Comedy Stuff

I’m not normally a jealous person. I just can’t help liking what other people have, sometimes. Living amidst some of the wealthiest, most influential, and most famous people in the world has a way of doing that to you. So while everyone around you is getting promotions, making money, winning awards, getting published, or meeting the only celebrity you’ve actually ever admired, like, a whole heaping, freakin’ LOT, what else can you do but laugh away all that green envy? I mean, other than sink into a pitiful depression because of it. By cramming two great comedy shows into two weeks maybe I’ll forget for a few hours how goddam hard life is and I can forget wondering why it always seems like everyone ELSE gets all the rewards and glitz and prestige and love and success.

I’ve become a bit more familiar with UK comedians. Exposure to UK shows over the past year introduced me to a whole new kind of comedy, really. Compared to Tosh.O and Southpark and Brian Reagan and The Big Bang Theory – the only American comedy/comedians I actually like/pay attention to – British comedy is much drier, sarcastic and focused on stereotypes. Which often means that until you’ve lived here long enough to understand the culture and stereotypes to some degree you just flat out won’t get it. Or worse, everything they say will come out in such a fast, heavy accent you won’t even pick up a word of English. And they say Americans ruined “English” as a language. There are definitely some people on this side of the ocean who butcher it, too. And so you're trying to make out what they're saying by reading lips and facial expressions, which is near impossible when you're sitting 70 feet away in a giant, dark theater. But once you get past the content and the language barriers you can definitely find a few stand ups who will make you pee yourself laughing.

Personally, I really like the people they have on QI, the show hosted by Stephen Fry, ‘Quite Interesting’, because they’re all so damn smart. Well, smart AND witty and clever. Some people get all the gifts. And then there’s people like me who can’t make anyone laugh unless it’s accidental.

So to get to the point, I’ve been to quite a few comedy shows as well. Stand up acts made for TV, for shows, for charity, and just for fun.  Most recently, as in last night, I saw Russel Kane, a mad scientist-looking guy not much older than me from Essex. He was very good at acting gay – twirling and dancing around the stage and using a really stereotypical gay voice – and had more energy than a 5 year old injected with speed. But wild as he was, he was pretty darn funny; observational humor about raising kids. Apparently, it was a new show with fresh content for this tour, but here's a sample of his stuff from another tour:

Before that, moths ago actually, back in the spring, I went to a 3 hour comedy show at The Comedy Store near Piccadilly Circus where there were filming maybe 2-dozen stand up acts that would eventually be aired separately on Comedy Central. In that instance, we were first in line to get in and got front row seats, almost dead center. Inevitably, they heckled us and singled me out as an American but I thought it was a hoot. People here seem to worry about being singled out in the crowd but I like it! I’d be more terrified to be on stage, quite frankly. This guy was my favorite act and he picked on us really badly. Unfortunately, in my opinion, they cut that bit in the final edits. But you can still see me in the audience!

The one before that was for charity, raising money to support disadvantaged people in sport – kids, handicapped people, etc – by having athletes (coached by real comedians) do the stand-up acts. Now how terrifying would that be? To NOT be a comedian by trade and then to have to try to make people laugh? But their “comedy coaches” warmed up the audience first and then the athletes came on and they did pretty well, to be fair. They showed clips of them learning to be funny and about what makes a good act before they actually got on stage. The program was called Stand Up for Sport Relief.And the same guy in the vid above was an opening act at this show, too:

Next week I’m going to see Frankie Boyle at the Apollo and from what I hear he’s one of the best and most loved comedians in the UK. He’s a really harsh comic and they say you shouldn’t go to his shows if you’re easily offended. But really, if you can’t watch comedy without being offended you probably just not leave your house. Ever.