The College Professor Is In
January 10, 2008 · Print This Article
Lets face it, if you’re looking to make a living as a stand up comics, the odds are against you. Clubs are closing all over the country, so more and more comics are relying on those fat pocketed institutions of higher learning, the college circuit. Professional comic Jay Black stops by the show to discuss how to break into this competitive world, the challenges of working the lunch room, and why stage time and money can sometimes cost you your soul.
Other topics include the battle of the performing arts, Dane Cook holds an audience hostage, the battle of the nerd comics, bombing in front of your family, and why you should never negotiate with kidnappers. Look ma, I can shit without taking off my underwear!
Email: brianmcomedy@gmail.com and give us a call on 206-203-4692
What? You title an episode “The College Professor is In” and the only college professor who listens to your podcast isn’t on the show?
Man, talk about false advertising.
Still, it was an entertaining show, even without my ignominiously intellectual presence.
Actually, Grammar Nazi, I was listening back to the MySportsRadio interview Brian did with you and I was really interested in the humor class.
Do you still teach it? Now, I obviously can’t enroll in another college halfway across the country, but does the class use a reference I could take a look at?
Brian! WTF!? No love for Groucho? Seriously disappointed. Don’t know if I mentioned it before or not but I have had dealings with NACA and I do creative (print, web & multimedia) work for a guy who made a name for himself in the college circuit.
Charles,
I do still teach the class. I’ll post some of my reference material information when I get back to campus next week. Man, I wish classes weren’t about to restart. I enjoy these long breaks as much as my students.
Charles,
Here are the two required textbooks I use in the class. I give the students a great deal of freedom in choosing some of their own texts, because I consider humor to be so subjective. But I require them all to read these.
• Paulos, John Allen. “Mathematics and Humor.” The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1980.
• Klein, Allen. “The Healing Power of Humor: Techniques for Getting Through Loss, Setbacks, Upsets, Disappointments, Difficulties, Trials, Tribulations and All That Not-So-Funny Stuff.” Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, Penguin Putnam Inc., New York, 1989.
The course is actually an interdisciplinary course, so I cover not just humor and what it is, but its physiological and psychological impact on the human body as well.
Haha, you are were talking about comedians who are bitter, talk about bitter blogging. Your Canadian comedian here. I have a question, what do you think about ethic comedy, in the sense using only their wacky ethic voices for a laugh all the time. Like Dat Phan for example. It’s like a joke a did about ” I wish I was a different race, that way I wouldn’t have to write an act, just talk about how funny my dad sounds when he tells me to take out the garbage”. Its like saying fuck 20 times in a 5 minute open mic night which I have seen to try to force a laugh, Just your thoughts Brian, Love your show.
Grammar– Thanks! I’ll put those books on my “to buy” list. You’re already one of my favorite professors ever. Not because you teach a humor class, because on Amazon.com, both your books are roundabouts $15. Books for the class ring up at a grand total of like $32–game on.
Now, while I’ve never taken the class, I’m double majoring in History and Secondary Ed. And it seems as though a class that explores the physiological and psychological impact of humor should be a requirement–or at least an elective–for a teaching degree.
They’re always telling us to “make the lesson fun for the students.” And, while a stand-up comedy routine would be inappropriate for a high school classroom, it can’t hurt to add humor to a lesson.
Excellent interview, Jay. As one of those college kids who go to NACA, it’s always interesting to hear the story from both angles.
~Charles
Brian , I got an idea for a show in the future. a list of the most underrated people in comedy. If you do it, please include Jake Johannsen, who i’ll hopefully be seein perfom in a cople weeks.
Damn Charles. You’re talking about Grammar Nazi being your favorite professor right in front of your ex teacher Jay? Awkward.
I was listening to the show this morning on the way to work and when Brian was telling the joke about the porn shop i must have misunderstood because when the first lady came into the shop I thought she had come into a ‘pawn’ shop. Then she asked to buy a dildo and it just seemed so goddamn wrong to buy a dildo from a pawn shop hehehe
Hey guys,
Really enjoyed the interview…a great start to the New Year. The whole college thing is really interesting to me….it doesn’t really happen in the UK.
