So, You Want to Start Comedy?

Written by: David Kousgaard

It doesn’t matter how or when you’re introduced to stand-up comedy, at some point every comedian working (and not working) today had the same thought you’re having right now. Which is probably something along the lines of, “I bet I can do that,” or, “I’d probably be good at this.” And you might be right. You might also be very, very wrong. But you might be right.

What I see happen too often, though, is people starting comedy and not knowing what to expect from it, or expecting too much from it. Whether it’s high expectations of fame, fulfillment, or enjoyment not being met, comedy isn’t always what someone is expecting. So, to help you prepare for your journey into comedy, I wanted to share some general things I think people should know and some things you’ll encounter.

Some of these things will be covered more in-depth in later blog posts and we’ll probably cover them in varying degrees on the podcast as well when they come up. To start off our blog, I wanted to keep things fairly broad and generalized. I’ll try to keep things optimistic as well, as to not scare off anyone wanting to give stand-up a try, but I will also be realistic.

YOU PROBABLY WON’T GET FAMOUS FAST, OR AT ALL, AND THAT’S FINE:

Let’s rip this Band-Aid off really quick. Comedy is a shit ton harder than people like to think it is in a lot of ways. What is and isn’t difficult depends on the person, but success isn’t guaranteed and rarely comes quickly. A lot of people assume comedy is easy because they often don’t see how the sausage is made. People just see a person show up on Netflix, especially younger and/or younger looking people, and assume that they are an overnight sensation. This is very rarely the truth.

Did some stars rise fast in comedy? Absolutely. But even those people often worked several years to a decade before getting their big break. Open micing, emceeing, featuring and opening for other acts, headlining, and then they get their break because of their hard work, oftentimes a little luck, and being in the right place at the right time either physically, digitally with online content, or both.

There are also dozens if not hundreds of other comedians who are just as funny, if not funnier than the comics who got these opportunities, but the stars just haven’t aligned for them the way they did their more famous counterparts. Which sucks, but that’s just how comedy is. That’s just how life is. But many of these people who were “passed up,” for lack of a better phrase, still have successful careers in comedy. They just don’t have the same name recognition as someone with a special on a streaming service.

So, if you think you’re going to show up in your scene (no matter how big the scene is) and take the comedy world by storm and become famous overnight, you’re going to be disappointed. There will be some people that are naturally talented and will get opportunities quicker than you. But most people will struggle to make any sort of impact, big or small, in comedy for years. And that is fine.

The main reason, in my opinion, you should be doing comedy is because you love doing it. Because it’s fun. Is it wrong to have goals of “making it?” Absolutely not. But what’s the point in making it if you don’t love doing it and you aren’t having fun. If you just want to make a lot of money doing something you hate there are way better options than comedy, trust me.

JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN SAY IT, DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD:

You are about to enter what many people call, “the last bastion of free speech,” and while maybe that’s true, I’ve found that a lot of the people who say that are usually just trying to justify a shitty thing they said. Not all of them, but not, not all of them either. Comedy can be a beautiful medium for people to express perspectives not commonly noticed in mainstream society, but having that freedom comes with responsibility.

Now, I’m not going to be the person who tells you that you can’t talk about something or say something on stage. Well, with one important caveat. If you are a white person, DO NOT SAY THE N-WORD. And if you read that and thought, “but what if I…” Nope. Especially not then. Don’t even finish that thought. In fact, I would recommend you avoid racial, ethnic, and sexual slurs all together unless you belong to the group affected by those linguistic abominations. That said, it’s natural to want to see what you can and can’t say when given the freedom to do so. Addressing taboos can be fun. Pushing boundaries can be fun. Just remember to perform from your personal perspective. Don't speak to other's truths, and be respectful of others' experiences.

If you want to be a comedian who pushes boundaries, that is great, do that. Comedy is meant to push boundaries. But ask yourself some questions before taking your joke to the stage to make sure that the boundary you are pushing isn’t just reinforcing old tropes and stereotypes harmful to a group of people.

Questions like: who is this joke about, who is the punchline of the joke, is this joke “punching up” or “punching down,” what part of society is this addressing, am I just trying to shock people, and if this joke doesn’t work am I okay with people thinking that this is the person I am. These are just some examples. There are plenty of other questions you can and should ask yourself to make sure what you’re doing is boundary pushing, and not mocking any historically disenfranchised group with a hack ass joke your uncle would tell at Thanksgiving.

