Comedy’s Anatomy

Unfortunately... or fortunately depending on how you perceive it, comedy is about having a thick skin. You have to learn how to take criticism and understand that sometimes, you will not be the best out there.

In this industry, it’s really about who you know much more than how good you are or what you know. So being passed up is inevitable.  Sometimes you’ll think you were the one who deserved it, sometimes you’ll feel that the one you were passed up for, really meant to get it. 

I had the pleasure of producing and emceeing my first comedy show!

It was not was as easy as it looks but I’m confident that my first time went well. People laughed, people drank, I got the mic stand stuck... all the usual occurrences.   

But I learned from this experience. Which one does in any type of first time experience. I think it was an important lesson too.

 Wow! I can’t believe you’re actually reading this! It started off as a mandatory blog assignment for my Strategic Writing class.  Now it’s my way of describing the anatomy of comedy. 

Comedians don’t want to hear, “Oh you want to be a comedian? Tell me a joke!” Please don’t do that. We hate that. Comedy is not just going on stage and telling jokes. People always say “oh I can do that!” But can you? Can you really? How would you feel if you went up there, told jokes, just to be stared at?That’s what it’s like when you ad-lib. Well most of the time. Other times you just get lucky. 

Comedy is about rewrites and working out sets on different audiences. There’s multiple styles of comedy. Anecdotal, observational, self-deprecating… to name a few. I do self-deprecating which means I’m pretty vulnerable to the audience. I make fun of myself. I’m pretty good at the apparently. Not only do I want this blog to be about my life experiences.

 But I want to express how hard comedy really is. Like I mentioned, the rewrite and testing out different audiences. Comedy is about balance. Balance between humor and relatability. 

My peers from comedy class and myself work diligently to create perfection. I want to share their experiences and all the work we put into everything. I want this blog to inspire others to follow their ambitions. Especially to aspiring comedians.         

Your blogger,

Ever wonder what it’s like to be on stage?

It’s exhilarating yet intimidating. Time seems to slow in those moments. And when it’s over, there’s a euphoric sensation in the air.

Even so, it may not be the same for everyone. But for me, it’s always the same outcome.

I step onto the stage, take a deep breath and everything else withers away. No more anxiety, no more scratching, and certainly no more worry. I focus on just one thing.

Making everyone laugh.

I believe that’s common among comedians. Everything stops for them and they just focus on making everyone laugh. And if they can’t make people laugh, they make themselves laugh.

In comedy, the most important thing you can do is have fun. When you have fun, so will everyone else. It’s the key to being successful.

There will definitely always be a tough crowd. But that’s how you’ll better yourself. What’ll work for one crowd, may not work for the next. Just edit the punch and move on. The world will continue spinning.

Another imperative thing to remember is, don’t ever get discouraged. Rough audiences don’t always reflect on yourself as a comedian. Sometimes they can but sometimes, it’s on them.

For instance, I performed for high school students and their parents touring the university. I had done the same set I had done for my final.

The once successful set had fallen flat. I was faced with blank yet somewhat annoyed faces. But I just powered through. It was the audience, I had known. We had been warned. I just wasn’t aware it would be that awkward.

It wasn’t just me. The audience was just not feeling it. And that’s perfectly okay, you’ll get that occasionally.

My professor is obsessed with clichés. One day I believe the word cliché will become a cliché in itself.

A cliché is a saying or phrase that is overused.  

Sometimes we’re given a list to change the phrase into something that it not a cliché. The issue with that is, some of them make no sense to me. I wonder if people really use of some of the terms.

If they do, I always wonder the context is. But I guess sometimes they don’t realize they’re using them. Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m writing them.

My professor told us she was going to rid us from cliché usage. It makes me think of doing a whole set just on clichés.

Kind of like George Carlin’s “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television”. But instead of curse words, I rattle off clichés.

I would just speed through different clichés. But the twist would be, I bring the audience into it. I could brush up on my crowd work skills.

Call on different members of the audience and ask them for an overuse phrase. I’m sure they’d question my sanity at that point. The lady backstage will take her giant hook and pull me off stage.  

And the only person who laugh would probably be my professor. But that’s fine because if I just make one person laugh, I’ve done my job.

Midterms are scary. Especially when you have to perform a show: a show in front of many others other than your class.

And it doesn’t help when the person before you doesn’t show up, resulting in you needing to perform first.

I was petrified. I had memorized my entire set, I really did. But the anxiety of people being there fogged my mind.

I stepped up to go and took a deep breath.

“How much does a polar bear weigh?” I asked.

“Enough to break the ice!” Someone called out.