It’s been mentioned before but could I give a shout out to a weblog by Rob Paravonian who put up 5 mins vids of him on different aspects of him doing comedy including New DIY, music and yes the college scene where he presents a showcase and has to whore himself out to college kids at a booth…….check it out
http://lifeasacomic.com/
you can also subscribe on itunes,
Don’t worry Bmo, you’re still my numero uno comedy podcast.
Nick
That was a great interview you did Brian!!
Hey Jay Black, have you ever done any colleges in Canada. That seems like a great way to get started and I was wondering if you plan on a tour north of the border?
yeah charles, I totally agree about adding some humor into lesson plans. I’m a secondary ed/english double major and the number of times I’ve rocked a mock lesson because of “stage presence” and humor…
It’d be interesting having a ‘School of Rock’ for humor. Everyone has a fun time in class, but drug usage increases 1000%.
Grammar: There are two college prof fans here. I teach comp/lit. I have this idea of getting comics who are or have been teachers on a college tour. But after hearing the interview (which was great, Brian), I’m not so sure. Squeaky clean nooners? Not my idea of a good time. Hats off to Jay.
Hi folks,
Brian and Jay, thanks for an outstanding conversation. It was insightful and really entertaining, and it’s an area of the comedy world I knew nothing about. I look forward to your next appearance, Jay!
The one question I have for you is about these College “nooners”, Jay. I know you mentioned that schools put these shows on at noon because that’s when the student body is there. But why do you think these Colleges and Universities bother to put on shows–any type of show, let alone one featuring comedians–in the middle of the day in the first place? Your description of your hell gig was so vivid, I can’t imagine that any type of show would’ve gone over well with that crowd. So what do you think the school organizers think they’re doing for students by having shows while they’re eating their lunch?
And do you have any idea why these morons wouldn’t have someone introduce you in the cafeteria?
Plus, I would think if a school was going to go the trouble to find a comedian like you and pay for you to come in, you’d think that they’d go the extra step and advertise the show!
Jay, the way you described the lack of a good stage set-up when you arrive and that hell gig story about being asked to go 2 hours dovetailed nicely into the discussion about which is more difficult, stand-up or acting.
I think one of the big differences between acting and stand-up is that most people know what’s involved with acting, but have no friggin’ idea what it is to be a comedian. The fact that someone would just expect you to go 2 hours without knowing what a challenge that is for most comedians–save for the egotistical Dane Cook–bothers me. I mean, no one would ask actors in a play to simply “keep going”.
We talked about acting versus stand-up, but another comparison can be made between rock bands and stand-up. When a band runs out of its own material, it can turn to cover tunes, doing other people’s hits, and no one would complain about that. But you’d be amazed at the number of “civilians” I’ve talked to, who don’t realize that you can’t simply do “cover comedy”, that is, do other people’s bits.
Anyway, as I say, great show.
By the way Brian, when do you become a 9 year comedy vet and a 29 year comedy fan?
Thanks.
- Don in Nova Scotia
hey guys — i’m actually writing this from the student center at lovely adrian college in adrian, michigan. this was one of the good shows — we were in a nice theater with kick ass kids and a nice turnout. kudos to adrian!
don– to answer both your questions:
1) i’ve never done comedy in canada. i’d love to do some colleges up there, but to be honest with you, i’m not sure if they’re a part of a naca or apca type organization. it’s a good question and one that i’ll be talking to my agent about in the morning
2) as for the nooners… i think that every school has an “activities budget” and that community colleges want to bring activities to their schools just like anybody else. sure, a giant state school with a $1 million entertainment budget (and those schools do exist) is able to put on a hell of a shinding in a great looking theater, but they don’t have any more “right” to having fun than the schools that have a very little budget.
