Hey everyone! My name is Wyatt Feegrado, and I am a professional standup comedian based in New York City. I started standup comedy at 16 years old, and now at 23 I have released my first standup special! When I was young and on Reddit I always had burning questions about how to become a comedian or what it’s like in the industry, so I though people now would have the same kinds of questions!

If you want to check out my hour special you can do so here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5dYhA29lXl4

Anyways! I’d love to answer any questions you throw at me for next next couple hours! I’ll be starting at 9am PST! Here’s my proof it’s me: My Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/wyattfeegrado ASK ME ANYTHING

More Proof: https://imgur.com/a/h4QVDhg https://mobile.twitter.com/wyattfeegrado/status/1611764464654901249

Update: I’ll keep answering questions cuz I’m up.

Comments: 216 • Responses: 72  • Date: 

WHALEMAKER73 karma

What makes you so unique or important that you need to create an AMA for yourself?

Wyatt1710106 karma

Frankly, there is nothing too unique or important about me. I just know that just as I was a kid on Reddit 10 years ago who felt there was no infrastructure to answer young kids’ questions about becoming a comedian, I would have loved something like this. Especially from someone who is young in an industry overwhelming dominated by the middle aged.

When I was young I had no idea how to get started in standup, where to start writing, who to tell or not to tell. Just hoping to pay that back a bit.

WHALEMAKER29 karma

I like your answer. I shall look for your comedy special now. Take care.

Wyatt171013 karma

Thank you!

crankypizza1 karma

I really like your answer hear, I grew up in a small town as a kid and wish I had some guidance for pursuing art. I’ve put out a couple comics but a lot of my early experiences with people just not getting it or not having feedback had me feeling crazy. How do you stay motivated, and not focus on negative or neutral feedback?

Wyatt17103 karma

I think a huge part of comedy is learning to believe in yourself when no one else believes in you. That’s how it is most of the time in the early years, but that lesson will carry you a long way if you learn it

w4k48 karma

Fellow Wyatt here. How has your experience been growing up as a "Wyatt"?

Wyatt171050 karma

I’ve never met another Brown Wyatt in my life

w4k25 karma

The only other non-white Wyatt I know of is Wyatt Cenac.

Wyatt171011 karma

Yes true!

Metalhart0033 karma

How did you learn the business side of comedy (booking, how much to charge, taxes, etc.)? Do you have an agent or otherwise pay someone to help you with that?

Wyatt171042 karma

I learned it by making a painstaking amount of mistakes. Underselling myself and no reaching out to fill my calendar etc. Yes now I have representation for acting, writing, and standup.

Metalhart0011 karma

What was that process like? Getting repped I mean.

Wyatt171023 karma

So for acting, I must’ve emailed genuinely 300 different agencies about 2 years ago. (To make it faster I used a service called agentblasters)

For comedy, they happened to see my stuff online and reached out.

Metalhart0013 karma

Nice. Ok, last one. How do you respond when people ask what you do? How do people respond to you?

Wyatt171023 karma

At this point in my career I tell them straight up. They can Google me now so it’s not embarrassing.

For a lot of years I would just lie and say a different profession because it was a bit embarrassing! Even now I’ll do that if I really don’t want to have to have a long conversation with a stranger!

Puzzled_Banana_3089 karma

Do you have a go-to cover profession that you use, or do you improv a new one each time?

Wyatt171030 karma

Whichever I think will cause the conversation to be over the fastest

RoughTrain22 karma

Congrats! What’s the best way to deal with audiences members trying to interact with you on stage? Not heckling exactly but interrupting

Thank you!

Wyatt171040 karma

I try to always respond with kindness until they’re not kind. I think it’s wrong to be too mean to them unnecessarily.

britishplatypus22 karma

When was the point in your life you decided you wanted to be a stand up comedian in the future? What was it like being on stage for the first time?

Wyatt171035 karma

So I’m lucky in that even at a very young age i knew I wanted to be a comedian. Probably since 12 or so when I stumbled upon Dave Chappelle’s Killin Em Softly on YouTube and realized wow standup can be high art. After that, I posted jokes online (mostly Reddit, you can go way back in my post history for proof) to initially learn jokewriting, before starting at 16.

What I learn immediately in my first set is the fundamentals of jokewriting I learned online are NOT the same as the fundamentals of joke telling aloud and I really had to adjust and become as good a performer as I had become a writer!

darthjazzhands17 karma

I saw you replied that you’re in California right now. What are some of the best food / worst restaurant names you’ve seen out here so far?

When I worked in San Francisco the best Chinese restaurant didn’t have a sign out front, didn’t have the name of the restaurant on the menu, only on the receipt… and you’re right, it was some really bad business name like Happy Fun Food or something

Best wishes to you always

Wyatt171028 karma

Hahahaha do you ask because of my joke about the subject?

