BellaCH: Creating Stand-up comedy

2022-12-05T04:54:53Z

Creating Stand-up comedy

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{{Short description|Comedy style where the performer addresses the audience directly}}
{{Redirect2|Stand-up|Stand Up Comedy|other uses|Stand Up (disambiguation)}}
{{Tone|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox performing art| name = Stand-up comedy| image = File:Jesus is coming.. Look Busy (George Carlin).jpg| upright = yes| caption = [[George Carlin]] performing in 2008}}
{{performing arts}}

'''Stand-up comedy''' is a [[comedy|comedic]] performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a [[comedian]], a comic or a '''stand-up'''.

Stand-up comedy consists of [[One-line joke|one-liners]], stories, observations or a [[shtick]] that may incorporate [[Theatrical property|props]], [[comedy music|music]], [[Magic (illusion)|magic tricks]] or [[ventriloquism]]. It can be performed almost anywhere, including [[comedy club]]s, [[comedy festival]]s, bars, [[nightclub]]s, colleges or [[theatre]]s.

== History ==
{{main|History of stand-up comedy}}
Stand-up as a [[Western world|Western]] art form has its roots in the [[Stump speech (minstrelsy)|stump speech]] of American [[minstrel shows]], which featured an actor in [[blackface]] delivering nonsensical monologue to the audience. While the intention of stump speeches was to mock African-Americans, they also occasionally contained political and social satire. The minstrel show would later influence theatrical traditions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as [[vaudeville]] and [[burlesque]].

The first documented use of "stand-up" as a term was in ''[[The Stage]]'' in 1911, detailing a woman named Nellie Perrier delivering 'stand up comic ditties in a [[chic]] and charming manner', though this was used to describe a performance of [[comedy songs]] rather than stand-up comedy in its true modern form.{{fact|date=August 2022}}

In ''[[Yorkshire Evening Post|The Yorkshire Evening Post]]'' on the 10th of November 1917, the "Stage Gossip" column described the career of a comedian named Finlay Dunn. The article stated that Dunn was "what he calls 'a stand-up comedian'" during the latter part of the 19th century, although the term may have been used retrospectively.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Double|first=Oliver|date=9 Apr 2018|title=The origin of the term 'stand-up comedy'|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/2040610X.2018.1428427|journal=Comedy Studies|volume=12|issue=2|pages=235–237|doi=10.1080/2040610X.2018.1428427|s2cid=195058528|via=Taylor & Francis}}</ref>

== Genres ==
{{Main|Comedic genres}}[[File:Bill-Bailey.jpg|thumb|[[Bill Bailey]] performing in 2007]]
Stand-up has multiple genres and styles with their own formats. Common ones include:
* '''Alternative''': Intended to counter the established figures of mainstream comedy.
* '''[[Character comedy|Character]]''': A fictional persona created by the performer.
* '''DIY''': A "new alternative" to alternative comedy.<ref>{{cite book|last=Quirk|first=Sophie|date=2015|title=Why Stand-up Matters: How Comedians Manipulate and Influence|location=New York|publisher=Bloomsbury Methuen Drama|pages=181–182|isbn=978-1-4725-7893-8|quote=[T]he ‘new alternative’ known as DIY comedy. It opposed the commercialist ethos that had come to dominate alternative comedy and responded to an ‘increasing sense of purposelessness and loneliness among young persons in Western society’.}}</ref>
* '''[[Comedy music|Musical]]''': Humourous songs or musical parody sometimes without lyrics.
* '''[[Observational comedy|Observational]]''': Conversation on the absurdities of everyday life.<ref name="Quirk 2015 154">{{cite book|last=Quirk|first=Sophie|date=2015|title=Why Stand-up Matters: How Comedians Manipulate and Influence|location=New York|publisher=Bloomsbury Methuen Drama|page=154|isbn=978-1-4725-7893-8|quote=Observational comedy works by mocking 'normal' behaviours but, even as it does so, it often affirms and promotes a fixed idea of what 'normal' is.}}</ref>
* '''[[Satire]]''': Ridicule of celebrity, political figures, the establishment, religion or ideology.