community colleges make do with what they have and even though it kind of sucks as a comic, for all the 200 kids that don’t care about the show, there’s ten that do and hey, i guess they paid their tuition like everyone else…
3) why don’t people introduce you? because it’s scary as hell to get up in front of people. it’s twice as scary to get up in front of a noon crowd of kids who could _give_ a shit about the show
4) they don’t advertise because it’s the same everywhere you go: kids are lazy. there are some places (like tonight) where there are signs everywhere and a good chunk of the population come out. i’ve been to schools where, LITERALLY no one came. not a single poster or advertisement was put out. seriously, i sat at a dinner table with the activities committee from the school and “hung out” for the length of my contract.
stand-up is unique in the sense that it’s the only job i’ve ever had where i’m pissed when i don’t get to actually go to work. i used to pray for snow days… not anymore
Dan:
i’d be more than happy to jump onto that tour if you get it going
i’ll bootcamp the rest of you into dealing with nooners.
(here’s the secret: don’t use the mike. get up, introduce yourself, tell everyone that there’s going to be a show and that if they’re interested, please move to the front of the cafe. then, put the mike down and talk to the people that moved forward. if you get them laughing — and it should be easier because they MOVED to see the show — the rest of the audience starts to become interested. by the time you’re done the hour, you can actually get a good chunk of them to come to the “comedy area”. i find this method works for all shows in which a portion of the audience is interested and a portion could give a shit. why try to talk over a table that doesn’t want to be there? better to go quiet and make the rest of the room wonder what they’re missing.)
Nick:
i’ve seen those paravonian videos; they’re great. rob is a fixture on the circuit and a really funny guy!
Charles: seriously, I agree with Brian on this. how DARE you talk to another teacher _right in front of me_. this is treachery of the highest order — and after i brought you to open this week at the cancer benefit….
(which, by the way, young charles _killed at_. nice show, my friend).
(i just noticed that i wrote “to answer both your questions” then had four sub-categories. that’s why i wasn’t a math teacher.)
Thanks to Don for the great questions and Jay for the amazing answers. I felt like I was back in college reading a dissertation, but one that I was actually interested in for a change.
To answer your question Don, I’ll celebrate 9 years in stand up next month. Coincidentally it’s around the same time the baby will be born, so every February I can celebrate the birth and death of my comedy career at the same time.
The Jay Black interview was brilliant .I’ve listened to it 4 times so far - the guy is so insightful and articulate. Love his voice too ! At times he sounds uncannily like Alan Alda off M*A*S*H* !
Hey B-Mo and Jay, great interview! If you’re ever in Iowa, let me know; I’d love to see a show of yours! And if you ever had room on the bill, I’d be honored to take up the offer to do 5 mins. of free stuff in front of a college crowd.
Also Jay: you talked about how doing college shows “took the edge off.” I know what you meant, but does it make it nearly impossible for you to come up with really edgy material, or does it just temper your on-stage demeanor and new club material? Thanks a whole lot, the interview answered a ton of questions I had about the college circuit.
Sorry I didn’t have the show topic ready last week, but for you faithful that check the boards regularly, feel free to get in on next week’s discussion topic.
The notion of the starving artist. Due you feel that to truly be successful in comedy (or any art form) that you have to throw caution to the wind and immerse yourself in the life, or is it possible to work a full time job and still effectively work your way toward your dream?
Holy Shiite Batman! I got selected to be a part of the podcast. I’d hang it up on my mom’s refridgerator, but my hand turkey drawing of Clarence Thomas I did in Kindergarten is occupying most of the space.
Thanks again Brian for featuring my stuff. To clarify, its not that I have never wanted to post to the message boards, one day I just asked myself why I wasnt participating when I had been listening for so long.
So here I am. To tell you guys about myself, my name is Aman Ali and I just moved out here to New York City for standup. Been doing comedy for about 3 years now.
Definitely look forward to joining the convos in the future.
And Brian, is it possible to play the R. Kelly “Trapped in the closet” instrumental in the background while you read the GQ Magazine jokes, to heighten the suspense? Just dont pee on anyone when you do it.
Canadian Comedian Alfred Matthew Caulier
I believe, the key to be a successful comedian, is you got to work. Work anytime you can, where ever, no matter how great or how shitty the place.
