Question of Artisitc Integrity

[James Smann]

So I have a question that may sound retarded to some here, I don't know...Anyway, my partner and I were approached about two months ago to shoot some webisodes for this company that sells sex products, like dildos and handcuffs and shit, right? Anyway, we're just about done, and my friend that's the contact there said their marketing manager loved them, a lot and wants to refer us to other companies, and maybe pay us to basically make webisode/viral commercialwhateverthefucks for other companies.

This sounds really cool to me on one level, but does that make us sell-outs? Do we lose cred as little indie unknown comedian boys if we do this? I really don't want this t come off like "Look at how cool this thing is for us" by the way, I'm not off-hand bragging here...I'm really curious to know if this is something that could make us look hacky and lame, or if we should take the paycheck for creating funny stuff.

I should mention that we get to use whatever material we come up with, and there has so far been no tampering with it. Meaning content is not censored at all, so we really do have free-reign, we just have to incorporate the "sponsor" somehow...does any of this make sense?

EDIT: I guess what I'm asking is "Am I still a comedian if I get paid to make what are essentially edgy commercials for companies, or am I corporate shill?"

[Itslikeimsayin]

Yes, if you "sell out" you'll join the ranks of Zach Galifianakis, Tim & Eric, Jim Gaffigan, Michael Ian Black, Bob Odenkirk, Patton Oswalt. I doubt you want to be in their company, do you?

[aenemaTron]

Which is worse- doing it, or not doing it because of what strangers think about you?

[James Smann]

Ah, good points, both of you. And that's definitely how I feel for the most part. I think the flaming liberal hippie bastard in me just had a slight heart palpitation. All of this is so preliminary that it's likely retarded to talk about, but it seems at least in the remote realm of possible, so for that I'm thankful at least...

[Kon Darp]

If all you do is commercials, then yes you've kind of sold out. But cheers to you, since that's an awesome gig that everyone would kill for.

If you do commercials AND what you would have been doing if it weren't for the commercials, then you're no less of an artist. There's no shame in doing 'work' to facilitate what you love doing.

And hell, there's no shame in doing commercials.

[ASR]

Yeah, I doubt anyone's going to file this under "selling out" since you're basically getting paid for doing whatever you want to do anyway. That's not selling out, that's living the dream.

[Mr. Meows]

If you do it to make money to do more comedy, then by no means is it selling out.

[Cupid Stunt]

The guy who does Life And Times of Tim started in advertising.

[James Smann]

You guys all definitely are making me feel much less insecure about pursuing this opportunity much further. Thank you all for your input! It's rumored that the parent company of the sex toy manufacturer are close to sending us to New Mexico for some Erotica convention to shoot episodic content and also interview convention goers and stuff...That could be a hotbed of material I bet...

[Supa Scoopa]

Don't do anything you'd be ashamed to tell your grandmother and you'll be fine.

[TimBuktu]

I make commercials for a living and I hate myself. That's not entirely true. You have to make money somehow, I don't mind making it doing something I'm good at and actually enjoy. I just hate advertising.

[pg13]

The most important thing here is that you realized that you shouldn't make a decision about what you want to do with your life before finding out if your decision would meet with the approval of the members of an internet message board.



pg--You're never going to leave the diner. You'll be trapped feeding coins into the machine.--seattle

[James Smann]

The most important thing here is that you realized that you shouldn't make a decision about what you want to do with your life before finding out if your decision would meet with the approval of the members of an internet message board.

pg--You're never going to leave the diner. You'll be trapped feeding coins into the machine.--seattle

Ha ha. Well, I think I figured I was just asking like-minded/oriented people what their opinions were. I certainly wouldn't base my decision on what people told me though. It's just nice to know that I wasn't way-off base in thinking this is pretty much a spectacular opportunity.

[theyallhateme]

Don't think of it as "selling out", think of it as "buying in". It's all about perspective.

[AceHole]

I'd think of it as being able to make money off of what you love.

[sharilyn]

I'd think of it as being able to call yourself a "working comic".

[James Smann]

Thanks to everyone for giving their perspectives on it! Things are really still very much in the air, so this could almost be moot until there's more movement on it, but it's definitely out there and it's a pretty viable opportunity if a few more ducks line themselves up, so I'm glad to know that something that initially sounded really great to me wouldn't sacrifice credibility as a comic/comedian. Thanks again all!

[pg13]

I'm glad to know that something that initially sounded really great to me wouldn't sacrifice credibility as a comic/comedian.

Oh, it'll sacrifice credibility as a comic/comedian. Definitely, it's going to do that.

If what you want is credibility or artistic integrity...you must be ever vigilant, you must guard your purity with ferociousness...and you should never allow yourself to be tarnished or present the appearance of being tarnished, even with things that might seem acceptable to others--it is up to you to live up to your own lofty ideals and the restrictions you put on yourself based on those ideals.

Honestly, though, I can't think of anything more humorless than that...

pg--Still parsing out "more humorless"--seattle

PS--There ARE people who think of the comics who did those Sierra Mist ads and think that they sold out. The point isn't whether or not you can remain pure--the point is NOT TO CARE ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK...do what YOU think is right, based on what YOU value.

There's no "get out of hipster jail, free" card you can get by posting your intentions to sell out to the man in advance.

[James Smann]

Oh, it'll sacrifice credibility as a comic/comedian. Definitely, it's going to do that.

I just meant as far as indie-hipster cred goes, which I suppose is important to not coming off as a douchebag in it for only the money. That's what I mean as far as credibility goes.

If what you want is credibility or artistic integrity...you must be ever vigilant, you must guard your purity with ferociousness...and you should never allow yourself to be tarnished or present the appearance of being tarnished, even with things that might seem acceptable to others--it is up to you to live up to your own lofty ideals and the restrictions you put on yourself based on those ideals.

I'm not sure what I want, other than to be happy about the work I do, whatever that is. Like I said above, I'm just really trying to figure out if all we'd be is just shill-bots for a company or if we're still comedians making comedy for a loosely targeted purpose.

Honestly, though, I can't think of anything more humorless than that...

Okay, I get it. I must've inadvertently malapropismed.

There's no "get out of hipster jail, free" card you can get by posting your intentions to sell out to the man in advance.

LOL. Duly noted, and I should've known so!

[ASR]

Trust me, you don't want to go to hipster jail.