YOU WILL MEET SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE EVER:

Some of the best friends I have now aren’t friends I made in high school or college; it was after I started comedy. Hell, two of the groomsmen in my wedding party were the first two dudes I went on the road to do a one-nighter with. They’re the longest lasting friends I made as an adult. And I’ll be honest, if we had not met through comedy, I would have never even talked to them.

You will meet all sorts of people just by starting comedy and some of them will help you make memories that will last a lifetime. Forming a common bond by performing at empty open mics and empty shows, trying to get on festivals, and trying to get into clubs. If you find the right people, they will help push you to grow and improve as a comedian. The comradery you’ll have with these people will be tough to break, and few things compare to it.

YOU WILL MEET SOME OF THE WORST PEOPLE EVER:

This is the other side of the previous section’s coin. Comedy attracts all kinds of people and while some are the best, some are the worst. You can’t have the light without the dark. Whether this person is another comedian or some sort of gatekeeper, you will find someone who pisses you off. And while this is true with all facets of life, it tends to be worse in comedy, because unlike a normal job where social graces, societal norms, and an HR department, can prevent you from seeing the worst sides of a person, Those structures aren't in place in comedy.

There are many different ways these people can be the worst. Be it joke thievery, a clash of personalities, inappropriate or offensive remarks or actions, or all of the above. There’s not enough time to get into how to deal with each of those instances right now, they’ll be covered later. So, for now, just try to find the good people. The people who make comedy fun for you. And please, for the love of The Lord, don’t be a fucking prick.

COMEDY CAN BE THERAPEUTIC, BUT IT ISN’T THERAPY:

Most of us are familiar with the trope of the sad clown. Characters and stories like Pagliacci and Weary Willie as well as real life tragedies like the suicides of Robin Williams and Brody Stevens. Comedy has a tendency to attract what many consider “broken people.” There are many people in the comedy world who struggle with mental illness and traumas. Some great comedians have written some great jokes about dark things in their life. Maybe Some people reading this also struggle with a mental illness or a trauma that they're trying to cope with and feel that by laughing at it that takes away some of its power. I feel you.

However, stand-up comedy should not be your therapy. And this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t talk about your struggles with trauma and mental illness. But many of those comedians who talk about mental illness and trauma also see professionals to help them work through them in a productive and healthy way.

Comedy can be therapeutic, yes, and it can help you work through some things, yes, but I have seen too many people try to treat comedy as free therapy only to see their mental states get worse. If you are struggling with something in your life, please seek help from a professional who can help you work through these things and improve your life. Holding a room of strangers hostage while they give you no feedback isn’t going to help in the long run.

_______________________

I hope this blog gave you something to think about to help decide if stand-up comedy is something you wanted to try. My goal is not to discourage anyone from trying comedy. In fact, it’s the opposite. I want you to be as prepared as possible so you can get the most enjoyment and fulfillment as you can from this.

By no means is this everything you should know about comedy before starting it. Hell, it barely scratches the surface of what you should know depending on what your goals in comedy are. But these are some of the things I felt you should know regardless of your aspirations. We’ll go over these things, and many more topics designed to help you in comedy, in more detail with future blog posts, so be sure to follow us for more updates.

Good luck, be kind, and stay dope, ski slopes.

One More Thing by Jeremy Plumb

When David pitched the concept of having the other host write an addendum of a blog post. I figured it would be an easy thing for me to do while working on the podcast. But how can you add something here in an article that is so engrossing, funny, and smart all on it’s own? David took what can easily be a 2 and a half hour podcast and summed it up in three pages, but here I go.

When people who want to be comics ask me what they need to know about starting out. I tell them the small mantras in my head that keep me going. These small slogans help me from forming bad habits and save me from hating the art I love

If you do not like this- stop: David is right, don’t do this for fame, do it because you love this. This should spark joy. If you dread going to a mic, it's ok to stop. Either for a moment or all together.

There is no right way to do this: When you start, a bunch of old drunks at a bar (or schmucks with a podcast) will tell you how to do comedy. But there are no rules to this. Do what makes you laugh and have fun. And keep an open mind. No one person is more of a comedian than another.

Take care of you: Those same schmucks will tell you that you have to grind or work all the time. You don’t. Take time for you and relax. It is that simple.

You will suck your first time, we all did: It is fine to bomb. Comedy is not naturally forming. Just go for it. My speech coach used to tell me all the time “If you do not throw up or pee yourself your first time, you succeeded”. Yes, people have failed this.

Keep that in mind. And you will be fine.