You need to immerse your in the life, as much as you can, but still be able to pay the rent and eat.
I work from home, so when I am not on a call. I am listening to the recordings of my act that night, and I sit back, what did they like what they didn’t, but keeping it true to me. That is what I believe it takes to be big is, your own point of view on life, that is beyond what other people are even thinking. The key is work any time you can, so that you can see what works for you and your fans. Once you start making a living. Fuck work.
AMC thanks
I definitely believe that to succeed in stand-up you need to immerse yourself in the life. I believe this, because I did the exact opposite. After finishing college four years ago, I got a grown-up job, and just dipped in to stand-up every now and then, whenever my local clubs would have me on, maybe once or twice a month. While in college I only averaged 5 spots a month, basically every spot that the public transport network of Ireland would bring me to, it was still something worthwhile and I felt my “star” was on the rise. After I got my grown-up job it wasn’t long until I noticed that the quality of my act diminished, and that on a night when everybody else was getting a good laugh I was bombing. If practice makes perfect, lack of practice makes mediocre. After two years of this, I just decided to call it quits, I wasn’t getting the joy out of stand-up like I used to.
Recently I have started doing open mikes again, the fire of my ambition was never completely extinguished. After an absence of more than two years from the circuit, it has almost been like starting over again. The momentum I had built up has all been wiped out, and so many more acts (or varying qualities) have started up since I quit, that I find it very difficult to get open spots. What really bugs me though is that there are plenty of folks than whom I knew I was a better comedian, or at least their equal, but they stuck to it while I went all grown-up. Those guys now are very talented acts, and while they may not be the next big thing they are light years ahead of me. Meanwhile I am sitting in the office, listening to Behind the Bricks and wondering what might have been?
So my advice (to myself aswell as others) is to just give it a serious go. Wait until you are confident in performing and have a good 20, and then put the grown up job on hold. Immerse yourself in the world of stand-up, and have no regrets. It’s possible to live on the breadline for a year or so, eat into those savings. Half of my colleagues are taking a gap year to travel “the world”* anyway what difference would it make to just take the gap year by staying at home and immersing oneself in stand-up.
As for myself, I have three spots booked this month, and I am working on getting a few more. Not quite at the stage of quitting the day job yet, but give me time.
* for “the world” read Australia, why the bloody hell is it so popular? Maybe it is just as far away from your office that you can get? I’d love to go myself, but I think that it is only a temporary thing, after the year you still have to get back to work. Stand-up has the potential to be a career change!
Regards,
Brian C
AMC here. I agree with Brian C. You need to get your ass out and work on your material, and be a student of. If you can’t get stage time, find a place, find someone to listen to you.
Story Time: when I couldn’t get on stage time, I used to find homeless people to preform my material and pay them money to listen to my jokes. Even to make one guy out of luck laughing, made me feel like a king. (king of the alley way but king non the less.
or I would go into walmart and do jokes for the cashier while she was while she was wanting for the money, I’d through out a one line or a quicky. Sometime they laugh other times its, buy your product juice face.
If you love comedy nothing is going to stop you, except death.
AMC Thanks
You gotta step off first base if you wanna get to second; that said, I wouldn’t want to do it unless I was really prepared. Having 18-24 months of savings at my disposal so that I can give it my 110% seems like a prerequisite. Doing some networking so I can get that work and a solid act I’m comfortable with also seem like givens. That being said, I’ve never been on stage and could be making all this up.
Although, I don’t know if I could try it professionally- I live by Murphy’s Law and have seen how rough some of my parent’s periods of unemployment can be. We’ll see where life takes me though…
Canadian Comedian. Alfred Matthew Caulier. Unemployment sucks, but so is not doing something you want to do. The best way to network is go down to a comedy club and meet the emcee, check the environment of the club.
It’s hard to have a solid act, because the crowd changes daily. I like the Bill Cosby quote ” the only mistake you can make in comedy is trying to please everyone”. Which is true, because someone out there is going to be anti-you. You just got to work, and edit your work, to you feel its solid.