== Stand up performances ==
=== Opener, feature and headliner ===
[[File:Joan Rivers at Udderbelly 09 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Joan Rivers]] performing in 2009]]

The host, compere or [[Master of ceremonies|emcee]] "warms up" the audience and introduces the other performers. This is followed by the opener, the feature, then the headliner. The host may also double as an opener for smaller shows.<ref name="acts">{{cite journal|last=Seizer|first=Susan|date=2011|title=On the Uses of Obscenity in Live Stand-Up Comedy|journal=Anthropological Quarterly|publisher=The George Washington University Institute for Ethnographic Research|volume=84|issue=1|pages=215–216|doi=10.1353/anq.2011.0001|jstor=41237487|quote=On this circuit, shows generally consist of three to four comics: Headliner, Feature act, Opener and/or Emcee (i.e., Master of Ceremonies). The Headliner does roughly an hour of original material. The Feature act does 25-30 minutes. The Opener has a ten minute slot, and the Emcee squeezes in a joke or two between acts (if the Opener is not also acting as the Emcee)...|s2cid=144137009}}</ref> Proven comics can get regular bookings for club chains and comedy venues. Jobbing stand-ups may perform sets at two or more venues on the same day.{{fact|date=August 2022}}

=== Open mic ===
Club and small venues often run [[open mic]] events; these slots may be booked in advance or left for walk-ins. Comedians use open mics to work on material or to show off their skills to get an opener slot.<ref>{{cite web|last=Oswalt|first=Patton|date=14 June 2014|title=A Closed Letter to Myself About Thievery, Heckling and Rape Jokes|url=http://www.pattonoswalt.com/index.cfm?page=spew&id=167|access-date=3 February 2019|website=Patton Oswalt|publisher=Patton Oswalt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190304155758/http://www.pattonoswalt.com/index.cfm?page=spew&id=167|archive-date=2019-03-04|quote=Open mikes are where, as a comedian [like Daniel Tosh and his controversy], you're supposed to be allowed to fuck up.}}</ref> "Bringer shows" are open mics that require amateur performers to bring a specified number of paying guests with them in order to receive stage time.

=== Festivals ===
As well as being a mainstay of the comedy circuit, [[Comedy festival|festivals]] often also showcase up and coming acts, with promoters and agents using the festivals to seek out new talent.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Frances-White|first1=Deborah|last2=Shandur|first2=Marsha|year=2016|title=Off the Mic: The World's Best Stand-up Comedians Get Serious About Comedy|others=Jim Jefferies|location=NY, New York|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing Plc|page=176|isbn=978-1-4725-2638-0|quote=Go to festivals, because that's where you get noticed by the media ... [and] gauge [yourself against] everybody else.}}</ref>

=== Specials ===
Experienced comics with a popular following may produce a special. Typically lasting between one and two hours, a special may be recorded on tour or at a show advertised and performed specifically for the purpose. It may be released as a [[comedy album]], video, or on television and [[Video on demand|streaming]] services.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 August 2018|title=Top 25 Stand-Up Specials of All-Time|url=https://www.imdb.com/list/ls068743679/|url-status=live|access-date=2 November 2021|website=IMDb}}</ref>

== Comedy set ==
{{main|Theories of humour}}
[[File:Tiffany Haddish at Incirlik (cropped).jpg|alt=Tiffany Haddish, during a performance October 21, 2013, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Sponsored by Armed Forces Entertainment to service members overseas.|thumb|175px|[[Tiffany Haddish]] performing in 2013]]

=== Routine ===
A stand-up defines their craft through the development of the routine or set. These are designed through the construction and revision of jokes and "bits" (linked jokes). The routine emerges from the arrangement of bits to build an interlinked narrative or overarching theme leading to the closer (the final joke that ties the themes of the show together in a satisfying or meaningful conclusion).{{fact|date=August 2022}}

