Comedy Questions From Beginners For Experienced Comics

[Barmy Man]

You're strange.

[John Santana]

You're strange.

Would you kindly stand still for a moment while I wipe my ass off on your beard?

[Gene George]

You're strange.

Would you kindly stand still for a moment while I wipe my ass off on your beard?

I've got to run to a show, but this looks utterly promising...

[Barmy Man]

He may seem strange, but his shit don't stink.

[JayP7]

Could it be said that the most popular and most successful Stand Up Comics (I believe "Stand Up" can be capitalized when it's a person's title) are also the best Actors/Actresses on stage?

No. It's possible, but it's certainly not a direct correllation. Jim Carrey has done well. Dane Cook, eh, not so much. Patton Oswalt was chosen to lead a Pixar movie, Eric Bana started out in standup, and so did Kevin Pollack.

But then Chris Rock's movie career easily negates all of their successes combined.

[pg13]

Chris Rock was excellent in "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", decent in "CB4" and "New Jack City", wasn't the worst thing about "Lethal Weapon 4" and wasn't the most embarrassing thing about "Dogma"...

Can't say the same thing about Dana Carvey's movie career (Garth in "Wayne's World" and his "mime waiter" in This Is Spinal Tap not withstanding.)

pg--"Fuck the cup, pour it in my hands for a dime" might be one of my favorite line readings in movie history.--seattle

[aenemaTron]

You absolutely sure about Dogma?

[ASR]

The most embarrassing thing about Dogma was the poop monster.

[aenemaTron]

Yeah but on stage he has a great chunk about corn?

[P-Dub]

Q: What's God's favorite movie?
A: Krush Groove.

[JayP7]

Chris Rock was excellent in "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", decent in "CB4" and "New Jack City", wasn't the worst thing about "Lethal Weapon 4" and wasn't the most embarrassing thing about "Dogma"...

Can't say the same thing about Dana Carvey's movie career (Garth in "Wayne's World" and his "mime waiter" in This Is Spinal Tap not withstanding.)

pg--"Fuck the cup, pour it in my hands for a dime" might be one of my favorite line readings in movie history.--seattle

I think Dogma was the only one I've really seen, maybe some of "New Jack". I guess I'm saying that if there's any correlation between stand up and theater, arguably the most elictrifying stand-up of a generation shouldn't have their best on film be "Not completely embarrasing himself as a bit character".

Pretty much all of his endeavers into leading roles have been putrid. The only funny thing is how he almost alway shoe-horns at least one "Chris Rock doing stand-up" monologue for his character into every movie. It might even be written into his contracts.

[Umlaut]

Chris Rock was one of the worst things about Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, which is a real achievement.

[portlandnick]

Are you pretty much guaranteed to bomb your first time up?

[thepeople'shellbow]

It's almost better that way. The first time I went up, I got some laughs. Got cocky. Got lazy. Forgot to write, forgot to edit. Then the second time I got handed my ass.

The crowd was pin-drop quiet.

[portlandnick]

does any one recommend taking improv. or comedy classes? It seems like that would be more uncomfortable that just biting the bullet and getting out there, and learning as you go. and are these classes typically a bunch of theater nerds?

[Gene George]

does any one recommend taking improv. or comedy classes? It seems like that would be more uncomfortable that just biting the bullet and getting out there, and learning as you go. and are these classes typically a bunch of theater nerds?

Improv and sketch classes have given me a lot of useful tools and exercises. I've never taken a stand-up class and don't have any recommendations.

[Shauno]

does any one recommend taking improv. or comedy classes? It seems like that would be more uncomfortable that just biting the bullet and getting out there, and learning as you go. and are these classes typically a bunch of theater nerds?

I took a stand-up class. It is highly unrecommended.

[scamboogah]

are these classes typically a bunch of theater nerds?

One day you'll realize that, to most people, comics making fun of theater nerds is like the chess team making fun of the mathletes.

[Gene George]

One day you'll realize that, to most people, comics making fun of theater nerds is like the chess team making fun of the mathletes.

I love you SCBjr.

[thepeople'shellbow]

And english professors and grammarbook.com would believe that you're wrong (and wouldn't consider 'standup comic' to be a title like chairperson or president). You wouldn't capitalize 'Future Forklift Driver', would you?

Rule 3. Capitalize a person's title when it precedes the name. Do not capitalize when the title is acting as a description following the name.

Rule 3a. Capitalizing words that are otherwise ordinary can be a way of expressing their importance, just as titles are proper nouns and start with uppercase letters. Capitalizing common nouns smacks of sarcasm, a way to mock the inconsequential.

caPitalizINg LetTers at RANdom sHOws thaT, nO, the MedS aRen't WOrkInG.