I love comedy to death, and when I die I hope a laugh track is playing.
AMC , thanks
Interesting takes. Keep in mind, I’m not saying you take a job and ignore stand up, I’m just saying you have to work twice as hard. I literally know “artists” who say anything that distracts you from your art is unacceptable. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of sleeping inside.
I’ve always felt that my day jobs are what keep me sane. I intend to keep the promise I made to myself that I’d continue to work at normal jobs even if I don’t need the money just to keep yourself around ‘normal’ people. I was unemployed for most of 2006 and 07 just doing comedy and acting and it made me kind of weird.
I’m not saying everyone is like me, but I thrive on my ability to assimilate to people and I lost a lot of that from only hanging out with ‘artists’ and industry scum.
Kinda like a prison guard without a hobby, I would imagine…Eventually I’d lose my mind.
But I would like the feeling of knowing that my art has earned me a nest egg. A little appreciation is always good.
Sina.
hello, thought that i’d finally take the plunge and introduce myself and compliment ryan on how totally awesome the show is! i got here by way of stand-up orlando so i’m a fairly new listener, but have been working my way through the back catalogue. i’ve got a fun two-faceted relationship with standup that seemed relevant to lots of the comments on this thread.
first, i finally started doing standup about a year ago (i’m an open-micer for sure) after a childhood filled with old carlin, pryor, and williams videos. i’ve been having a blast, and this podcast is certainly helpful.
second, i’m a Ph.D student in political theory at UBC in Vancouver, British Columbia. recently i’ve been focusing a lot of my research on standup, looking at some of its political aspects (is there “revolutionary” potential? what type of “racialized” narratives are at play? yada yada yada honk honk honk). its a different side of comedy for sure, but i’m a bit of a theory geek so its fun to look at the theory behind the practice.
anyway, i’ll probably fade back into the shadows now — just saw a relevant time to jump in…
ddd
Hey AMC, here yet again.
I am kind of a little of the opposite, ( I need to get on stage a share with people to keep sane, I need that outlet and a acceptance from strangers laughing. Working and life sucks, and the people in the comedy club knew it sucks, that is why they are there.
If I can make them laugh and go home feeling great about getting away from reality, then That makes me sane . Laughter is a legal drug that is addictive, and I am dealer, so I got to make sure I always have the good shit, or people aren’t going to buy it.
AM Caulier Thanks
Another point of view I have heard time and time again from established acts, is that stand-up comedy is generally your take on experiences and interactions that you have in common with the audience. After a few years performing full-time, you have less interactions and experiences outside of the world of stand-up and can loose touch with the audience. So your few years of working with “normal” people should be treated as research!
I also don’t subscribe to the idea that you must devote everything to your art; I do enjoy having a bit of cash to spend on such luxuries as a bed to sleep in, and food to eat. However at some stage I know I am going to have to bite the bullet and give up the job if I want to give stand-up a serious go, and therefore will have to make do with a much lower standard of living for a while. I’ll make sure to have a bit of a savings buffer to cover nourishment and lodgings, but by following the dream I can’t really expect to still have my rugby season ticket the latest iPod every year.
I just found this Jim Jeffries guy on the web. I’m told he is filthy and this link pretty much verifies that. Of course I laughed my ass off, but I’m a sick monkey.
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/88260/detail/
I agree with Sina about day jobs keeping you sane. As long as you have a day job that’s super chill about you taking off work to do gigs, then by all means do it.
Plus, sometimes the job you work can provide you with tons of material. Look at someone like Dr. Ken, the guy from the Original Kims of Comedy tour and the movie Knocked Up. Not sure if he still practices medicine anymore, but all his stories about some of his really stupid patients are hilarious.
Hell, even look at Jay Black on the message boards here. I saw his standup stuff on Showtime’s show White Boyz in the Hood, and his stories about stupid students from his teaching days are hillarious.
