Feb 1, 2019
Its time for the ever popular "After School Special"! Today I
chat with a few students after a
Stand-Up Comedy Level One: Writingclass in Nashville. They ask
insight fun questions about choosing the right material for the
right audience, how to include the opposite sex in your material,
and how to survive the politically correct atmosphere that has
chewed up and spit out so many of today's comedians.
ALL ABOUT THE AUDIENCE SHOW NOTES
Michael, an EMT, asks about how you find your audience, how long
does it take to develop your niche and how you write material
specifically for a type of audience.
June, who works in special education, asks “What do guys think
is funny?” Specifically, are there some topics that guys are
naturally uncomfortable listening to?
We talk about including the guys by writing tag lines or using
analogies that make the material accessible. My approach is to
include everyone every five minutes. I don’t stay on a topic that
is so exclusive that it alienates part of the audience for more
than a few minutes at a time.
Amy, a real estate broker, asks about how older folks can get
into comedy. Is it easier, harder or how difficult is it to become
a comedian when you are a little bit older. My advice is to find
the people who want to listen to what you have to say and go to
them. Sometimes hoping they find you is just not going to cut it. I
give specific advice on how you can connect to your potential
audience and start from where you are now.
Judgemental "PC" Audiences
Michael asks a mother question, this time about the political
correctness in comedy today. Has it ruined the ability for a
comedian to say what is on their mind? Don’t audiences realize they
don’t have to watch a show if they don’t like it?
My take is that if you present yourself as an authentic
comedian, it is hard for the audience to separate your comedic
angle from your true point of view. So write a joke that explores
all angles of a topic. Be aware of potential animosity and write to
address those audience members.
It comes down to intent. You must make that clear on stage so
that the joke can survive. I don’t like the judgmental / TMZ type
of audience member who is looking for a scoop on your bad behavior
to share on social media. But, if you make yourself clear you
should be able to avoid winding up in their cross-hairs.
Sponsors:
This episode is brought to you by Scott
Love and CLUB
52.
Club 52is a one-year program designed to
challenge you to get bigger, better and more bookable. You will be
prompted to examine your material, performance and business
practices via email each week.
CLICK
PIC FOR MORE DETAILS
You will define your stage persona, style and point of view. You
will learn how to create expectations through your marketing,
branding and introductions. From nailing your elevator pitch, to
refining your value proposition, you will learn how to make it
easier for bookers to hire you.
Meet comics from around the country during a quarterly
online “hangout”. As a group, we tackle our top struggles and how
to approach overcoming them. Think of it as your personal monthly
mastermind group. Over the course of the year you will learn how to
get more gigs, and leverage every opportunity that comes your
way.
Sound good?
Club 52 is available to anyone supporting the podcast through
Patreon at $7 a month or more. To learn more about Patreon,
just click here. Or go to
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