I love standup so much. I started hitting open mics when I was still in high school. I completely love the journey comedians need to take to become good in this particular medium and I feel very comfortable in rooms of comedians.
Totally agree that specials online are totally ass now, but that’s because these comedians are getting internet famous before they’re actually good enough at stand up to put out quality specials.
My best examples would be Matt Rife and Ralph Barbosa. These guys are kinda funny, no doubt, but they’re not nearly good enough to be doing stadiums yet. However, they’re poppin online so they can sell the tix to fill the stadiums. SOCIAL MEDIA LIKES DOES NOT MEAN GOOD JOKES. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE REALLY STADIUM ACTS. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THEY HAVE POLISHED HOURS. And this case can be translated to almost any stand-up comedian you’re thinking of that’s under the age of 50. Plus the whole Joe Rogan universe of guys have lost their spunk. And the Kill Tony-sphere is wack as hell. Podcasting is too convenient and completely numbing specials consumed virtually. I hate it all.
the best stand-up will always rise to the top. Shane Gillis is on a much deserved run right now and is definitely the people’s champ. But he got GREAT at standup outside of the digital media cycles. That’s the difference and it shows.
And legends will be legends for that exact reason, legendary performances. Not everyone is legendary, most comics kinda suck still. Praise god for comedy.
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The sheer amount of standup specials, YouTube/IG/TikTok stars, etc. oversaturate our brains, and I think it dilutes our experience. This is surely true of music for me lately - I need breaks from new things pretty often. I think another symptom of it being so abundant is the more you've seen, the harder it is to be surprised by new styles and personalities. I've been a life-long standup fan for as long as I can remember, and gimmicks and fads have always been a thing. But still, every year, something new grabs my attention. It just takes some digging to find the people that tell the kind of stories that make you laugh. Here are some ones I really liked recently:
Kyle Kinane - Dirt Nap
Jacqueline Novak - Get On Your Knees
Sheng Wang - Sweet & Juicy
Brian Simpson - Live From The Mothership
Chris Fleming - Hell (As mentioned in other responses, just the best kind of weird)
Taylor Tomlinson - Look At You
Nate Bargatze (any of his many on Netflix)
Jun 21, 2024
Your 90% figure is something I use to describe how much art media is basically not good – tv, movies, music, etc. But the particularity of standup as an art form – the bizarre mutual expectation of a specific response (laughter) – means that it can “fail” more obviously. Mediocre music can be shrugged off, and pretty easily tolerated by most; it doesn’t come with the same expectations. But when someone’s jokes don't land, it immediately lays bare a devastating rift between performer and audience.
Most people just want to laugh, though, and they’re ok with laughing at anything that purports to be funny. You make a joke about the difference between men and women, I laugh, everyone goes home happy. So there’s a lot of trash that ends up getting elevated because it’s “good” enough to fulfill this social contract for enough people.
But there’s always good stuff out there!
I’ll 4th Chris Fleming and throw in Conner O’Malleys recent special.
Sorry but they both yell, lol.
If you want a very different, bizarre, highly personal, often uncomfortable, avant-garde, and of course, funny rec: Natalie Palamides’s Nate: A One Man Show which was out on Netflix a few years ago.
Jun 21, 2024
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I can respect that some people can write funny stuff but at least for me the rehearsed nature of it makes it nearly impossible for me to get any enjoyment out of stand up comedy also just sitting there and hearing people exaggerate their laugh or nobody laughing at all or the comedian calling out someone in the crowd or someone heckling and making everyone hate them just gives to many opportunities for me to be crazy uncomfortable
That being said I think Todd glass is funny
Jun 21, 2024
Top Recs from @mintgawd
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*only do this when you MUST get FLY and exude unspeakable and ineffable confidence where ppl will probably call you a cocky asshole*
recite this prayer:
Dear Haters,
You can all suck my balls from the back and my dick from the front.
I was born to be great.
you were all born to debate my greatness.
Clearly we are not the same.
in times of uncertainty I stand tall.
Even when alone, my spirit is guided by God’s invisible hand who shields me from the bullshit.
A back this broad was earned by climbing to places most could never reach.
If theyve never seen these heights, how could they comprehend my perspective?
Anyone with something negative to say is miles beneath me with mushy shit in their pamper and piss dribbling down their soft, weak legs.
Thank you mint god for humility.
Thank you mint god for strength.
Love,
(Your name)
And although I may not appear in the physical form, you will feel an aura of mint purple surrounding you and a genuine earthy sense of pride in your chest to continue on your mission, no fucks given.
Jun 19, 2024
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W’s in the chat
Jun 28, 2024
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i Am a proud fan of weird women!!!
Newest weird woman acquisition: the cute shy girl from my MBA program with a curly bob and red highlights.
Shes so quiet and shy, we’ve had every class together so far over 3 semesters and barely ever spoke aside from her saying happy Valentine’s Day to me in February. Fast forward to this semester I sit next to her first day of finance class and decide to Be friendly and chat. She’s quiet but cool so I get her number, offer to maybe study later in the semester (which is a mild courtesy as I was lowkey just gaining new allies in the class to assist with cheating).
But once I started texting her about class we just never stopped texting, and now I think we’re actively flirting? Shes into dark romance novels? she brought one of her novels to class yesterday and after class she snuggled up against me in the hallway and made me read a (very graphic) page about a girl getting fucked by a gun? This chick is nuts. Am I catching feelings?
Sep 17, 2024