HELP? Stand-up is evolving. Help me explore how!

[Buckles_B]

Hey everyone,

I'm working on an article for my blog about the evolution of stand-up comedy as an art form over time. The topic actually came out of a great thread in the stage-time forum where people were debating the value of open mike rooms becoming oversaturated.

A few days later I was discussing the article with a fellow comic and the topic drifted to how the scene has changed. Specifically, what is different now from the past, and how did it get there?

Obviously, this is a hefty topic for someone like me, who is still pretty wet behind the ears. I read a lot on the history of stand-up, and biographies, but I am lacking the personal experience of people who post frequently on this board.

So I am hoping to get a discussion going. Feel free to share any thoughts, but just to add some structure, here are some of the areas of stand-up I will be looking at when working on the article. Your thoughts are very much appreciated.

1) Style
We've come a long way from the "these are the jokes folks" generic gags that old time comedians used to throw out. How do you think the kind of humour we offer audiences has changed?

2) Attention-spans
Thanks to the internet, we are becoming an ADD culture, where stand-up comedy can be eaten in five minute chunks from the security of our homes. How is this affecting the industry (good or bad?)

3) Shock
How have taboo topics changed over the years? Are more things off limits now than before, or vice versa? Have taboo topics just shifted?

4) Measure of Success
What makes a successful comic today? It used to be measured by television appearances, money, albums, etc. Is someone with tons of videos on the internet with millions of hits as successful as this old model?

5) What is the point of stand-up comedy?
Does it mean something different to our society today? How have social networking apps and their glamorizing of exhibitionism affected what was once thought to be a scary and vulnerable art form? Has stand-up comedy become more about therapy and philosophy than before? Or has it become more shallow?

6) Anything else?
Am I missing an angle? Let me know!

This is a HUGE topic. I'm interested in everyone's input, but especially you veterans out there who have actually lived through some major changes. PG, I am hoping you have some thoughts on these topics, as it was a quote from your post that started me down this path, and I respect your wisdom greatly.

Of course, everything that I pull out for the blog article will be credited with shout-outs to you and all that stuff.

Thanks,
Joel

[Sabu]

I wish I could find the video online now, but I recall once seeing a video of a panel with comedians from the 50's and 60's talking with comedians of the 80's and 90's. I can't remember precisely, but I think there were 6 or7 people on stage including Don Rickles, Phyllis Diller, Paul Rodriguez, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Pollak, Chris Rock... (my brain may be putting some people in there who weren't actually there)

The whole conversation was fascinating, and pertinent to what you're looking for, so it may be worth seeking out.

In particular I remember a bit of conversation about cursing onstage, and how comedians in the 1960s would never even consider it. The newer comedians said that that was because it just would have been _too_ shocking, and _too_ taboo to use the f-word. And what fascinated me was the older comedians' response: it wasn't that it was too shocking, it literally did not figure into their minds to use it-- it wasn't even a question. No one in those days (according to them) thought "Hm, maybe I could say the f-word" and then decided against it. It simply wasn't even a thought that could have occurred to them.

Maybe someone here has seen this video and can provide a link. I'd love to have a look at it again, too. It was like a TED talk, but for comedians.

[Roadside Phil]

Wow, that's a giant topic... More than one blog post, me thinks.

I'll weigh in on a couple.

Attention Spans: The public has a waaaay shorter attention span now. It used to be that average attention span was 20-30 minutes, but we're dropping the zeros from that these days. I think the biggest reason is that there is simply too much media out there to engage with. I was just lamenting the other day as I was listening to someone's new album (I can't even remember who now!) and I realized that I'd need to listen to that album 4 or 5 more times to really get into it. But I can't necessarily because there's a zillion other new albums out I want to hear too. It's become a culture of skimming rather than digging deep.

A result of that is that a listener is less patient about waiting for a laugh. Older comedians, while still getting tons of laughs often tended to have longer setups too. Moms Mabley or even Redd Foxx for example. You built the story like a good piece of music. Now you need to have them laughing 15 seconds in or they wander off mentally.

And Taboos... One of my pet peeves. I think shock and taboos are different animals. It was shocking to say fuck in the 60's. That is no longer shocking. The words don't shock anymore. Now the concepts do. I don't think people are more easily offended now, but they're more vocal about it. In a lot of places, doing some well thought out material about religion in a negative light will lose the audience in a second. People do get hung up on words, but only because they're filling in the concept with their own belief system in their head. If you say "rape" on stage they'll tighten up just a little. Even if the joke is anti-rape.

Personally I've always like to push buttons artistically. Make people consider their own beliefs and values and expectations so they can take an outside view of it and, hopefully, in turn be more understanding of others' belief systems.

This would all probably be more eloquent if I had time to edit it.