Stand Up Comedians Unite!

Are there any stand up comics in the room?

I've been at it since October. Mostly trolling the open mics in my area though my goal is to enter the Boston Comedy Festival coming up next November. After the nasty winter we had, anything that makes me look forward to another series of colder months has to be a good thing.

I find writing jokes and making people laugh to be one of the few things that remains consistently pleasant. It's a challenge and it's rewarding to know that I have made a whole crowd of people feel a little bit happier in just five short minutes.

My influences are the late Mitch Hedberg. Currently my favorites are Steve Hofstetter, Amy Tee (my teacher and mentor incidentally) and a host of others. And my comedy is largely observational with a focus on my experiences working in retail and the occasional reference to something topical in the media.

Amateur, professional, successful or even "failed" comics, please chime in and share your experiences. Or even if you don't perform, but just like to watch stand up, please chime in. Or even if you just like chiming in, please chime in.

Ding ding ding!!!

Best thing i ever did! Im so excited for you!

I'm usually a common "victim" for stand-up comedians at live shows. Mostly because I don't get mad at funny jokes and am very interactive. So ... uh ...

Chime.

Yikes, sorry to hear that. Most of the comics I'm friends with would never pick on you if you were at their shows. It's certainly not a crime to not laugh. My own teacher has been in comedy for 10 years and whenever myself or her other students tells a joke she thinks is funny she says, "Oh, that's funny."

She doesn't laugh out right, because she's analyzing our set and trying to help us make it better. I learn never to take it personally when people don't laugh. I just get through my set and go over it later on to see what didn't work.

I enjoy good stand up, personal fav-Gabriel Iglesias-If you find yourself in the RDU area of NC holler and I will come support you. Best of luck.

Naw, it's all in good fun. I've got such a quirky personality that most of the stand-up comedians that have ever "picked on me" were just doing it in jest and it was funny. It's not personal at all and, to be honest, makes the experience that much better for me.

So I wouldn't say I get picked on, I'm just a good person for them to use because I don't get all upset over a funny joke. Take the Untamed Shrews and the joke about the skinny guy in the front row ... I've seen it make some guys uncomfortable, but I find it hilarious and will go right along with the joke. It's not personal, it's the same joke that Susan Smith tells at every venue ... but holy cow they're hilarious!

Fluffy!

This is great, and brave of you to do. I say, Go for It.

Well I figure it's no different than therapy and in some ways far less frustrating. For the price of one session of therapy that lasts for one hour on one day of the week, I can go to several open mics over the course of one month, make the minimum purchase of food and beverage and share my feelings with the crowd.