Most jokes are the juxtaposition of two incongruous things and are made up of the premise, set-up, and punchline, often adding a twist, topper or tagline for an intensified or extra laugh. Delivery relies on the use of intonation, inflection, attitude and timing or other stylistic devices such as the [[Rule of three (writing)|rule of three]], idioms, archetypes or wordplay.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=The Art of Stand-Up|people=[[Eddie Izzard]]|medium=TV|language=en|publisher=BBC: One|year=2011|location=United Kingdom|quote=Eddie Izzard states, 'it should be—establish, reaffirm, and then you kill it on the third... you can keep reaffirming before you twist.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Helitzer|first1=Mel|url=https://archive.org/details/comedywritingsec00heli_0/page/63|title=Comedy Writing secrets: the best-selling book on how to think funny, write funny, act funny, and get paid for it|last2=Shatz|first2=Mark|publisher=Writer's Digest Books|year=2005|isbn=978-1-58297-357-9|edition=2nd|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|page=[https://archive.org/details/comedywritingsec00heli_0/page/63 63]}}</ref> Another popular joke structure is the [[paraprosdokian]], a surprising punchline that changes the context or meaning of the setup.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Leighton|first1=H. Vernon|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Theology_and_Geometry/BjHNDwAAQBAJ?gbpv=0|title=Theology and Geometry: Essays on John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces (Politics, Literature, & Film)|publisher=Lexington Books|year=2020|isbn=978-1-4985-8547-7|editor-last=Marsh|editor-first=Leslie|location=United Kingdom|publication-date=29 January 2020|pages=2–4|chapter=A Theory of Humor (Abridged) and the Comic Mechanisms of John Kennedy Toole's ''A Confederacy of Dunces''|quote=it is useful to examine the famous paraprosdokian, 'I've had a wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.'|access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref>

In order to falsely frame their stories as true or to free themselves of responsibility for breaking social conventions, comedians can use the [[jester's privilege]], the right to discuss and mock anything freely without being punished.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Medieval Jesters – And their Parallels in Modern America|url=http://www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2019/1/13/medieval-jesters-and-their-parallels-in-modern-america|access-date=2022-02-18|website=History is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books {{!}} Modern International and American history|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Billington, Sandra. “''A Social History of the Fool'',” The Harvester Press, 1984. ISBN 0-7108-0610-8</ref> "Punching up" and "punching down" describe who should be the "butt of the joke". This carries the assumption that, relative to the comedian's own [[Identity politics|socio-political identity]], comedy should "punch up" at the rich and powerful without "punching down" at those who are marginalized and less fortunate.<ref>{{cite book|last=Quirk|first=Sophie|title=The Politics of British Stand-Up Comedy: The New Alternative|date=2018|publisher=palgrave macmillan|isbn=978-3-030-01104-8|series=Palgrave Studies in Comedy|location=London, UK|pages=23, 29|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-01105-5|lccn=2018956867|quote= the comedy of the left 'punches up' at the established authorities of its time, be they governmental, cultural, or artistic. ... a joke is a joke, not a political act, and the ability to say what you like in the context of joking is held sacred.|author-link=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Sascha|date=2014|title=A Brief History of Punch-Down Comedy|url=http://www.maskmagazine.com/the-joy-issue/life/stand-up-punch-down|url-status=live|access-date=6 February 2019|website=Mask|publisher=Maskmag|quote=George Carlin echoed this sentiment, observing that 'comedy has traditionally picked on people in power.' … '[Chappelle and Gervais] have done daring and subversive work on other topics, like race and religion, respectively, but punching down at an essentially powerless minority group is pure hack.'}}</ref>

