing?
quidamsoul
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General tips regarding stand-up (I also used to be a co-teacher at an improv comedy class):
- Don't expect to be able to "wing it" or to just have a piece of paper with topics to be funny about. Being funny on the spot and under the spotlight is tremendously mind-blanking. Have prepared material. Measure the time each joke (and additional spin-off follow-up jokes) takes, write it down next to the joke itself (I usually just write the punchline, but long or non sequitur set-ups might need to be written down too), and try to have three times as much material as you'll need--if it's a ten minute gig, come with thirty minutes worth of material, and spend the first couple minutes getting a feel of what your audience finds funny, so you can pick the most effective parts of your material.
- Have at least 2-3 "safety" jokes--cheap, simple humor, preferably with longer set-ups. They will be your go-to place if your audience isn't warming up very well at all, and will drag you out of the mud if a joke suddenly silences the room awkwardly.
- If your material isn't hitting home and your safety jokes don't seem to help, rely on the audience. Mocking the audience--hecklers in particular--is sometimes extremely effective. Try not to be racist (though it can work with the right audience), but cheap shots like uglyness, poor fashion sense, bad hairdos or body weight are all very popular. Don't forget to mock yourself as well--exaggerate when you do, people love hyperbolic humor. "I'm not saying you are fat, but the people around you need to be careful, (pause, serious look) I see some loose change starting to orbit your waist (raising your voice as you yelp out the punchline)"
- Finally, if everything else goes wrong, just talk trash about yourself about your miserable comedic skills ("I'm so bad at this, I got invited to perform for terminally ill children--as a form of euthanasia. Twenty two toddlers hung themselves in fifteen minutes").
Be creative, controversial, sporadically vulgar, and most of all, be confident. Dominate any nervousness, and if you find yourself feeling anxious, don't dwell on the sensation, tell the audience right away and make a series of jokes about it, until you loosen up yourself and your audience.
Best of luck! Live performing can be quite addictive, I hope you enjoy yourself.
As far as checking if your jokes are funny, as others have said, the funny is in the delivery. A good comedian can make you gasp for air after laughing like a maniac for minutes nonstop, using a list of old, cliche, barely amusing jokes. A bad comedian may have stolen world-class material from a better comedian and deliver it so awkwardly and with such poor timing no one even so much as smirks.
- Don't expect to be able to "wing it" or to just have a piece of paper with topics to be funny about. Being funny on the spot and under the spotlight is tremendously mind-blanking. Have prepared material. Measure the time each joke (and additional spin-off follow-up jokes) takes, write it down next to the joke itself (I usually just write the punchline, but long or non sequitur set-ups might need to be written down too), and try to have three times as much material as you'll need--if it's a ten minute gig, come with thirty minutes worth of material, and spend the first couple minutes getting a feel of what your audience finds funny, so you can pick the most effective parts of your material.
- Have at least 2-3 "safety" jokes--cheap, simple humor, preferably with longer set-ups. They will be your go-to place if your audience isn't warming up very well at all, and will drag you out of the mud if a joke suddenly silences the room awkwardly.
- If your material isn't hitting home and your safety jokes don't seem to help, rely on the audience. Mocking the audience--hecklers in particular--is sometimes extremely effective. Try not to be racist (though it can work with the right audience), but cheap shots like uglyness, poor fashion sense, bad hairdos or body weight are all very popular. Don't forget to mock yourself as well--exaggerate when you do, people love hyperbolic humor. "I'm not saying you are fat, but the people around you need to be careful, (pause, serious look) I see some loose change starting to orbit your waist (raising your voice as you yelp out the punchline)"
- Finally, if everything else goes wrong, just talk trash about yourself about your miserable comedic skills ("I'm so bad at this, I got invited to perform for terminally ill children--as a form of euthanasia. Twenty two toddlers hung themselves in fifteen minutes").
Be creative, controversial, sporadically vulgar, and most of all, be confident. Dominate any nervousness, and if you find yourself feeling anxious, don't dwell on the sensation, tell the audience right away and make a series of jokes about it, until you loosen up yourself and your audience.
Best of luck! Live performing can be quite addictive, I hope you enjoy yourself.
As far as checking if your jokes are funny, as others have said, the funny is in the delivery. A good comedian can make you gasp for air after laughing like a maniac for minutes nonstop, using a list of old, cliche, barely amusing jokes. A bad comedian may have stolen world-class material from a better comedian and deliver it so awkwardly and with such poor timing no one even so much as smirks.
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nuttynutskin
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I don't know if you're being serious or not, but that's basically what I'm aiming for. Jokes so stupid and bad that they get laughed at not so much as the content, but just the ridiculousness or stupidity of them.
quidamsoul
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Silly jokes work, I use them ALL the time, mostly when doing improv, which I prefer to stand-up. But they are 100% about delivery--some of the funniest, house-cracking jokes I've ever pulled off were silly jokes that could get a guy punched for being retarded enough to think that'd be funny.
Your jokes seem to be similar. You have to work on your delivery, there has to be some form of switcheroo going on. What works for me is a grandiose manner of speaking during set-ups; a sophisticated, elegant vocabulary spoken with a deep, confident tone and a condescending gaze, and then the switch--the joke is delivered suddenly, loudly, with a hint of self-ridicule in my voice, and a wide, idiotic smile.
Something different might work for you, or maybe something similar--but delivering silly jokes in an unexpected manner (something that makes them unpredictable, because silly jokes are predictable, and if people can anticipate your punchlines, you are dead in the water) is absolutely crucial.
