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Jennifer,

I really appreciate what you said about "making the audience listen to your truth". This is one of the greatest things about being a comic. I mean people acutally want to listen to what you have to say and it is up to you to make it good enough that they want to keep listening. I mean I pretty much tune out in the first minute of a comic if he/she doesn't engage my attention. So if I am doing that and I am a comic what is the average show goer thinking? Yes these are usually open mikers who have not gotten their shit together yet but there have been many so called pros I have tuned out real fast if what they are saying is either weak or not believable. I personally can say that I have never had a heckler, not so much because I am great or anything but because when I get up on stage I demand attention. If I don't get it I get louder and louder until I get it or until I am so loud that the people who are talking over me leave to another part of the bar. I have about 3 bits where I yell and I am happy to pull them out to remind people, "Hey there is a fucking comedy show on up here!" and ususlly they shut up, listen and laugh. But then I see comics get up have poor microphone techinque, mumble, talk to softly and just be jittery and lose the audience in a blink of an eye. I run a room in a bar and it really makes you take command and those who can't take command don't come back to the open mike. But those who do like the challenge keep coming back for more. Because I still think it is easier to get people who specifically came for comedy to laugh then it is to get people who just can't be bothered to get up laugh but when you do you know your stuff is good. The point is I used to hate the silence but then I realised there are two different types of silence. Silence where people are frowning, looking down, or have their arms crossed or silence where people are smiling, and sitting forward at their table. Obviously you would want the more positive one but the point is if they are still sitting there they are listening to your truth. And how many jobs do people really listen to you? Not many. That is the beauty of comedy. I mean I do have a love hate relationship with comedy. I love being in control (how much practice, writing, stage time, clothes, and my own comic voice) but then that is what I hate about comedy too. Because at the end of the day if you bomb you can not blame anyone but yourself. Nothing is worse than getting off stage and thinking, "Man that could have been better if I just knew my shit better" Woodshedding is finally a term that all new comics need to learn and take to heart. I mean you get what you work for in the end. If you give your practice a mediocre priority then that is the career you will end up with. I don't know why people think different. Anyway I have babbled long enough and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Love ya Jen and Richard
xoxo
Daria

Gaff,

Welcome. Isn't it great here. Jenny and Richard hold no punches when it comes to the way things are in the comic world today and they don't accept mediocrity. If every comic out there had Richard in their audience I bet you they would second guess their material because they would know it is crap compared to what he accomplished. I am sure you have read what Jenny replied to me about woodshedding and how important it is and was to Richard so see we were right. Keep practicing and if you can practice more. My husband who plays jazz guitar told me that when he met George Benson and spoke with him he kept trying to get him to tell him how long he practiced for (sound familiar) and George kept skirting the issue (because he probably didn't want to put pressure on my husband) and finally after my husband being a right royal pain in the ass he said to him, "Man I try to never put it down." Now what has George Benson accomplished in his career? Do you think that attitude towards practice had something to do with it? See those guys don't understand I live with the poster child for discipline. So when I go up on stage and do mediocre he get's so mad at me because he knows I am great at making people laugh but I let myself and the audience down because I didn't practice seriously and that was why I kept looking for someone to give me a number of hours they practice so that I could follow suite but now I know it is up to me to know when I have practiced enough. It is when the stuff just flows. Until I get to that point with my stuff I have to woodshed. Believe me it is not easy for me. I hate practice but I hate bombing or being mediocre more.
Oh and about the whole black wife material thing I wouldn't worry about it being hack if you are passionate about it and you can come at it from a different angel. I saw a white comic on Caliente once who talked about dating black women and he was very very funny. All the black men in the audience hated him but the women loved him and like most of the books say you are playing to the women in the audience. If you get them on side you have the room. I remember a bit Richard did about rape (one of my favorite) and all the women in the audience loved him for it just from that one bit he could do no wrong for the rest of the gig. He is amazing. I think you have to know your audience too. Sometimes race stuff doesn't work. I mean I use the black angle once in a while but it has been done to death so I honestly only mention that I am black in two jokes other than that I get on with business. At the end of the day interacial marriages are no big deal anymore so like I said the key is to come at it from another angel. Anyway I know you will figure it out because like you said you don't want to fall into the same trap of dick joke, eat couchi... We are all above that that is why we are on the forum of the best comic in history.
Can't wait to hear more from you and make sure you go through the older postings some are really great like the ones from Robbie he is awesome.
xoxo
Daria

Daria,
This is a great "topic" and great discussion!!!
Woodshed and write-
You are all so passionate!!!!!!!!