Chase, Becca, and I saw a Saturday night Stand Up Comedy show at the Glee Club in Oxford. Although I would not associate the word “glee” with the experience, the show was funny and well worth my time. The show tonight consisted of one MC/comedian and four stand up comedians. Each comedian brought something different to the table and, while some were funnier than others, their styles of comedy balanced each other well and helped to compose an altogether enjoyable show. Common themes throughout the show were cultural differences, sex, relationships, and most of all, self-deprecating humor. In the following artist statement, I will briefly categorize each comedian’s performance style and then discuss how the performances of each contributed to common themes and the genre of comedy as a whole.
Each comedian had a different comedy-delivery-style. The Australian MC primarily used self-deprecating, cultural humor to connect with the audience. Although he started off in friendly control of the audience, as the show went on the crowd got more rowdy, he attempted to play an authority figure so much that he was less likeable by the end. John Hastings, the second comedian, delivered his jokes as though he was sharing a story with a group of friends and helped us to be “in on the joke.” His performance was the most appealing to me because it made me feel like I was a positive part of his comedic process. Jerry Howe, the third comedian, was the joke of his own act. He hilariously played off his own awkward persona to get laughs, but probably would not have been funny for much longer than his allotted ten minutes. Steve Shanyaski, the third comedian, was my least favorite of the group, despite that the crowd seemed to love him. Unlike the other comedians in the show, his comedy was “hammy,” in the sense that he was saying, “Look, I’m telling a funny joke,” rather than using subtle, more thoughtful humor like the others did. Finally, the last performer, Carey Marx stole the show with his direct, crass, and boundary crossing humor that openly pushed us as audience members to the edge our comfort zones. His act was like one big crescendo, with few laughs at the start, but howling laughter by the end.
Each comedian’s act contained some extent of cultural differences, sex, relationships, and most of all, self-deprecating humor. While “cultural differences” primarily refers to nationality (Australian - MC, Canadian - John Hastings), it also more generally refers to people of different backgrounds and belief, including where someone lives in the UK, gender, and religion. Therefore, this idea of “cultural differences” is broadly sweeping, but underscores the idea that comedy is largely based upon how people differ and disagree. It seems that we use humor to help us make sense of, or at the least make light of, these differences, which we may not always understand. Sex and relationships generally fit into the same category, but they differ in that “relationships” can also be platonic. The audience seemed to find more laughter in the platonic relationships to which we can all relate than the relatively obscure sex jokes. This reaction may have to do with the specific Oxford audience, but likely also stems from the fact that we enjoy that comedy helps us to laugh at the seemingly mundane aspects of our own lives. The popular use of self-deprecating humor also seems to stem form the idea that we audience members like the excuse to laugh at ourselves. We as people have a programmed aversion to embarrassment, so I propose that the comedians realize that once they make fools of themselves, we audience members feel like we have permission to laugh at our own foolishness. As a result, making fun of ourselves is a large part of the whole comedic experience.
In analyzing the themes of the comedy show, in particular the idea that we enjoy laughing at ourselves, I find myself analyzing my perception of comedy as a whole art form. Comedy seems to be society’s way of saying, “it’s okay” to every scenario. “It’s okay,” as long as you can laugh about it. “It” could be anything from the fleeting moments (tripping on your own shoelace, sitting in wet paint, failing an exam) to the life changing moments (politics, marriage, death, war, etc.). For example, I will never forget the first episode of Saturday Night Live after September 11th during which Mayor Giuliani stood on stage with members of the New York Fire Department and essentially said to New York City and the rest of the country, “It’s okay. You can laugh again.” Comedy helps people to find perspective and simply move on to the next joke in both the mundane and the extraordinary. Laughter really is the best medicine.
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