Comments on: Comedy From The Death Bed http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed Stand-up Stripped Down Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:01:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Grammar-Nazi http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5100 Grammar-Nazi Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:24:37 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5100 Impressions typically don't go over very well. I had a student in my comedy class last semester who tried to do them in his final exam routine, and they failed -- miserably. Not only did he not sound or act like the person he was trying to emulate, his material was also decidedly not funny. It was one of the few times I've taught the class and the student was actually booed while performing his routine for his final exam. Actually, it was the second. The first was a guy whose language and jokes were just obscene, without being funny. I guess two booed off stage out of 10 classes now isn't that bad. You have about a 1 in 100 chance of getting booed off the stage. Impressions typically don’t go over very well. I had a student in my comedy class last semester who tried to do them in his final exam routine, and they failed — miserably. Not only did he not sound or act like the person he was trying to emulate, his material was also decidedly not funny. It was one of the few times I’ve taught the class and the student was actually booed while performing his routine for his final exam. Actually, it was the second. The first was a guy whose language and jokes were just obscene, without being funny. I guess two booed off stage out of 10 classes now isn’t that bad. You have about a 1 in 100 chance of getting booed off the stage.

]]> By: Joel Fry http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5085 Joel Fry Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:25:42 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5085 I can't do voices either, so for the time being I work hard at making do without a lot of act-outs. I do throw in some impressions. I can’t do voices either, so for the time being I work hard at making do without a lot of act-outs. I do throw in some impressions.

]]> By: Dennis Laganiere http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5084 Dennis Laganiere Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:47:56 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5084 We had a guy at our club who was frustrated with the” intelligence” of our fairly young room because they didn't seem to "get" his impressions of Nixon and Kennedy. It might be time to write a new joke. Just my $.02 That said, I’m probably just jealous because I can’t do voices. I think it would be hilarious to have a phone sex line that’s been outsourced to India. We had a guy at our club who was frustrated with the” intelligence” of our fairly young room because they didn’t seem to “get” his impressions of Nixon and Kennedy. It might be time to write a new joke. Just my $.02

That said, I’m probably just jealous because I can’t do voices. I think it would be hilarious to have a phone sex line that’s been outsourced to India.

]]> By: Margaret France http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5083 Margaret France Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:43:26 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5083 I love MacRae's Rip Torn, but that might just be because I prefer Rip to pretty much everyone else. I think my most hated impression, going back to the third-hand thing, is the Asian parent. Always generic, often racist. I know I've stood up for Margaret Cho in the past, but as bad as she is now (totally unwatchable reality show, bad dancer) her impersonators are excruciating. Makes me long for fake Dana Carvey. I don't do very many voices, and when I do they are pretty accidental, but the crowd always loves it. I hate that about impressions/voices-- they are big screaming roadsigns that say "this is the laughing place!" I feel the same way about laughs from the crowd recognizing something-- I have a joke where I mention "Wheel of Fortune" and folks start laughing as soon as I say the name. I should take all the laughs I can get, but does anyone else feel like some shit is just way too cheap? I love MacRae’s Rip Torn, but that might just be because I prefer Rip to pretty much everyone else.

I think my most hated impression, going back to the third-hand thing, is the Asian parent. Always generic, often racist. I know I’ve stood up for Margaret Cho in the past, but as bad as she is now (totally unwatchable reality show, bad dancer) her impersonators are excruciating. Makes me long for fake Dana Carvey.

I don’t do very many voices, and when I do they are pretty accidental, but the crowd always loves it. I hate that about impressions/voices– they are big screaming roadsigns that say “this is the laughing place!”

I feel the same way about laughs from the crowd recognizing something– I have a joke where I mention “Wheel of Fortune” and folks start laughing as soon as I say the name. I should take all the laughs I can get, but does anyone else feel like some shit is just way too cheap?

]]> By: Ricardo http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5082 Ricardo Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:02:31 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5082 I find most impressionists a bit tiresome beyond 5 minutes. Even if the impressions are spot on, their schtick of "Imagine a famous celebrity in an unxpected situation" gets too predictable. I thought the short Dennis Miller bit below nails the whole subject of Impressionists brilliantly : http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoKKldS6QI I find most impressionists a bit tiresome beyond 5 minutes. Even if the impressions are spot on, their schtick of “Imagine a famous celebrity in an unxpected situation” gets too predictable.

I thought the short Dennis Miller bit below nails the whole subject of Impressionists brilliantly :

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoKKldS6QI

]]> By: Dan http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5081 Dan Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:30:11 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5081 Most impressions are, in a way, dated because the voices have to be easily recognizable - Shatner, DeNiro, Pacino, Walken, etc. Not a lot of celeb voices are that distinct, so the same ones keep getting recycled. MacRae does a good Harrison Ford and Vince Vaughn, though. Don't know that I'd love it for an hour, but it's different. Most impressions are, in a way, dated because the voices have to be easily recognizable – Shatner, DeNiro, Pacino, Walken, etc. Not a lot of celeb voices are that distinct, so the same ones keep getting recycled. MacRae does a good Harrison Ford and Vince Vaughn, though. Don’t know that I’d love it for an hour, but it’s different.

]]> By: Patrick AKA Smiley http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5080 Patrick AKA Smiley Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:57:54 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5080 I think that Bush impression works because its so bad. Bush has become such a caricature over the years that he actually seems like that. I think the same thing happened when Nixon was in office. I think that Bush impression works because its so bad. Bush has become such a caricature over the years that he actually seems like that. I think the same thing happened when Nixon was in office.

]]> By: Ricardo Lewis http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5079 Ricardo Lewis Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:56:57 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5079 My most hated impressions are the usual overdone hack ones , always prefaced with a "Can you imagine if (fill in celebrity's name) did something you wouldn't normally expect them to do?" device. I though Dennis Miller nailed this brilliantly in the below clip: [url]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoKKldS6QI[/url] . . My most hated impressions are the usual overdone hack ones , always prefaced with a “Can you imagine if (fill in celebrity’s name) did something you wouldn’t normally expect them to do?” device.

I though Dennis Miller nailed this brilliantly in the below clip:

[url]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoKKldS6QI[/url]

.

.

]]> By: Ricardo Lewis http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5078 Ricardo Lewis Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:56:03 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5078 My most hated impressions are the usual overdone hack ones , always prefaced with a "Can you imagine if (fill in celebrity's name) did something you wouldn't normally expect them to do?" device. I though Dennis Miller nailed this brilliantly in the below clip: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoKKldS6QI . . My most hated impressions are the usual overdone hack ones , always prefaced with a “Can you imagine if (fill in celebrity’s name) did something you wouldn’t normally expect them to do?” device.

I though Dennis Miller nailed this brilliantly in the below clip:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoKKldS6QI

.

.

]]> By: Ricardo Lewis http://behindthebricks.com/comedy-from-the-death-bed/comment-page-1#comment-5077 Ricardo Lewis Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:53:57 +0000 http://behindthebricks.com/?p=166#comment-5077 My most hated impressions are the usual overdone hack ones , always prefaced with a "Can you imagine if (fill in celebrity's name) did something you wouldn't normally expect them to do?" device. I though Dennis Miller nailed this brilliantly in the below clip: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoKKldS6QI . My most hated impressions are the usual overdone hack ones , always prefaced with a “Can you imagine if (fill in celebrity’s name) did something you wouldn’t normally expect them to do?” device.

I though Dennis Miller nailed this brilliantly in the below clip:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoKKldS6QI

.

]]>