So Jenny was it Mr. P. who said..."If you ain't offending somebody, you probably ain't funny." I could swear I heard him say that in an interview once but I'm not sure.
It certainly sounds like "Pryor Speak":lol:
BTW, THANK YOU for your sweet comment in your last post at "Props To Mrs. P". I tried to respond but every time I hit the reply button, it just took me right back to the boards but here is what I wanted to respond with.......
Well I just just say what I feel and if that pisses someone off Oh well this whole country has gone soft. I have done gigs when it seems like the people are just looking for something to get offended by.
Just remember theres a thin line between being edgey and just coming off as a ignorant prick
A cross, yes - however for the last 20 years I have fallen in and out of love with the art form so many times. I've written for TV, books, etc., and still nothing brings me as much joy as being on that stage, getting that first laugh on a new bit. It's the most assictive thing I've ever done, and considering how many things I've been addicted to, that says a lot.
The line is intent. If you say something to deliberately piss them off - not so good. If you say something because it's honest and important to you, and someone gets pissed - that's just the cost of doing business.
Since I posted this I've been trying to think of instances where comics have not only offended audiences but influencial and / or large groups of people by 'crossing the line'.
Lenny Bruce is the most obvious from a stand up perspective. Any others that those of you with more experience can think of?
A variation on the theme, in the UK there was a 'locust swarm of shit' around 18 months ago surrounding a great spoof documentary called Brass Eye - all about paedophilia.
Difficult subject matter but an excercise in doing controversial stuff well. (Too well for the UK's tastes as it turned out)
You get born, you keep your head down and you die - if you're lucky.
That, I believe, is akin to kiddy porn right? I think that a lot of controversial material and acts are more underground and certainly not recognized by the mainstream media.
You can get away with a lot more indecency in the UK than here in the States it seems so you're going to see a lot more material such as that which deals with paedophilia and all of that really dark shit being played-out in your own backyard.
Andy Kaufman got under the skin of women's groups with his wrestling bits as well as Andrew Dice Clay, who pissed off everybody from midgets to gays. But those two examples are kind of dated.
Ever since the Jackon-tit incident Congress is passing a bill that would raise the indeceny fine from the current maximum fine for a broadcast license-holder from $27,500 to $500,000. Even more scary, the fine for a performer would jump from $11,000 to $500,000. Holy shit! Especially as a performer do any of you have an extra $500,000.00 laying around just for the price of a laugh and possible jail-time? Goodbye First Amendment, you know freedom of speech, and hello Stalinism.
Of course, who defines what is and what isn't indecent? Any way you cut it it's headed in a bad direction and in the end it was all over a fucking nipple. How silly...
I'm just going to stick with my thing and if they want me then they can come and get me. I can't pay the fine so I'll just have to sweat-it-out in the pokey. I'm not so sure that I would do very well in there though.
As for anyone currently really out there pushing the envelope and getting people's collective panties in a bunch? Not sure if there really is anyone.
I've just walked away and thought about this a little more.
This is really funny because you guys make out that the British are so uptight and repressed and here you are, the so called 'Land of the Free' and you can't even say what you're thinking. I thought that was the principle that America was founded on!!!
You are right of course, it doesn't bode well for the future, either there or here. It's a sad fact that whatever you do on that side of the pond ends up hapenning here (we are, after all, GW's gerbil).
I figure you'll be OK in the clubs, it's when you start saying things that appeal to the masses that they get scared and knock you into the wood.
You get born, you keep your head down and you die - if you're lucky.
garfy1974,
Right now I'm doing comedy and I take it over the line a lot of the time, probably making people think I'm an ignorant prick sometimes, but I'm not, and I figure as long as I keep on trying to improve comedically, then I'll get where I need to.
On another note, that fine for indecency is INSANE. "Indecency" is the broadest term I know of. It makes me want to make the cover of my comedy album a picture of a burning American flag in the middle of my asshole. Just kidding. Also, I saw that Brass Eye on Pedophilia and it's very funny and doesn't condone or diminish the subject matter--but I've seen a lot more "straight" comics drop stupidly offensive lines without realising it than most 'shock' guys.
... 