Your day job can also lead to other standup opportunities down the road too. I work as a newspaper reporter in New York City, and when they found out that I did standup, they gave me opportunities to write humor columns, and that alone is slowly leading to me doing radio and TV commentary spots.
I get what you are saying AMC. You have to work out on stage. We know. Now what are you going to do with the other 23 hours? I have always been pro day job not only for financial reasons, but because I’ve worked with waaaaay to many guys who lose all motivation after a few years. At first everyone dedicates time to reading the paper, writing and riffing with other comics, but give it 5 years and that turns into sleeping until 4 then watching MASH reruns until the show starts. If you can truly make a great living at stand up, then you’re probably too busy to fall into this trap, but for the vast majority of us, a day job keeps us eating and provides motivation. That’s my view anyway.
Great show! One side comment that wigged me was that Jay ran a Comedy group in his high school? Like standup? That would be rad!
Also, thanks for putting me out there, Brian! I’m available for booking, but be warned, those are my only two jokes.
AMC, it’s hard work sometimes to have a job and be a comic because I work rotated shifts, so sometimes I miss a night of comedy, for a two weeks because I am on a 6 - 330 shift. I like going down with hungry eager comics like myself and watching them, and talking about how shitty the crowd was when they didn’t get his material, then going home back to work where your alone, helping some Russian boot-up his computer.
It’s great to see a different points a view on this subject, and how great it is to meet new comics, that all have different goals of where they want to be in their comic career, and I wish all comics good luck on one hell of a wacky adventure.
Thanks Brian,
AM Caulier
Also I am going to be putting up a new movie on my myspace page just for laughs, to view it just click on AMC, I am holding an orange.
hey i like how ddd call brian, ryan this should be werid to watch
I’m not gonna lie belly, I have no idea what you’re saying
That is a good point, you need a life, but make fun of life. I am for living. But when you go on the road you can’t book vacation days off from work to go. When you start doing comedy, a day job is great. Your making money, and your working at your material and the most important thing is your having fun, because to advance in your career your going to have to put a job on hold to work full time, once you get to that level, because with comedy comes more work like tv personality, writing on sketch shows, commercials work, that you can earn a living off of that comes with comedy. You just got to find your field of work,
thanks AMC
Keep in mind, those careers are the exception and not the norm. If you can make a living at comedy, I say do it. I did it for a long time, but I’m telling you, until you reach a certain level, your quality of life suffers. It’s all about choices. When I lived in NY and I had a full time job and worked the clubs 3 nights a week and hit up Jersey/Penn/Conn etc on the weekends, it felt a whole lot better than when I was 21 and sleeping in my car in between road gigs. I’m just sayin…
It’s really great to have a place to talk to other veteran and up-n-coming comedians.
I agree with you. Brian.
I am just saying in stand up comedy or anything your pursuing you got to look at what you feel is important, and make some hard sacrifices, you said you have a family now, how is that affecting your comedy career. Just Curious.
Off Topic:
What was the most amount of stand up shows you did a week?
If you want to talk about family, that’s a whole other animal. I have made the decision to get off the road because I don’t want to be one of those dads that tucks his kids in via cell phone from the green room of Yuk Yuks. But that has nothing to do with this week’s topic.
As for the most shows I’ve done in a week, I think I toped out at 17, but I knew guys in NY who could do well over 30 spots in a week.
I also heard that some comedians, when starting out take really shit jobs, to motivation them to be a better comedian and get them to where they want to be. I remember watching a interview of Dane Cook making pizza while he was pursing his career, and seinfeld, was selling illegal jewelry and selling light bulbs over the phone. You got to do what you got do to survive, but like you said, with everything with cost rising with gas prices and food, its good to have a few extra dollars in your pocket.
Thanks AMC
I also heard that some comedians, when starting out take really shit jobs, to motivate them to be a better comedian and get them to where they want to be. I remember watching an interview of Dane Cook making pizza while he was pursing his career, and Seinfeld, was selling illegal jewelry and selling light bulbs over the phone. You got to do what you got do to survive, but like you said, with everything with cost rising with gas prices and food, its good to have a few extra dollars in your pocket.
