Comedy and Gender

I had yet another conversation about comedy yesterday. Once people find out you’ve done comedy they ask you a lot of the same questions, who do you like, what kind of comedy do you do, it's hard for "female comics" etc, etc. So, here’s what I’ve gathered from my experiences in comedy. I think more than race, comedy is divided along gender lines. I think that men are allowed (by the audience, which, in essence, is a small cross-section of society) to be righteously angry onstage. I have personally seen it time and again. If a woman expresses her comedy in that same exact way, the audience will not allow it. The audience tightens up every time. A woman has to use bitter sarcasm to get the same point across. My understanding is that men have to listen to their wives and therefore don’t want to hear a woman “bitch”. (The man can “bitch”, and I think that’s allowed because the men see themselves in the male comic). I’m not saying it’s right, I personally disagree with it, but I think that’s the way it is. In addition, there is the “female comic” vs. “comic” distinction. Many times in my travels, I would hear, “Oh, she’s a female comic.” (always in a denigrating way). A woman earns the dreaded ‘female comic’ label when she does material on the following subjects: dating, weight, food. Never mind that a young male does these typical subjects: loser, smoke pot, loser. That does not label him a ‘male comic’. In an effort to avoid the “female comic” label, I never did comedy on those subjects. And so, what happens is, you deny your experience, which is totally at odds with what comedy is about—your experience. I understand this is just another example of androcentrism, but for those who may not be aware of it, i.e. think that comedy is such a free form of expression, it is not. A comedian who goes onstage enters into a relationship with the audience. That relationship is judged second by second, punchline by punchline. In order for an audience to be entertained by the comedian, they must first "buy in" to the comedian/material. In order to "buy in" to a a comedian, or to buy into a joke for that matter, the audience must inherently agree to the truth of that comedian/material. And therein lies the dilemma. Men and women have different truths. But truth in our society is a narrowly defined constant, and therefore excludes a wider breadth of experience.

Learning Piano

Well, in an effort to improve my rhythm (just look at my picture if you’re wondering why it’s a challenge for me…) I went to YouTube searching for piano teachers. I'd like to mention two: shawncheekeasy and Tom Willett (no relation). Shawn's channel is strictly piano and is the more complete of the two, but Tom does a great job if you have rhythm issues (like me). So, even though I'm a von Frankenstein in many ways right now, these guys give me hope!

Artistic Funk

I’m really struggling with some artistic funk now. I’ve had it before and I’ve been able to shake it, but I seem to be really plagued by the “I’m-going-to-get-slammed-for-this” feeling. I am really stretching myself writing a musical. To boot, it’s on a national issue. And it’s particularly stupid to be thinking this way because I have already been through the burn process on the mic. I have been developing it on the mic long enough know that the material has teeth (based on the feedback I’ve gotten from the audience). I also know I won’t put out something that hasn’t been tested and honed. In addition, I continue to keep working on piano and (fear of all fears) singing. But, man, I’ve been really plagued by this funk.

Artistic Leaps

Well, I began teaching myself music about a year ago, and I thought my head was going to split open. And, yes, I apologize to the people who I put through my early songs. Thank you. But because I have been so busy with the business end of things, I had taken a couple of months (I feel I should have a possessive here) breather from working on music, and I just started getting back into it, and it’s really amazing how you can actively work on a skill, not seemingly get anywhere, and yet when you come back to it, you grow by leaps and bounds. It’s almost as if although your conscious is not working on it, your subconscious is. There are various chordings that suddenly my hands were able to do, and I had been desperate to get these skills for months. So, what I’d like to know is…who else has taken the ‘vacation’, then come back and was pleasantly surprised?

Choosing Your Subject Matter

I had a conversation with a storyteller this weekend about what you choose to write about. My feeling is that your life is the best subject matter. And I think it is a very difficult step for a writer to take. I know it was for me: I had reservations as to whether my experience was valid enough; and how would the subject matter affect those closest to me. But I feel that having written material where the seeds are from your own life has been the most rewarding. My experience has been that audiences can sense when you are not coming from that place. And it’s such a surprise when so many connect with your individual experience. So, writers out there…what are your thoughts about writing ‘what you know’? Have you written from a place that is not your experience at all? How has that fared?

Booking Conferences

Haven’t written in awhile because I was getting ready for a booking conference. Don’t think I’ll be going again next year. When I started doing the conferences everything was contained in the hotel, and the showcasing was packed. Now, however, the protocol seems to have shifted; the big players spring for dinner and a (their) show for the presenters….ergo, no people to view the showcasing at the hotel. Wondering if anyone else out there has done conferences and what’s their take on them, i.e., have you had success/failure; how do you view the atmosphere; is this a worthwhile expenditure of time for the solo artist? Love to hear your thoughts…