Laughing matters

Goddamn that was a really lame title I just came up with! I mean seriously. Unacceptable on my part and you have my apology. I guess I could just leave the title blank but that doesn't seem to be very helpful to my 4 followers who signed up to follow my blog to be nice to me and will likely never read this blog again. Let's be honest Jennifer McCahan you're the only person reading this. And I appreciate it!

So the whole reason I got into comedy was because (terrible grammar but fuck it) I wanted to see if it would be possible to replicate the feeling you get when you and three or four people are laughing uncontrollably, usually while drunk. And the answer is: no. No, it's not. Getting an audience of strangers (or frankly people you know in groups larger than, say, four) to laugh in unison is quite different than an inside joke with your pals. Inside joke example: I don't think those are empty pot bags scattered around Washington Heights.

By the way can I just pause here and say Billy Crystal is telling some long, fairly lame story about a raccoon on Letterman right now? Don't get me wrong, I understand the guy's a legend. But I do dislike how once a guest achieves a certain level of celebrity talk show audiences glibly laugh along anytime there's a pause. Just because Billy Crystal or Robin Williams (especially Robin Williams) are talking doesn't mean everything they say is funny. Funny is defined on a moment to moment basis. People should laugh because of content not because of reputation. They should also follow my rules for laughing.

As I was saying. For argument's sake let's conjecture that there are two kinds of funny. Funny Type 1: That which you create and share with a crowd. It's commercially viable and broadly accessible material. Type 2: Humor that springs from intimacy and specific knowledge of a person or group. I'd say generally Type 2 yields the hardest laughter and resonates most deeply. Each of us has a distinct set of experiences and people in our lives that can yield humorous content. It's personally relevant and deeply understood. So a case could be made that these jokes and moments are the most rewarding.

But how funny can it be if only four people understand the joke? I'd bet most people would put their favorite lines from their favorite comedians up against personal stories they found the most enjoyable. Type 1 has the potential to give scores of people enjoyment. Type 2 is situation based and generally ephemeral. I don't know what that word means either. Yes I do. But I felt bad for you for a minute. Unless you do know what it means. In which case you're probably a little mad at me right now. I understand. Take a minute.

There's really no point in figuring this out because really there's nothing to figure out. Both kinds have their purpose and it would be impossible to assign any kind of value to either type. My point is: Why are you reading this?

That was also a rude thing to say. My point is that when I began to approach the comedy field this argument was a central piece of my motivation. Can I replicate the doubled over laughter I occasionally have created or contributed to in a small group in a much larger setting? Can I get rooms full (or nearly empty) of strangers to see an idea in my head the way I see that idea? And if they see it my way, will they find it as funny as I did when I wrote it? The answer is no.

Just kidding. Sort of. It's a work in progress. I'm reading back through this to see if it makes me come across like I have a big ego. Because I don't. Maybe I did, but not anymore. Not about comedy stuff. About other stuff. Maybe that's another posting topic--how we perceive our skill levels in different areas of interest vs. how the world perceives our skill levels.

Figuring that gap out creates a whole new level of self awareness. It can be daunting and discouraging. But what keeps me going is the knowledge that even if I didn't put my efforts on display my level of natural talent would still be what it is. My genuine talent or genuine shittiness exists whether or not I test it out. So may as well test it out. Get closer to reality, closer to an authentic life.