How does 10 jokes in a 5 minute set sound to you?

[Unholy PCP]

Between each joke I'll add some sort of tag to, you know, pad it out.
I don't want to burn through 15-20 jokes in a 5 min set.

Anyway, does this sound like a good idea to you? Or am I going about this the wrong way? I just want to hear your opinion.

Thanks

[SeanX3]

Burn through? I'd jam as many in there as I could!

[nixonjames]

TV Late Night Standard is 26 jokes in 5 minutes.

If you add in tags, toppers, twists, 10 jokes should cover you for 10 minutes.
But in a year or so you'll think you could've done much more.

My goal... pack as many punchlines as I can into each 5 minutes and go from there.

[Phil]

Forget all this number-of-jokes and laughs-per-minute crap. Just do whatever material your excited about until you get the light.

And speak slowly. Don't "cram" anything, you'll wind up rushing yourself.

[Adult Ed]

Here is the formula:

1 really funny joke that takes 5 minutes > 20 awful jokes that are each 15 seconds long

[funkyrhino]

the whole jokes per minute to me is something out of the 50's comedy scene complete with drum rim shots

[Monty]

Forget all this number-of-jokes and laughs-per-minute crap. Just do whatever material your excited about until you get the light.

And speak slowly. Don't "cram" anything, you'll wind up rushing yourself.

Lies! Once you're on stage, start barking jokes, one after another. Don't even wait until you're at the microphone. And don't wait for laughs. If the audience can't hear your jokes, that's their problem.

And when you get the light, stop immediately, even if you're in the middle of a word. Or just keep telling jokes as you walk offstage.

...I started out being sarcastic, but now I really want to see someone do this as their act.

[Bucky_Sinister]

My comedic suggestion is to check out Dom Irrera. He's still in clubs, been a pro for a long time now. He has a lot of "laughs per minute" without being hacky or forced. If you want to be a comic, check him out, like it's homework. He makes the craft look really easy. He'll easily outdo a laugh every 30 seconds. I saw him four times in two days, and after that, I was in awe.

[Mutant Despot]

I checked out some old Steven Wright and Mitch Hedberg sets from TV recently in order to figure this out. It seems like they averaged about 15 jokes in a 5-minute set. In this instance I counted a single joke as occurring every time they switched topics, so one could be anything from a true one-liner to a run lasting a minute or more.

I would suggest, though, not to add tags just so you can pad it out, but to cut out the fat and make your jokes as funny as possible, then do as many as you can in your time while maintaining a comfortable pace. However, you should also prepare more jokes than you need in case you find yourself running short.

[Unholy PCP]

thanks everybody for your input. And I'm taking your idea Monty. Me and probably everyone else : )

[nixonjames]

Lies! Once you're on stage, start barking jokes, one after another. Don't even wait until you're at the microphone. And don't wait for laughs. If the audience can't hear your jokes, that's their problem.

And when you get the light, stop immediately, even if you're in the middle of a word. Or just keep telling jokes as you walk offstage.

...I started out being sarcastic, but now I really want to see someone do this as their act.

I imagine Moshe Kasher (sp? so sorry) doing something like this. His rapid fire delivery is not suited for people's laughter.

As for the 'it's antiquated' to consider laughs/minute jokes/minute etc.
That's true for most comics but if you want to progress and do a late show then you still have to be able to work TV Clean, get your first laugh in 12 seconds, and applause break permitting, do as many individual jokes as you can comfortably get out.

It's not really something most of us at this stage really need to worry about tho if you ask me. But something to keep in the back of you mind maybe while writing... I'm sometimes delineating with 'this is something i just want to roll with til i run out of stuff to say' v. 'this can be very short 'n sweet and perfect for a tv set'

But as always... I overthink it.

[pg13]

How does 10 jokes in a 5 minute set sound to you?

Very much like the teachers in a Charlie Brown tv special.

pg--This competition is playing havoc with my brain, people!--siccville

[ErikNielsen]

Don't pad your jokes, guy. Everything funny delivered ten percent slower is unfunny. Remember Forrester's Law: Comedy = Funny / Time.

Remember all the comics whose success is due to their not wasting a single word, and (conversely) all the longer-bit-doing comics who craft their words unerringly to build to a powerful point. If you waste words, you'll never be either one of those comics, and those are the only two comics worth being.

Of course, if you have a tag that's really as strong as your joke, go ahead with it.

But really, look at the late-night talk shows. (Not that that's the only format to aspire to, but it's one you have to know.) There are plenty of people who do a bunch of one-liners. There are plenty of people who use their five minutes to do 2-3 longer bits... but each one of those bits is full of strong punchlines. There's no one style that works in the 5-minute format. Do what you do, and do it as well as you can, and if that means doing 20 one-liners, so be it. Better 20 full-strength one-liners than 10 one-liners packed in a thick layer of fluff.

[Unholy PCP]

Don't pad your jokes, guy. Everything funny delivered ten percent slower is unfunny. Remember Forrester's Law: Comedy = Funny / Time.

Remember all the comics whose success is due to their not wasting a single word, and (conversely) all the longer-bit-doing comics who craft their words unerringly to build to a powerful point. If you waste words, you'll never be either one of those comics, and those are the only two comics worth being.

Of course, if you have a tag that's really as strong as your joke, go ahead with it.

But really, look at the late-night talk shows. (Not that that's the only format to aspire to, but it's one you have to know.) There are plenty of people who do a bunch of one-liners. There are plenty of people who use their five minutes to do 2-3 longer bits... but each one of those bits is full of strong punchlines. There's no one style that works in the 5-minute format. Do what you do, and do it as well as you can, and if that means doing 20 one-liners, so be it. Better 20 full-strength one-liners than 10 one-liners packed in a thick layer of fluff.

That's really great advice Erik. My whole idea of 10 jokes with tags/riffing in between is probably a sign of laziness more than anything.

I appreciate the advice guys, really

[funkyrhino]

http://www.sandpapersuit.com/2010/11...clubs-and.html


I think this sums it up somewhat

[bernierunns]

Rhythm, pace and timing. I need these three things. A well timed joke is the goal for me. You'll find what is comfortable for you after a few times on stage.