But that wasn’t the joke. I hit them with actual facts. I informed that they can weigh anywhere between 550-1000 pounds. Depending on gender. That got a laugh because I follow up with a greeting.

“Hi I’m Casey, and I’m awkward.”

People laughed but it didn’t settle my nerves. Throughout my whole performance, I had to look at my set list. A list of what you’re going to say. But the thing about that is, comedians cheer you on when you have to take a peek.

It’s sweet but I was still super nervous. I had repeated myself and after catching it I said aloud,

“Didn’t I say that already?”

I’m not quite sure if people laughed at that but I think they did.

Horses freak me out. They’re massive and could kill me with one kick. And if they bite me, I could lose a finger.

So when my professor suggested we go to a horse rescue, I was nervous.

When the day of the visit came, I paced around my kitchen for several minutes. Horses really scare me. I’m a 5’1 girl and they’re giant creatures that can stamp me. To say I was intimidated, was a major understatement.

Like any normal person with an anxiety ridden mind, I thought about making up an excuse to get out of going. I was petrified and I wanted nothing more than to be safe from the scary creatures.

But in the end, I am incredibly happy I went. I will say that I didn’t get over my fear entirely but I did get to pet the horse.

What I realized were they are super sweet and gentle. They react well with people with disabilities. It’s really heartwarming to see. Even my anxiety wasn’t high when I was actually there. It was like the horses somehow took it away for the short time I was there.

I was nibbled on a few times. And the horses came really close to my face. I persevered through it.

I’ve mentioned before that I hated anecdotal comedy. Storytelling is a strength of mine on paper. In person, not so much. People look at me with blank stares.

It’s terrible! I have many stories to tell! I’m just pathetic at doing so. With anecdotal, usually set up/punch.

I started doing that technique with all my comedy types. Except I have no clue how to do it with anecdotal. I’m seriously lost. In my head, the story goes well and people laugh at everything I say. It’s a fun time.

But everyone, including my professor, just blink as I speak. I’m not saying people don’t laugh, I’ll get the occasional chuckle. It’s just nothing boisterous. I can’t be a chuckle comedian. Those don’t exist. If they did, I would think anyone would be a comedian.

Any time I would try anecdotal, I would get notes on how to change. I would change it then perform it. Only to get notes on the notes that I already changed. So for now, I just stick to my self-deprecating.

I have this one joke. “I’m a really sassy person. One time after sassing my mother, she told me to leave and come back when I’m nice. So I haven’t been home since.” I actually got a major clap for that one.

Rewrites in comedy are the worst.

And I don’t mean this in a rude way. I just mean that in a disappointed kind of way.

Last semester in my sketch comedy class, I wrote this skit about a couple on a blind date. The girl was supposed to be super weird and the guy was supposed to be more sophisticated. Obviously they weren’t a great match but something held them together.

Each week, I would add and delete details or dialogue from the sketch. No matter how many changes I made to it, there would always be some type of notes. Add this. Take out that. Word it differently. More of this. Less of that. For weeks, I worked on this sketch.

Rewrite after rewrite. Script after script. I practically begged my professor to let me be finished. But, alas, that was not an option.

About ten rewrites later (and that’s not a hyperbole) my work was ready to be performed. But not before being edited once again last minute.

The final script resulted in the two characters being awkward. They were awkward yet charming. They also really bonded over LARPing. Live Action Role Play. Which was not in the original script. It made it in there around rewrite five.

This was difficult because I really only wanted my original plan. And I didn’t get that. Despite this, my sketch got many laughs, which is really the whole purpose, I guess. All my diligent writing worked out well.

I got a massage for the first time over the weekend, and well…it was an experience.  

I was at a bachelorette party for my friend. She wanted a relaxing weekend so we went to Wildwood. The party spot is obviously known for relaxation.

After finding a place, were given the option of a facial but no one accepted the offer. Massages for everyone! Unfortunately the nine person party we were, we had to go at all different times. So my girlfriend and I trudged to this place alone.

I was already incredibly nervous because I have never been too keen on being touched. Let alone by strangers. On top of that, I was sure I had to be naked.

But I went with it anyway and let myself be led to the small darkened room.

I had asked to use the restroom before. When I returned, I lost my masseuse. I awkwardly waited outside the room, contemplating whether I should undress or not. However, I did not know how undressed I should be.

So I flagged down a woman who walked by.

“Excuse me, I’m not quite sure how this works.” I said.

I’m pretty sure the woman thought I was insane and, honestly, I don’t even think she worked there.  But in the interim of the encounter, my masseuse returned.

Turns out, you can get as undressed as you want and they do give you privacy, much to my relief. I laid on my tummy and she gently massaged the back of my body.