=== Joke theft ===
[[Appropriation (art)|Appropriation]] and [[plagiarism]] are considered "social crimes" by most stand-ups. There have been several high-profile accusations of joke theft, some ending in lawsuits for copyright infringement. Those accused will sometimes claim [[cryptomnesia]] or parallel thinking,<ref>{{cite web|last=Voss|first=Erik|date=4 November 2010|title=Is There Ever a Justification for Joke Stealing?|url=https://www.vulture.com/2010/11/is-there-eve-a-justification-for-joke-stealing.html|access-date=12 March 2019|website=Vulture: Devouring Culture|publisher=NEW YORK MEDIA LLC.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Borns|first=Betsy|url=https://archive.org/details/comiclivesinside00born|title=Comic Lives: Inside the World of American Stand-up comedy|publisher=Simon & Schuster, Inc.|others=Abby Stein|year=1987|isbn=0-671-62620-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/comiclivesinside00born/page/n267 242]|quote=[T]here are also cases of simple coincidence and, often in the case of observational material, parallel thinking.|url-access=registration}}</ref> but it is difficult to successfully sue for joke theft regardless due to the [[idea–expression distinction]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bailey|first=Jonathan|date=27 September 2021|title=When Joke Theft Becomes Serious|url=https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2021/09/27/when-joke-theft-becomes-serious/|url-status=live|access-date=4 November 2021|website=Plagiarism today}}</ref>

== Audiences ==
[[File:2007 Damon Wayans.jpg|thumb|[[Damon Wayans]] performing in 2007]]
According to Anna Spagnolli, stand-up comedy audiences "are both 'co-constructors of the situation' and 'co-responsible for it'".<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2009|title=The Interactional Context of Humor in Stand-up Comedy'|journal=|pages=210–230}}</ref>

Audiences enter into an unspoken contract with the comedian in which they temporarily disregard normal social rules and accept the discussion of unexpected, controversial or scandalous subjects. The ability to understand the premise and appreciate the associated punchline determines whether a joke results in laughter or scathing disapproval.{{fact|date=August 2022}}

Stand-up comedy differs from most other performing arts as the comedian is usually the only thing on stage and addresses the audience directly. The material should be perceived as spontaneous and only fully succeeds when the comic creates a sense of intimacy, while also discouraging [[Heckler|heckling]].{{fact|date=August 2022}}

Part of the appeal of stand up is in appreciation of the skill of the performer, most people find the idea of standing on stage extremely daunting; research on the subject has consistently found that the [[Glossophobia|fear of public speaking]] is more intense than the [[Death anxiety|fear of dying]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://lovepublicspeaking.org/fear-public-speaking-more-than-death-fear-not-the-audience-only-sees-20-of-your-nerves | title=Fear public speaking more than death? Fear not – the audience only sees 20% of your nerves | date=February 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/speaking-in-public-is-worse-than-death-for-most-5l2bvqlmbnt | title=Speaking in public is worse than death for most | last1=Burgess | first1=Kaya }}</ref>

The audience is integral to live comedy, both as a foil to the comedian and as a contributing factor to the overall experience. The use of [[canned laughter]] in television comedy reveals this, with shows often seeming "dry" or dull without it. Shows may be filmed in front of a live audience for the same reason.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lockyear|first1=Sharon|last2=Myers|first2=Lynn|date=November 2011|title=It's About Expecting the Unexpected - Live Stand-up Comedy from the Audiences Perspective|url=https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/8584/2/Fulltext.pdf|journal=Participations|volume=8|issue=2|pages=165–188|via=on-line Database}}</ref>

== Terms ==
{{citations needed section|date=July 2022}}

[[File:BridgetChristieHoxtonHallColinHuttonedit.jpg|thumb|[[Bridget Christie]] performing in 2016]]

'''Beat:''' A pause specifically to create comic timing.

'''Bit''': A section within a comedy show or routine.

'''Bombing''': Failing to get laughs.

'''Callback''': A reference to a joke earlier in the set.

'''[[Overacting|Chewing the scenery]]''': Being overly theatrical or "trying too hard" to get a laugh, especially when failing.

