Mike’s answer to “Just read your review on Kip Addotta's book. Being an older fart of the comedy community, I met Kip…” > Likes and Comments
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Aaron,
Thank you so much for the advice above! I really appreciate it.
Regarding tip #1, I'm glad to hear you say that. Many of the biographies/autobiographies that I have read to date about successful stand-up comedians seem to have a common thread being that the person quit their (often lousy) day job, moved to LA or NYC and started doing stand-up full time (often for years) until they finally made it big (not unlike Kip's book). I have a family to feed, so I'm not even thinking about giving up my (well-paying) day job to pursue comedy. I'm much rather stick to working and making a living full-time for my family and do the occasional open mic stuff on the side for fun. Maybe if I was single/no kids, I might try the all-in approach... but it seems like a hard life with no guarantees of success. In any case, do try to work on my humor frequently b/c I also have a part-time gig teaching a 3-hour night class at a local community college and I joke around with my students as much as possible. I may never become a famous stand-up, but I often use humor in my classroom to keep my college students attention and make the class more fun for everyone.
FWIW: I just did a quick search of your name on Amazon in hopes that perhaps you have written a book about being a comedian (like Kip's book). If you haven't already done so, PLEASE consider writing a book about comedy (or your life experiences). I'd be the first person in line to buy a copy!
Regarding tip #5, I do recall Kip mentioning in his book about recording his stand-up routines and using that to make revisions/improvements. I've heard many other comedians (including the late Ralphie May) do the same technique. Seems like solid advice! Thanks.
You are so right about your commentary in tip #7. It is a shame what is happening to stand-up comedy these days and how certain groups seem to want to use political correctness or political agendas to change/censor certain topics or views from comedians. I fear this "movement" will end up silencing many comedians and/or ruining the art and free expression of stand-up. Hopefully I'm wrong about that, but it is very troubling to watch this happen. I like your motto of Stand up for Stand-up! That would make a great book title for you (wink-wink).
By chance, are you active on social media? (twitter, FB, etc.?) If so, please tell me which one so I can follow you and perhaps soak up some of your wisdom and/or enjoy your humorous point of view.
I sent you a message on FB. My email is catford702@aol.com
Thanks, Aaron. Just replied to your FB message. Have a great weekend!
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Aaron,Thank you so much for the advice above! I really appreciate it.
Regarding tip #1, I'm glad to hear you say that. Many of the biographies/autobiographies that I have read to date about successful stand-up comedians seem to have a common thread being that the person quit their (often lousy) day job, moved to LA or NYC and started doing stand-up full time (often for years) until they finally made it big (not unlike Kip's book). I have a family to feed, so I'm not even thinking about giving up my (well-paying) day job to pursue comedy. I'm much rather stick to working and making a living full-time for my family and do the occasional open mic stuff on the side for fun. Maybe if I was single/no kids, I might try the all-in approach... but it seems like a hard life with no guarantees of success. In any case, do try to work on my humor frequently b/c I also have a part-time gig teaching a 3-hour night class at a local community college and I joke around with my students as much as possible. I may never become a famous stand-up, but I often use humor in my classroom to keep my college students attention and make the class more fun for everyone.
FWIW: I just did a quick search of your name on Amazon in hopes that perhaps you have written a book about being a comedian (like Kip's book). If you haven't already done so, PLEASE consider writing a book about comedy (or your life experiences). I'd be the first person in line to buy a copy!
Regarding tip #5, I do recall Kip mentioning in his book about recording his stand-up routines and using that to make revisions/improvements. I've heard many other comedians (including the late Ralphie May) do the same technique. Seems like solid advice! Thanks.
You are so right about your commentary in tip #7. It is a shame what is happening to stand-up comedy these days and how certain groups seem to want to use political correctness or political agendas to change/censor certain topics or views from comedians. I fear this "movement" will end up silencing many comedians and/or ruining the art and free expression of stand-up. Hopefully I'm wrong about that, but it is very troubling to watch this happen. I like your motto of Stand up for Stand-up! That would make a great book title for you (wink-wink).
By chance, are you active on social media? (twitter, FB, etc.?) If so, please tell me which one so I can follow you and perhaps soak up some of your wisdom and/or enjoy your humorous point of view.
I sent you a message on FB. My email is catford702@aol.com
Thanks, Aaron. Just replied to your FB message. Have a great weekend!
1) Have a day job. Get your financial poop in a group, then explore comedy as a passion. Although "starving artist" can lead to an abundance of useable material, financially successful comedians are as rare as rich athletes.
2) Daily diligence. Sam Christensen, former MASH casting director, acting coach and like Kip also left Earth earlier this year, used to preach "the secret"-- alott a specific amount of time, at least ten minutes, every day to craft development. Don't wait or wish for something to happen. Make it happen.
3) Be like Mike (Kowis). Become an avid reader/student of those who have already been down the trail. Every story will have its own string of wisdom pearls for what to do and what to avoid.
4) Figure out who you are and be it. Judy Carter has written a book or two and I think still teaches classes on developing a performance personna. Whittle (there's an ancient reference) your presence down to a very specific and easily recognizable form. Be the haggard housewife, the college dropout, the intellectual property lawyer, whatever the ingredients that make you the expert of yourself and uniquely qualified to preach the gospel according to you. Don't make an audience guess as to why they should buy what you're selling.
5) Record every performance. I don't know if Kip included this in his book, but he used to be an avid advocate of audio or video recording every public appearance. He was constantly fine tuning his material and studying audience reactions for the next show. It's also a good way to keep track of ad libs and new thoughts that may appear.
6) Stay alert! The professional comedy landscape is changing as fast as the rest of the universe. One's success may appear in an arena or dimension previously unknown. Think of all the comedy commerce that has been invented within this decade. Not that I have 2020 vision, but I can imagine that trend of opportunity will continue and most likely accelerate.
7) Be funny! About a hundred years ago, I transitioned from pursuing comedy as a profession and turned it into a way of life. I still walk the planet with the passion to amuse as that's what nourishes my soul and sometimes I even make money by doing it. We're living in a time where humor is under assault as I could never have imagined. Colleges used to be a training ground for comedians to appear and develop. Now, political agendas have all but erased those opportunities. Anger and hostility have become the loudest voices in our societal conversations. So, by all means available, stand up for stand-up! Our survival as a people has been our ability to laugh at ourselves and each other. Let's make our army bigger than theirs.