DELRAY BEACH – Long a stalwart of late night television, topical comedy currently finds itself labeled a dying art form by some executives.
Today’s Stand-Up Spotlight leads with a story from the Spectator that argues topical comedy isn’t dying, it’s simply on the move. Like most comedy forms, there’s plenty of topical jokes on social media, where being the first to land the big joke can greatly increase a comic’s exposure.
These jokes may not have much of a lifespan – who remembers that last year we nearly ran out of baby formula? – but that doesn’t matter for comedians constantly capitalizing on the news of the day. Content. Content. Content. As long as it’s funny, the audience will follow.
The Spotlight also includes a chat with the author of “Stand-Up Stories: Tales From Behind The Microphone During Comedy’s Golden Age,” about some of the stories in the book; a review of Alex Edelman’s fusion of comedy and one-man-show; and a ranking of Kevin Hart’s Top 15 movies.
Let’s keep the funny on topic this Tuesday.
STAND-UP SPOTLIGHT – July 18, 2023
Can topical comedy survive?
Seen any good stand-up recently? It’s a loaded question, but if you have, there’s every chance you didn’t view it via terrestrial TV. You might instead have laughed at some brash American on Netflix, or a deeply un-PC comic on YouTube – or more likely still, a comedian sitting in the palm of your hand.
Over the past 12 months in particular, stand-up clips have been going down a storm on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. The kind of clips which do well online have come as a surprise to some of the industry’s traditional gatekeepers. In a shock twist, it seems audiences still find stuff about the differences between men and women pretty funny (and we’re talking behavioural differences here, rather than biological or semantic ones). While some in TV might have thought crowd-work had become passe, it turns out seeing a hapless guy in the front row get slaughtered has never really got old.
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Q&A: A look back at the golden age of stand-up comedy, as told by a Houston comedian
In the late ’70s and into the ’80s, there was once a comedy club at San Felipe and Shepherd called the Comedy Workshop.
It’s a Spec’s Liquor now, which is probably fitting considering all the alcohol-fueled fun that went on within (and sometimes outside) its walls back in the day. But back then, the Workshop, and the adjoining Comix Annex, were proving grounds for stand-up comedians and other assorted entertainers. Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison, Brett Butler, Janeane Garofalo and countless other comedians plied their trade there while adding a bit of laughter to our day.
Comedian Alex Edelman’s hilarious and thoughtful show “Just for Us”
I just saw the comedian Alex Edelman’s show “Just for Us,” on Broadway in New York City, a hilarious solo show about the time he, a Jewish man, infiltrated and attended a meeting of racists in an apartment in Queens. But it’s also about so much more.
It’s a form of comedy pioneered by comedian Mike Birbiglia, whose shows I’ve also seen and loved, and who served as a producer of Edelman’s show. Edelman calls it a “comedy-theater blend,” and I’d describe it as either stand-up comedy with a dramatic arc, or a one-man show performed with the sensibility of a stand-up comic. It’s storytelling, with one central story, but lots of parenthetical, extended comedic bits, chunks, jokes, and anecdotes, all serving an overall theme.
Kevin Hart’s 15 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
Kevin Hart has one of Hollywood’s greatest success stories. The stand-up comedian from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has risen to a level of stardom that is on the entertainment’s highest peak. His name, whether on a film poster or a theater marquee, draws in endless amounts of crowds. Not only is he one of the greatest-selling stand-ups of all time, his films have garnered critical and audience appeal.
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