Anything about the theory or mechanics of comedy always piques my interest, so thank you for posting. It has made me wonder a few things.
I’ve never heard the term “Loop” with reference to live comedy before, but it seems like some performers intentionally cultivate loops. I’ve read that part of Norm McDonald’s act involved him holding an unlit cigarette, and just before lighting it he would appear to remember something and continue on a tangent. Repeating this many times throughout the show—never mentioning it. While former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was known to wildly gesticulate with a cup in his hand—never seeming to spilling it. What would be the reasoning behind opening artificial loops rather than closing natural ones?
I’ve also read that Steve Martin would do a “magic trick” where he announce that a dove would come out of a glove—he throws the glove on the floor—no dove. Then carries on. Ignoring it. I’m not sure if that counts as a “loop” or not, since it’s more of a contained gag.
I’m sort of shocked at how there seems to be absolutely no theme to how successful stand-up comedians work.
I’m confused by the use of the term ‘work’. Are you talking about the actual process of creating material, or how they make a living, or both? Because, how do starting out comics make a living and build their careers? How do those who make up material on stage, quite simply, get enough time on stage? Is it always paying – if not – how do they do it?
I never understood how someone like Gilbert Gottfried, the esoteric, Comedian’s Comedian could make a career for himself. I know he worked day jobs as an usher, and he certainly was much more the do-it-on-stage type than a sit down and write pages type. Nevertheless, how did he support himself? And how do comedians nowadays balance the need to find time to write, and work, and get on stage?
People have different senses of humor
I’m trying to reconcile your observations about this and your observation in point 2 about how people don’t seem to evaluate a joke and laugh, but more respond to the amount of laughter in the room. Is laughter in fact not indelibly tied into humor? I think the power of laugh tracks, claquesand the like iswell attested, sure. How powerful is it—do people tend to laugh at things that they personally don’t find funny? if the room is so raucous, the audience so high energy—they just vibe off that?
Or if a comic, or a show, is just not a person’s style of humor. Will they remain stone faced no matter what the energy is in the room?
Anything about the theory or mechanics of comedy always piques my interest, so thank you for posting. It has made me wonder a few things.
I’ve never heard the term “Loop” with reference to live comedy before, but it seems like some performers intentionally cultivate loops. I’ve read that part of Norm McDonald’s act involved him holding an unlit cigarette, and just before lighting it he would appear to remember something and continue on a tangent. Repeating this many times throughout the show—never mentioning it. While former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was known to wildly gesticulate with a cup in his hand—never seeming to spilling it. What would be the reasoning behind opening artificial loops rather than closing natural ones?
I’ve also read that Steve Martin would do a “magic trick” where he announce that a dove would come out of a glove—he throws the glove on the floor—no dove. Then carries on. Ignoring it. I’m not sure if that counts as a “loop” or not, since it’s more of a contained gag.
I’m confused by the use of the term ‘work’. Are you talking about the actual process of creating material, or how they make a living, or both? Because, how do starting out comics make a living and build their careers? How do those who make up material on stage, quite simply, get enough time on stage? Is it always paying – if not – how do they do it?
I never understood how someone like Gilbert Gottfried, the esoteric, Comedian’s Comedian could make a career for himself. I know he worked day jobs as an usher, and he certainly was much more the do-it-on-stage type than a sit down and write pages type. Nevertheless, how did he support himself? And how do comedians nowadays balance the need to find time to write, and work, and get on stage?
I’m trying to reconcile your observations about this and your observation in point 2 about how people don’t seem to evaluate a joke and laugh, but more respond to the amount of laughter in the room. Is laughter in fact not indelibly tied into humor? I think the power of laugh tracks, claques and the like is well attested, sure. How powerful is it—do people tend to laugh at things that they personally don’t find funny? if the room is so raucous, the audience so high energy—they just vibe off that?
Or if a comic, or a show, is just not a person’s style of humor. Will they remain stone faced no matter what the energy is in the room?