'''Chi-chi room''': The ritzy room of a nightclub or a comedy club with niche performances.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilde|first=Larry|title=Great Comedians Talk About Comedy|publisher=Executive Books|others=[[Shelley Berman]]|year=2000|isbn=0-937539-51-1|location=Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania|page=86|chapter=Shelley Berman|quote=Just because it is small, they call it a chi-chi room, or because they bring certain oddball forms of entertainment|orig-date=1968}}</ref>

'''Clapter''': When the audience cheers or applauds an opinion that they agree with, but which is not funny enough for them to laugh at. Coined by [[Seth Meyers]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pandya |first=Hershal |date=10 January 2018 |title=The Rise of "Clapter" Comedy |url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/01/the-rise-of-clapter-comedy.html |url-status=live |access-date=10 May 2022 |website=Vulture}}</ref>

'''Corpsing''' or '''breaking''': When the comedian laughs unintentionally during a portion of the show in which they are supposed to keep a [[Straight man|straight face]].

'''Crowd work''': Talking directly with audience members through prewritten bits, improvisation or both.

'''Hack''': A [[cliché]]d or unskilled comic.

'''Killing''' and '''dying''': When a stand-up does well, they are killing. If they are doing poorly, they are dying.

'''Mugging''': Pulling silly faces to get a cheap laugh.

'''Punter''': A member of the audience. Primarily a British term.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bello |first=Benamin |date=6 September 2021 |title=Whose job is it to deal with aggressive comedy punters? |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/correspondents/2021/09/06/49197/whose_job_is_it_to_deal_with_aggressive_comedy_punters%3F |url-status=live |access-date=10 May 2022 |website=Chortle}}</ref>

'''The room''': The space where the performance takes place. Stand-ups can "read the room" to interpret signs from the audience or "work the room" by interacting with the audience directly.

'''Smelling the road''': Claiming that one can "smell the road" on a comedian suggests they have compromised their originality or pandered to get laughs while touring.

'''Tight five''': A five-minute routine that is well-rehearsed and consists of a comedian's best material that reliably gets laughs. It is often used for auditions and is a stepping stone to getting a paid spot.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rosenfield|first=Stephen|title=Mastering Stand-Up: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian|publisher=Chicago Review Press|year=2018|isbn=978-1-61373-692-0|location=Chicago, Illinois|page=195|quote=If you have an all 'A' [material] 5-minute set, you'll get paid nothing.}}</ref>

'''Warm up''': To warm up a "cold" audience during the opening act before the main show. Often used at the filming of television comedies in front of studio audiences.

'''Work out:''' The process in which brand new jokes are introduced and polished over time.

== Records ==
[[Phyllis Diller]] holds the [[Guinness World Record]] for most laughs per minute, with 12.<ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Susan |date=22 December 2006 |title=Diller can still pack a punch line |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-dec-22-et-diller22-story.html |access-date=28 March 2020 |quote=[Phyllis Diller] still holds the Guinness Book of World Records for doling out 12 punch lines a minute.}}</ref>

Taylor Goodwin holds the Guinness World Record for most jokes told in an hour with 550.<ref>{{cite web |title=Most jokes told in an hour |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-jokes-told-in-an-hour |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150727071127/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-jokes-told-in-an-hour |archive-date=27 July 2015 |work=Guinness World Records}}</ref>

[[Lee Evans (comedian)|Lee Evans]] sold £7 million worth of tickets for his 2011 tour in a day, the biggest first-day sale of a British comedy tour.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 October 2010 |title=Biggest first day sale of any British comedy tour ever. |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2010/10/17/11948/lee_evans_breaks_box_office_records |url-status=live |access-date=4 November 2021 |website=Chortle}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Stand-up comedy]]
[[Category:Comedy genres]]
[[Category:Comedy theatre]]
[[Category:Humour]]
[[Category:Live stand-up comedy shows]]
[[Category:Show business terms]]
[[Category:Stage terminology]]
[[Category:Narrative techniques]]
[[Category:Narratology]]

Stand-up comedy - Revision history

BellaCH: Creating Stand-up comedy