Practice in front of a mirror. You're not funny only with your mouth; your body language, hand gestures and facial expressions guide the audience through the joke and can totally be the actual trigger to the laughter. Additionally, and I don't know if this is up your alley or not (I was trained in a theatrical setting, so that may explain why I think so), but in my experience, your wardrobe can help you out significantly (or not help you whatsoever, if you don't dress up for the occasion. At any rate, I've never heard of any wardrobe actually harming a comedic performance). I for one often do a deadpan delivery, and I find that dressing up very old-timey makes the character funnier (I wear long-sleeve white shirts, skinny ties, tailored vests, checkered pants, moccasins and fedoras, very gentlemanish).
Wish I could get a nice vintage cane.
Your jokes seem to be similar. You have to work on your delivery, there has to be some form of switcheroo going on. What works for me is a grandiose manner of speaking during set-ups; a sophisticated, elegant vocabulary spoken with a deep, confident tone and a condescending gaze, and then the switch--the joke is delivered suddenly, loudly, with a hint of self-ridicule in my voice, and a wide, idiotic smile.
Something different might work for you, or maybe something similar--but delivering silly jokes in an unexpected manner (something that makes them unpredictable, because silly jokes are predictable, and if people can anticipate your punchlines, you are dead in the water) is absolutely crucial.
Practice in front of a mirror. You're not funny only with your mouth; your body language, hand gestures and facial expressions guide the audience through the joke and can totally be the actual trigger to the laughter. Additionally, and I don't know if this is up your alley or not (I was trained in a theatrical setting, so that may explain why I think so), but in my experience, your wardrobe can help you out significantly (or not help you whatsoever, if you don't dress up for the occasion. At any rate, I've never heard of any wardrobe actually harming a comedic performance). I for one often do a deadpan delivery, and I find that dressing up very old-timey makes the character funnier (I wear long-sleeve white shirts, skinny ties, tailored vests, checkered pants, moccasins and fedoras, very gentlemanish).
Wish I could get a nice vintage cane.
nuttynutskin
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Thanks for the advice... How long have you been doing your act?
kytnism
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i think it sounds like a fantastic venture and if doesnt work out to be your thing, would make for a great life experience and would open doors to you interacting with some very interesting people.
i loved pretty_diamonds suggestion of making a youtube channel and posting some of your work here for us and the public to enjoy and critique (hopefully positively) and to assist in you getting a feel for your own style of comedy.
good luck OP
...kytnism...
i loved pretty_diamonds suggestion of making a youtube channel and posting some of your work here for us and the public to enjoy and critique (hopefully positively) and to assist in you getting a feel for your own style of comedy.
good luck OP
...kytnism...
nuttynutskin
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Don't feel too bad, if I'm going to do it I need to get used to drunk hecklers anyways.
And besides I thought what you said about kids either laughing or throwing lunch boxes at me was funny. I wouldn't mind if they did as long as they had food in them.
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i.e. the content...
the type of humour you're describing reminds me of the way my friends and i joked about when we were teenagers. it's seems like a pretty juvenile approach to comedy. i'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing but everybody's heard it a hundred times and a 12 year old could do it.
what are you going to do to be unique and funny? i suggest that you write down a couple of subjects on a piece of paper and start writing jokes about them. when you've written down 5 or 6 ideas, throw them away because they're likely to be the first 5 or 6 funny things everybody would think of.
i'm also a big believer in writing about what you know: your life; people in your life; things that have happened to you; ideas you've had. i think comedy is more effective if it's personal and comes from a real place.
alasdair
thujone
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Fuck it, just do it. A lot of the most successful comedians tell "childish" jokes. Suddenly it's not so childish if you've got a room full of adults laughing. Dave Chapelle got pretty famous making a lot of awful jokes about weed and being black. I don't know why people are being dicks about it, I mean the title of this thread is "Thinking of trying stand-up". Who learns to be good at anything without trying it? You have to try, you have to fail, and you have to keep trying to get good at anything. If you really want to do it you will move past failures and become a success.
I think quidamsoul's advice is helpful. I'm actually pretty used to public speaking and knowing your material inside-out is necessary. At some point your mind will start to just disconnect from your senses and the only way to push through that is to know your material well enough that your mouth can keep going on autopilot until your brain catches up. Otherwise you freeze and stall and it's very, very tough to recover when you're in front of a bunch of people and stop talking for long enough to let in all the horrible thoughts that can sink you. Open mic nights at a local bar or something are a great place to go try it out. Bring some friends to cheer you on and if you do manage to bomb horribly at least you won't suffer too much shame bowing out. A lot of acts like to go overtime so bailing after five minutes when you're booked for fifteen isn't a big deal.
I think quidamsoul's advice is helpful. I'm actually pretty used to public speaking and knowing your material inside-out is necessary. At some point your mind will start to just disconnect from your senses and the only way to push through that is to know your material well enough that your mouth can keep going on autopilot until your brain catches up. Otherwise you freeze and stall and it's very, very tough to recover when you're in front of a bunch of people and stop talking for long enough to let in all the horrible thoughts that can sink you. Open mic nights at a local bar or something are a great place to go try it out. Bring some friends to cheer you on and if you do manage to bomb horribly at least you won't suffer too much shame bowing out. A lot of acts like to go overtime so bailing after five minutes when you're booked for fifteen isn't a big deal.