Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts

Sunday, July 31, 2011

"Dirty" Jokes

Doing sex related material is very similar to doing racial jokes in the sense that it is a delicate topic which must be handled carefully (as you can read about in the post below this one!). Just like how some comics use racial material for pure shock value, sometimes sexual jokes are used to baffle audiences and catch them off guard in order to get a response.
It is important to remember that a response is not the same thing as a laugh. Audiences may initially laugh because they are shocked, but once the "I can't believe he just said that" wares off, it is up to the content of the material to do the work. If it is not clever, unique, or something different than basically just describing an awkward porno, then crowds everywhere will grow tired of your set fast. It is easy to go on stage and say whatever disgusting things make your friends laugh, but you cannot build a set based only on that. A purely sexual set may start off strong, but once a crowd figures out that dirty material is all that the comic has to offer, the laughs and attention quickly fade because nothing new is being presented.

The key here is to bring something fresh to the table, or to shine a new light on a topic by presenting it in a way that no one else has noticed or mentioned yet. There is little artistic value in just talking about sex, which is why everyone stopped caring about Howard Stern years ago. Some comics have made careers on doing strictly dirty material, however it is becoming more and more rare due to the fact that audiences are constantly evolving and becoming more and more appreciative of clever and smarter (high brow) material.

The clip I have attached below is from Donald Glover's episode of Comedy Central Presents, which shows exactly what I am talking about here. Enjoy.



Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Laughing Skull Festival Registration

The Laughing Skull Lounge in Atlanta is arguably the best progressive comedy club in the world. Even though it only seats 74 people, this room has brought in the biggest names in comedy and hosts a weekly open mic which showcases the best up and coming comics who come from states away just for their five minutes on the famous stage. While they are known for the amazing comedy that graces the stage in the intimate room, this small club in the back of the Vortex Bar and Grill is also the home of the Annual Laughing Skull Festival. To win this festival means phenomenal exposure, contracts with talent agencies, and the establishment of your name as a professional comedian.

In order to register as a performer, visit www.skullfestival.com to submit your application, a 3-10 minute video of a set, and $40. Hundreds are expected to register, but only 160 comedians will be chosen to perform at the preliminaries which are located in Atlanta, Indianapolis, LA, New York, and Seattle on January 3rd and 4th. The deadline to submit is September 1st, so get your shit together NOW.