It was relaxing but all I could think about was that episode of Friends, when Phoebe refuses to massage Monica because of the sounds she makes.  Needless to say, I let my mind wander.

Sometime during my massage, I had to turn onto my back so she could get the other side of my body. That’s where I stayed for the remainder of the massage. But at the end the masseuse gently stroked the top of my hair.

“It was a pleasure working on your body today. Thank you,” She told me before leaving.

In the moment, maybe she thought it was a sweet gesture but I was naked and now somewhat afraid. I quickly got dressed and I got out of there as speedily as possible.

One of my favorite pass times, other than being excessively lazy, is walking my dog. He’s this beautiful tan colored Chow Chow, Shepard, Husky Mix. We named him Simba because, you know, he looks like the little lion from the Lion King.

Well, when I walk Simba, people always talk to me. It causes my social anxiety to go insane. Sometimes I wish would just instill the “just talking to the animal rule.” You know that rule? The one where you try to telepathically tell the owner to let you see their animal without interacting with them. I would be so okay with people just petting my animal and not talking to me. By all means, have full conversations with my dog, Lord knows I do. He’s the best listener.

One particular day, I was walking him near the little playground. I had both of my headphones in my ears because like I said, my social anxiety. As we’re walking, I see these DPW workers sitting in a truck and others standing outside talking to them. I would say there were five or six of them.

These men were bulky with tattoos and massive arm muscles clad in neon in shirts. Some were even wearing bandanas over their head with sunglasses on their eyes.

Not going to lie, I was pretty intimated considering I’m 5’1 with the strength of a ripened banana. All I could think in my pretty little vain mind was “What happens if they catcall me? How do I handle it?”

I see them spot me and start speaking so I pulled out a headphone.

“Look at that dog! He’s like Mufasa!” The one guy yelled. “His name is Simba!” I told him.

These men started making kissy sounds and sticking their hands out! Just hoping to get a pet of the dog.

I should have mentioned, Simba is, like some women in our political climate, terribly afraid of men. So he was super weary to go over them and these men were so considerate! They let him have his space. It’s probably cause they were more afraid of him than he was of them seeing as he’s the one with the sharp teeth. But one of the guys even went as far as sitting on the ground, making kissing sound in hopes he would come to him.

My first time doing comedy was at my first college and I did an anecdotal piece on work, which pretty much means I told a story about my job. The story entailed the retail store I worked at on a Black Friday where people blamed me for the prices of our merchandise. Because you know, I personally made all the prices just to spite the customers.

It was recorded for the TV production class so I didn’t really hear many laughs; but there was a reason for that: it was awful.

I didn’t know how awful it was until the following year when I did a similar piece for my Stand-Up one class at my new school. When I told the story of a young random girl who came in, berating me about the “low pay” we receive for working, the laughs I received were those of pity. It made me sad but as they say “you’re not a true comedian until you’ve bombed a hundred times”. If you don’t fail, how will you ever succeed?

Here’s how the comedy classes work at the: university after you present your set, the class gives you notes on how to make your set better. Oh boy, did I get a lot of notes.  So I took them and I made my changes but each week, I would get different notes. And I grew tired of the anecdotal piece I was doing.

So the third or fourth week, I did something drastically different. I did some self-deprecating humor which pretty much means I made fun of myself. For example, “I’m a really anxious person, sometimes when I’m anxious, I’ll talk in third person. One time my professor said “Casey go present.” So I replied “Casey doesn’t want to go today, Casey will go on Wednesday…. Guess what… Casey went on Wednesday.”  

It killed with both my class and my professor. Her exact words were “I think this is the way to go.” Can you imagine practically being told “you’re really good at making fun of yourself.”?

With this new boost of confidence, I worked a set around just talking about me and making fun of myself. People thought I was so adorable and endearing and all I was doing was taking my little quirks and exploiting them in a way.

And for the final, I finally got a chance to try out my set in a vaster audience at Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. Friends and family were all welcome to come to see the show so me being nervous was an understatement.  It’s not like I would see any of these people again but I’d be a little discouraged if nobody laughed.

My professor put me third to last in the lineup and in the comedy world, the closer you are to the bottom, the better. So I also tried not to forget my set as I waited patiently listening to the sets I had heard all semester.

Finally when it was my turn, I went to start my set but the mic didn’t sound on so I uttered “is this on?” More to myself but in front of the audience. That got a laugh so I laughed along and started my set. With only a few awkward pauses, some clapping from the audience and many laughs, I was finally done.

What I’ve learned from this is comedy is more than telling jokes. There’s always something to fix or change or even learn. Not a single comedian will know everything about being funny but they do know how to adapt to their audience.