Filed under: observations, stand-up journal | Tags: analytical, art, comedy, jokes, musicians, presentations, public speaking, showmanship, speeches
I’ve met a few people who are a bit surprised when they see a comic using the same set more than once, which made me realize that people generally misunderstand the nature of stand-up comedy. The general public doesn’t see comics as artists. They don’t even realize that comics are usually a completely different being on stage – that they’re actors for 10 minutes every show.
This is somehow intertwined with the reason why I think many people are turned off by the idea of seeing a comedian twice. They think they’d be paying to see the same exact thing both times, and I don’t blame them – a lot of comics do pretty much do the same thing twice.
It doesn’t have to be this way! <– [Exclamation point to show my frustration.]
How do musicians keep it fresh? Why do people still go to concerts when they have already heard the song played on the radio? Live experience brings a dimension to the experience that people can’t get from just listening to a prerecorded track. There are elements of improv and interactivity. Great performers bring a show. I believe great comics are also able to insert these elements to their performances. Switch up transitions, switch up delivery, switch up punchlines.
That last suggestion is a bit controversial. A lot of comics will be hesitant to change arguably the most important element of their jokes. This is where I disagree with comics who rely too much on their jokes. I’m no expert, but from spending the last decade of my life studying public speakers – from business presentations to comedy shows – I have found one connecting trait that was common amongst the successful. Great showmanship.
A great comedian is 80% showmanship, 20% jokes. A great comedian can make any topic funny. You can give them shitty jokes and they can turn it into gold. A poor comedian with great jokes is like a paraplegic with new shoes. Useless.