Thanks AMC
nobody dose most of the time but this here is what i was refering too
ddd
“hello, thought that i’d finally take the plunge and introduce myself and compliment ryan on how totally awesome the show is! ”
he called you ryan jw what the reation is
First of all I have to say that I LOVE this show! I am a San Diego comic, been in for about 4 years, love everything about stand-up, including the nuts and bolts, which makes this podcast perfect. I’ve only been listening a couple of months, and this thread is the perfect spot for me to join in on the community.
I started listening to the show because I went back to school to study graphic design and I have a lot of time online. I decided to start school again cause I want to make a living doing something I enjoy, and I’ve always loved being creative.
I was hoping that living could be provided solely by stand-up, but two years ago I met a girl, fell in love, we live together, I’m going to marry her someday, and a life on the road just doesn’t seem to fit into that picture. I do regret having never really tackled the road seriously, and I’m not really sure what my stand-up career will amount to. It’s really come down to day to day, gig to gig planning-negotiating between the desire to perform and not wanting to have my girlfriend mad at me at home alone, priorities, choices.
I still respect very highly the dedication quality stand-up requires, so I still try to perform at least 3 nights a week. I know I want to be performing stand-up in some capacity for many years to come, but I also know I want to have babies that don’t hate me. It is a fine line to walk, but I do the best I can.
I did not intend my first post to turn into a mini therapy session, but I am seriously delighted to be involved and look forward to interacting more often. Thank you so much Brian for a fantastic show and resource. Any input and advice is always much appreciated.
Thanks,
Tim Palmer
That’s a great first post Tim. It proves that behind all the bullshit we talk about on this show, comics are people with their own lives, and everything isn’t always cut and dry. Welcome.
I just finished the show, and because I’m a total douchebag (and a bit under the weather as you’ll hear) I forgot to mention that I will be on Stand Up Orlando #40, which should be out very soon. Thanks Ryan!
Hey guys. We’re running a bit behind this week. Should have the show up by tomorrow morning. Thanks!
See, this is what happens when you get a job and don’t devote all your time to comedy, tut tut.
ahhhh nuts i totally mean bryan but obviously missed a key, which just shows how much having a brother with a notoriously misspelled name can affect you! sorry Brian. great show nonetheless.
oh dont get him started on the that soapbox of spelling brian with a y
OK, three things to address:
Don, I’m glad I’m not the only college professor on here. I’d love to chat with you about how you incorporate humor into your lectures to keep your students interested. I try to do that with most every lecture I give, and I try really hard not to repeat myself, because many of my students double up in my classes.
bellysk8er2005, I don’t understand a damn thing you are saying. I sincerely hope English isn’t your first language, because if it is, you have flunked out of society, dude.
Finally, Brian and Tim Palmer make a great point. While I didn’t bail on an artistic career, I did leave a promising career as a sports journalist, because I was tired of never seeing my wife. Covering the NFL and MLB meant being on the road more than half the year. It was a tiring, exhausting grind. I made a decision to leave my first love, but at least keep a connection to it by teaching journalism.
Sometimes, you have to give up one thing to have another. Life can suck. But, B-Mo, I promise you the kid will make any sacrifices you make all worth it. Especially when he does something like my kid did in tae-kwon-do last night, which was deliver a head-kick so hard in sparring class that he knocked the other kid’s head gear clear across the room. You swell up with pride at moments like those!
Grammar-Nazi:
I think you have me and Don confused, unless Don is also a teacher, which would be great. And I should confess that I am not technically a professor, as I do not have a doctorate. I have an MFA. And while I am gainfully employed full-time at an accredited state institution, and my MFA was 60 hours, I am an “Instructor.” I like to think I instruct more than I profess (I save professing for the stage). The only chance I have of ever being called Professor is if I were to receive an honorary Ph.D. Maybe I could make Assistant Professor if I won The Booker Prize and slept with a NY editor or two. If Simon & Schuster published dick jokes, I’d be tenured.
hey, Jay, have you had someone tape a show for you yet?