Confidence, context and delivery in stand-up - part 2. We ..
Published: February 13th 2023, 4:06:14 pm
Confidence, context and delivery in stand-up - part 2.
We talked a bit about soft jokes and hard jokes. I mentioned Mitch Hedberg as being a writer of hard jokes.
I want to give you some examples of his jokes:
"Is a hippopotamus a hippopotamus, or just a really cool Opotamus?"
"My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them."
"I know a lot about cars, man. I can look at any car's headlights and tell you exactly which way it's coming."
Now, there is no denying that Mitch Hedberg's awkward delivery makes these jokes a hundred times funnier. I highly recommend you go and watch his videos. He famously had quite serious stage fright and often wore sunglasses on stage, so he felt more safe. Some say that explains his odd delivery.
But the jokes are very clearly jokes.
Like this joke by Jimmy Carr:
"A big girl once came up to me after a show and said "I think you're fatist." I said "No, no. I think you're fattest.""
This one is interesting because I don't find it funny. I know it is technically funny - it's a joke. It's clearly a joke. But my personal CONTEXT ruins it for me. The fact that 'fatist' isn't a word that fat people ever use about fatphobic people, the fact that we know he is laughing AT fat people, not with fat people. Having experienced fatphobia, especially in comedy, my whole life... A joke like this hits a nerve. And it does so, before I can laugh. I don't want to use the word 'triggering' lightly, because it doesn't actually trigger me. But it does irk me. Enough that the funny doesn't reach my brain.
But imagining it's said by a fat comedian - a fat positive fat comedian - and the punchline is said in a happy way, like 'No, YOU'RE the fattest!' as if it's a positive thing to be the fattest - I would laugh at it. The context would bring me right back on board.
More tomorrow. Just gotta email Jimmy Carr and ask if I can have his joke. BRB.