Comedy Questions From Beginners For Experienced Comics

[John Santana]

I've heard that "stealing" is the worst of offenses in Stand Up. I made a joke on stage that was a "call back joke" to the MC's opening monologue and I got a lot of laughs. He's not one to pay much attention to me, so I'm not sure if I should watch out about stuff like that?

[Alex Mac]

I've heard that "stealing" is the worst of offenses in Stand Up.

You should know the answer to this before you even get involved in the craft. Not through word of mouth but by the simple virtue of knowing that you would hate it if someone else used your ideas and received the credit for them.

Having never been on the receiving end after doing stand up for a while until recently, I can definitely say that while the lines are blurry in some situations and clear cut in others but the result is the same: someone is getting credit for something they did not do. Instances of parallel thought aside.

Basic rule of thumb (which, really, should be common sense): If you are even the least bit unsure about something, ask the other comedian before you do it.

P.S. Sorry if my tone is a bit...cross but I feel like the question basically amounted to "I've heard that "killing someone" is the worst of offenses in Stand Up. I'm not sure if I should watch out about stuff like that."

[pg13]

Hold on a moment, Alex.

The problem with John's question wasn't that he was questioning whether or not joke theft was actually wrong...the problem with John's question was that he should know the difference between joke theft and "connecting to or an adding to" an idea that is part of the course of the show already.

Break it down: John did a show where the MC did a joke about a topic, let's call it "airplane food". John, later in that show, went up and made a comment that either commented on or added to the joke about airplane food and got a good laugh for it.

That's not stealing. Stealing would be if John then did another show and told the MC's joke himself, passing it off as his own material, (and it wouldn't make any difference if John did this in order to add his comment to it or what, because in that second show, he wasn't just connecting or tagging, he was perpetrating.)

Connecting or referencing material done on the show prior to your performance is a great way to make a show seem spontaneous and "in the moment". Boston comedian Myq Kaplan is a master at this. However, if your connector or tag makes fun of the joke or the performer who told it...you'd better be careful and you'd better be cool with that previous performer... You don't want it to seem like you're taking shots at another comedian--especially when you might not have earned enough credit in heaven to get away with something like that.

(Someone could tell the TJ Miller/Michael Showalter story here, as an example, if they wanted to.)

So, there are pros and cons in doing this...but being worried about "stealing" isn't really one of them.

pg--I'm a big fan of the positive connectors. Done right, I think they're awesome and they reward the audience members who are paying attention...BONUS!--seattle

[Alex Mac]

I guess I'm just hyper-on edge about the subject lately and got caught up in the moment. For some reason, I read as if it was a really bizarre call back to a joke from a previous show. Which, in that case, would have fallen into what you said about doing it at a second show.

That'll teach me to read at an overly brisk pace.

Now that I realize what he meant, its fine. But you are right to note that he should be careful, especially if its with people he's never worked with before.

Also, you know Myq? I love that guy! Platonically.

[John Santana]

Suppose I watched the video of James Inman where he gets attacked on stage and thought it was funny that he referred to Moslem woman's clothing as a "Beekeeper's outfit". Would I be stealing if I used his term "Beekeeper's uniform" in one of my own jokes about Arabian women? Perhaps James is not the orginator of the term either?

[scamboogah]

Yes, you would be stealing, and no, don't use it. Mainly because it's mildly offensive and not really funny anyway.

[John Santana]

Yes, you would be stealing, and no, don't use it. Mainly because it's mildly offensive and not really funny anyway.

Thanks! I guess there's a "public domain" of terms that are OK to use that are not the property of other Comedians. The Beekeeper comment was the only time I'd ever heard it till now. I guess a "public domain" term might be a term like "short-bus" - it's been used over many years by lots of people, so although it may be offensive to some it's public property.

[Barmy Man]

Thanks! I guess there's a "public domain" of terms that are OK to use that are not the property of other Comedians. The Beekeeper comment was the only time I'd ever heard it till now. I guess a "public domain" term might be a term like "short-bus" - it's been used over many years by lots of people, so although it may be offensive to some it's public property.

