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When comics sit around bullshitting about other comics and start taking ourselves and what we do way too serioulsy, you will often hear the term [/i]the craft[/i] brought up as a way to identify what paints and brushes we use to get our point across.

Carlin flaunts the craft in your face. When you watch him, make no mistake about it you are watching stand up comedy. He even tells you that the next chunk of material he is about to perform has a title! "I call this next piece..."

Cosby is a little more sneaky. For a short time he makes you forget you are watching stand up only to remind you when he throws it back into your face like the proverbial pie. His set up is about children when asked why they have done sometbhing wrong reply, "I don't know." He then takes you on this half hour journey through the Garden of Eden and creation only to have God ask the same question of Adam and then you are like, "Oh yeah - this was a bit."

But with Pryor the craft is simply invisable. Don't get me wrong - it's there. but you can't see it. It's seemless. Not for one second do you get the impression this man is [/i]trying[/i] to make you laugh or impress you with clever word play (Carlin), observations of the mundane (Seinfeld), shock (Dice), well constructed epic tales (Cosby) or simple rage (Kinison). It appears, however, the man makes you laugh because he is simply funny, naturally gifted and it all appears effortless.

Simple, natural, effortless. I guess that is what they mean when they say the comedy of Richard Pryor is so honest. There is no pretense. No sense he is putting on a show for you and as soon as the curtain closes he will go back to being who he [/i]really is[/i] He seems oblivious to joke structure, the value of a call back, redundancy in a set up and all the other fancy things we comics say when we take ourselves too seriously.

Don't get me wrong...I am not suggesting RP didn't work hard on his act. I have it on good account that when he was working shit out at the Store it sucked just like all of our shit sucks until we get it right. But the magic that is Pryor leads us to believe he isn't telling us jokes or anything that was ever, God forbid, written down, rehersed or even thought out. The night we heard it was the first time he ever uttered it and it came out hysterically classic and legendary the first time. And he told it just for us. Only for us.

Tommy Blaze

Tommy Blaze,

i agree. and i am really honoroed to have exchanged words wih a living legend, and an awesome hero.

much love rich,


gareth

Gareth,

No doubt, it's the effortlessness that makes the great ones that way, Jordan, Gretzky, Pryor, all made it look so easy, almost like they didn't have to work for it, but I think we probably all know they worked harder than anyone else in their craft. You never watch Pryor do stand up, you have a conversation with him, that's why he's great.

Tommy Blaze,
I watched RIchard put together Live In COncert, took notes and worked on some of the shit with him; you are quite right-works very hard but makes it look seamless and effortless! Good post and glad you are on board the boards!!

Jennifer,
You are becoming a magician of emoticons. And TommyBlaze, I think you put things very well!

Jennifer,

To me, "Richard Pryor Live In Concert" is nothing less than the "Giant Steps," "Sgt. Pepper," and "What's Goin' On" of stand-up comedy--flawless, timeless, seamless, and transcendent...the "mother" (and best) of all stand-up comedy as filmed performance.