I was just in India and the worst I saw was “Popular Mutton Stand”

darthjazzhands13 karma

Yeah your joke had me sayin “True, true” LOL

Wyatt171013 karma

Thanks for watching!

A_Man_of_Culture_17 karma

Are hotdogs considered sandwiches?

Wyatt171054 karma

Goddamn it of course this is the first question. I would say it’s a sandwich in the same way a tomato is a vegetable. If you’re going to be so pedantic about the literal definition of sandwich or vegetable then yes, instead of asking the real question which is what function does this food serve culturally.

hughperman2 karma

What function DOES a hotdog serve culturally?

Wyatt17103 karma

Lemme answer tommorow…

TextileWasp12 karma

[deleted]

Wyatt171015 karma

I work out everyday just to have the quad strength to stand for an hour at a time

TextileWasp9 karma

[deleted]

Wyatt171011 karma

I cannot

Tarantula_Saurus_Rex8 karma

Where in NY do you perform? Love to check out a live show!

Wyatt171010 karma

Hey! So I’m on tour in California right now, I come back to NYC Jan 15th to open for one of my childhood heroes Sammy Obeid at the Chelsea Music Hall.

Here are the tickets: https://dice.fm/event/8xow5-sammy-obeid-friends-15th-jan-chelsea-music-hall-new-york-tickets?pid=ea5b2873&_branch_match_id=1022212877120366925&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fe2SDUwNk80SUkxs7QvyEyxTU00TTKyMDcGAMTWNDEuAAAA

If you want to see me do a full hour and you aren’t in California right now check out the special:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5dYhA29lXl4

Tarantula_Saurus_Rex4 karma

I'm down in the lower east side, Bowery area, 3 days a week, I know where Chelsea is and will definitely check out your show! Thanks for the link for tix and your special, will def watch this tonight! Thanks again and best of luck!

Wyatt17106 karma

Thank you so much!

Tarantula_Saurus_Rex1 karma

Loved your show! Watched your special and it's fantastic! Yeah, Jesus was white... from blood loss! lol that is hilarious! Great material here with all things "ethnically ambiguous" too, very thought provoking. Awesome set. You're so young too man, super interested to see where you are 10 years from now. Keep on!

Wyatt17102 karma

Thank you so much! I’d love if you could like/comment every little bit helps!

Tarantula_Saurus_Rex1 karma

Will do! Hey I have another question. As far as a bit goes, how do you gauge what to keep and what to discard? You have a joke about British and reparations that I think is brilliant, but a lot of people might not like a certain part of it. Where do you draw the line?

Wyatt17102 karma

I like to make points but I like to talk shit too. If my point is coming across and I can get a consistent laugh, I’m probably keeping that punchline.

Tarantula_Saurus_Rex1 karma

Right on. Just got tickets for Sunday!

Wyatt17102 karma

Dope!

oscar_w8 karma

When you're in the bath and you feel a fart coming, do you catch it with cupped hands and then release as you inhale directly from your hands so that you can get a good hit of your own scent?

Wyatt17108 karma

What

winston_everlast8 karma

Sometimes none of us really want to be at work and so just go through the motions to get through the day. I suspect that is harder for you being on stage rather than stuck in a cubicle or office somewhere. How do you handle the “feeling bad” days be it due to having a cold, staying up too late the night before, or just a bad case of the Mondays?

Wyatt17107 karma

I always want to do standup it’s my favorite thing. Even if I’m sick and I have to perform once I get onstage generally I don’t feel any symptoms. Sometimes if I have 2 one hour sets in a day I can get tired, that’s pretty much the only time.

sorry_didnt_mean_it7 karma

Where did you find inspiration to become a comedian??

Wyatt171010 karma

So I watched a ton of standup during my childhood, a lot of Nick Swardson, Aziz Ansari, and Daniel Tosh. Back then I thought standup was just a way to pass time. Then one day on YouTube I accidentally stumbled up Dave Chappelle and Steven Wright, and I realized how transformative standup could be as an art form. Made me want to try to outdo them.

jt46432773787 karma

When you picture everyone in the audience naked, how do you deal the boner?

Wyatt171031 karma

I’m always hard so I never notice

TMBGLOVER7 karma

What is your favourite comedy song? Mine is Albuquerque by Weird Al Yankovic.

Wyatt171020 karma

Comedy Song?? I grew up on Bo Burnham haha. Art is Dead was my favorite when I was a 17 year old edge lord comic. Also I LOVE the lonely island, my brother and I were just rewatching them the other day.

Probably Jack Sparrow by the Lonely Island. The premise is so wild and the execution is masterful!

TMBGLOVER8 karma

I love Bo and TIL too! My fav songs of both are I’m On A Boat and Repeat Stuff,

Wyatt17107 karma

Repeat Stuff is amazing!! I love Straight White Man too!

CSC_GlitchYT6 karma

Do you want to become really famous like Gabriel iglesias?