Not really. "Short bus" is perception. Invoking the image of a beekeeper's outfit to isolate and strengthen the attribute of enshrinement when talking about a muslim hijab is conception.

[John Santana]

Not really. "Short bus" is perception. Invoking the image of a beekeeper's outfit to isolate and strengthen the attribute of enshrinement when talking about a muslim hijab is conception.

Sorry, ya lost me.

[aenemaTron]

How about "when in doubt, drop it" as a general rule.

[John Santana]

How about "when in doubt, drop it" as a general rule.

That has been my rule. To take it further - at the open mic's I've been to so far, if another Comic tells a joke that's kind of similiar to mine I'll usually cross mine off the list and not perform it. Luckily this has not happened yet with any of the jokes that I consider to be my strongest jokes. I don't want to be accused of stealing jokes and it looks very poor for two guys to have jokes that are the same or too similar. Also, it's a good challenge for me to keep trying to write lots of funny stuff to keep up my sleeve.

[Barmy Man]

You are a walking paradox, John. (Whenever you walk).

[John Santana]

Is there an average age where a lot of Stand Up Comedians start to lose their edge? I'd heard an experienced Stand Up Comic say that Stand Up Comedy is a "young man's game".

[Gene George]

Some comedians never do and some comedians never had one to begin with.

[drieux]

When somebody says that comedy is for younger people, I think they're referring to the fact that it's a hell of a lot easier to dedicate yourself to it when you're 21, unmarried and working at a GameSpot. Doing comedy means you're going to spend a lot of time in bars, late at night and away from home. You're not going to be bringing in a lot of money and if you try to bring friends with you to shows, chances are your fellow early-20-somethings will actually be up for it.

Once you get towards 30, you'll most likely have a job where showing up tired and hungover isn't kosher and you'll probably have a spouse who would like it if you didn't leave the house every night at 6 p.m. to go hang out with (mostly) socially-awkward nerds who drink too much beer at either a laundromat, a hipster coffee house or the back of a biker bar to keep working on that joke about how your spouse's private parts smell funny. Within a year of doing standup your friends will realize that most of your "shows" are basically open mics and won't want to bother going to see you tell the same jokes they've heard before for five minutes in front of two angry girls in hooded sweatshirts who got conned into going because one of them is banging that skinny hipster comedian who hates you.

Dedicating yourself to comedy is a lot easier when you have no responsibilities and people aren't expecting much from you. The irony is, you probably won't be any good until you've had to grow up a bit and deal with actual hardships and have some life experiences that aren't just getting blasted with your friends. The trick is to learn to make your experiences relatable and funny within your standup.

Also, avoid making any movies that feature the words Pink, Panther or The in the title.

[Gene George]

Also, avoid making any movies that feature the words Pink, Panther or The in the title.

- Unless you're name is Peter Sellers. I think you meant make "movies whose names rhyme with Reaper Guy Duh Cousin" similar: "any goddamn Robin Williams' comedy"

[drieux]

- Unless you're name is Peter Sellers. I think you meant make "movies whose names rhyme with Reaper Guy Duh Cousin" similar: "any goddamn Robin Williams' comedy"

Correct on all counts, sir.

[John Santana]

I'm pretty new to doing Stand Up Comedy and I sometimes catch myself trying to sound like some of my Stand Up heros - the sound of my voice and even some of the words that I choose are, on occasion, modeled after the Comedians that I love. Lately I'm trying not to do that - I'm trying to sound like the person that I really am and use words "I" would use. Is that a step toward "finding my voice"?

[Kentock]

John.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but there have to be some lessons you can learn on your own.

You're not copying other comedians as much now, and you're starting to talk like yourself. Is that a step towards finding your own voice? Clearly, self evidently, yes. Of course it is. That is pretty much the definition of "your own voice."

What specific feedback were you looking for? If you can't think of what you want from an answer, you probably don't need to ask the question.

[Harry Bongers]

I honestly think John is jerking you guys around.

Who capitalizes Stand Up Comedy?