DELRAY BEACH – Comedy is getting more dangerous.
That’s the stance taken by Christian Toto in the piece that leads today’s Stand-Up Spotlight.
In it he examines the difficulties some comedians – particularly those who lean politically conservative – face in simply staging their shows. At least one has to keep the show venue secret until just before showtime to keep protestors from organizing. Others have to pay for increased security.
Many comedians have stopped performing on college campuses – long a bastion for stand-up comedy – because the audiences simply can’t, or won’t, take a joke.
Now, comedians are increasingly in physical danger simply for plying their craft. It’s a trend that hopefully subsides soon.
Today’s Spotlight also includes a milestone for Nate Bargatze and a little more about the burgeoning comedy scene in India.
Now, get out there and be the funny.
STAND-UP SPOTLIGHT – April 27, 2023
Comedy Under Attack: Stand-Up in the Age of Woke Mobs
How many security guards does it take to stage a comedy show?
That’s not a joke, and it’s certainly not funny. Comedians increasingly risk their lives for trying to make us laugh.
Yes, Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars gala got plenty of attention. The media also pounced when a member of the audience jumped on stage at the Hollywood Bowl last year and attacked Dave Chappelle, a knife in his pocket.
Click here to view original web page at Comedy Under Attack: Stand-Up in the Age of Woke Mobs
Nate Bargatze’s ‘Hello World’ Breaks Record As Amazon’s Biggest Comedy Special Debut
Nate Bargatze got quite a few laughs for his first stand-up comedy special at Prime Video.
In fact, Nate Bargatze: Hello World, which debuted on January 31, now holds the record as Amazon’s most-streamed original comedy special in its first 28 days of viewership. During that window, the special drew 2.9M total viewers, according to Nielsen streaming data.
Stand-up comedy yet to find pace in Kerala
A person standing in front of a mike, cracking jokes to make a crowd laugh, forget their worries and enjoy the moment. This visual, which was once alien for us, has now become a familiar spectacle spanning borders. Stand-up comedy, developed as a form of populist entertainment in the United States during the early decades of the 20th century, has significantly risen to popularity beyond words over the years. Even in India, stand-up gigs are a huge draw now.
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Hari Kondabolu’s ‘Vacation Baby’ could upend the traditional comedy-special rollout
New York-based comic Hari Kondabolu preps for every stand-up performance the same way: drinking lots of water, peeing and pacing.
“It’s the same thing over and over, and I think there’s a comfort in that,” he said. “I’ve been doing this 20 years, and I’m still absolutely a mess until I go on.”
The Queens-raised, Brooklyn-based comedian is gearing up for the release of his latest special, “Vacation Baby,” which he will self-release on YouTube on Tuesday. Named for his son, who was born during the pandemic but conceived just before lockdown, the special’s nontraditional release is a gamble for Kondabolu, who is no stranger to betting on himself.