Wyatt171012 karma

I would, but I do a very confrontational kind of comedy, so if I can scale up to that level while still making the controversial points I do, then I’d be happy. Wouldn’t want to do comedy about nothing to get there! Not to talk shit about anyone who does do that, but that’s not why I got into the game.

CSC_GlitchYT3 karma

I appreciate u answering, thanks!

Wyatt17102 karma

Thank you!

DFWPunk6 karma

Is that your real name?

Wyatt17105 karma

Nope.

gattboy14 karma

Why are so many comedians rude off stage, like right after their show? Is it coming down off the adrenaline or something?

Wyatt17108 karma

Is this a thing? I haven’t heard of it. I just think a comedian’s level of rude is a lot higher than what a lot of other people would consider rude.

heythisisbrandon4 karma

How is this not just self promotion?

Wyatt171021 karma

All AMAs are to some degree

L272083 karma

Favorite comedian if you could only choose one?

Wyatt171014 karma

Only choose one is so mean. God. Even saying choose 10 is hard. Fine, Young Chappelle.

Cone-shaped_Man-tits3 karma

Do you ask women to walk you to your truck? And also, how many chiggs you fugg, b?

Wyatt17109 karma

Wtff is this??

matike3 karma

[deleted]

Wyatt17103 karma

No way!! That’s so cool! So happy to hear. Which vid?

SmashBusters2 karma

How many open mics do you estimate you've done?

Did you have any trouble finding your voice in the beginning?

How did you get your first show that wasn't an open mic?

Do you have any advice for thin-skinned, self-conscious, socially phobic people that want to perform their jokes? Can you still sell jokes like in the old days?

Wyatt17102 karma

  1. Helllllllllllla thousands?

  2. Yes! Finding my voice took forever. For a while I was an Anthony Jeselnik ripoff!

  3. Off Twitter. I got lucky someone liked my tweets and asked me to open for them.

  4. It is not quite as viable, but you can become a writer! I know some comics buy jokes but I don’t think that market is huge.

samsonity2 karma

Which podcasts do you want to be on in the future? Are there any you have in mind? The Joe Rogan Experience, Your moms house, etc?

Wyatt17102 karma

Hmm, any recommendations?

samsonity1 karma

Your moms house is really good. Has a track record of providing great publicity to comedians. Good luck.

Wyatt17101 karma

Okay I’ll check it out!

Vortavask2 karma

How did you start your journey when you were 16?

Wyatt17104 karma

I snuck out of my parents house and went to an open mic at Tommy T’s in Pleasanton California. I was given 5 minutes and I probably did 3 1/2

JohnDivney2 karma

How much do you practice the delivery of your jokes? What does that look like? Performing to a mirror? Checking notes? How do you get all the beats and timing down right?

Wyatt17103 karma

I think you shouldn’t practice your delivery! It makes you seem less natural. Know what broad points you want to hit but I wouldn’t word it exactly!

nautilus_T2 karma

i dont know if there is still time to ask a question, but....what famous comedians have you met?

Wyatt17103 karma

Jim Gaffigan, Tony Woods, Dave Attell…many more

bisnotyourarmy2 karma

Do you feel you lived enough life for us to care about it?

Wyatt17105 karma

We’ll check it out and you tell me

britboy43211 karma

Do you pull ladies at/after the show?

Of you have a partner, do you believe you COULD pull ladies? Do you have offers etc..?

Wyatt17101 karma

This is very common.

zeffjiggler1 karma

Are you funny?

Wyatt17101 karma

You can be the judge of that!

CaptainSenpai31231 karma

Does making jokes come naturally to you? Do you just hear a statement and some humorous counter Statement comes in your mind instantly? Can it be learned?

Wyatt17101 karma

For me it is 1000% learned. Jokes have patterns and joke structures are a thing. I learned how to write a joke from studying.

CaptainSenpai31231 karma

Where do you study comedy? How can one learn joke structures

Wyatt17101 karma

Unfortunately no formalized education exists, your best bet is to watch a ton of standup and build your brain’s reservoir! Particularly watch joke writers: Dave Attell, Emo Phillips, Anthony Jeselnik, Steven Wright, Dan Mintz

lightningpresto1 karma

Fellow Bay Area 2nd gen immigrant actor! Just commenting to say you have my support! Keep up the good work and hopefully we work together on something in the future

Just so my comment doesn’t get removed, which part of SF did you grow up in?

Wyatt17102 karma

Walnut Creek 😅

Clarkeprops1 karma

What makes you a professional stand up?

Wyatt17103 karma

I suppose that I earn good money from it..

Steffank11 karma

Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses, or 1 horse-sized duck?

Wyatt17104 karma

Horse sized duck

cowiekun1 karma

I have a few questions about standup in general: 1. For a big show, after u got all the lines together, do u do it with test audience to tweak it? 2. How do u go about memorizing the lines and their timings/delivery? 3. Do u ever forget lines in a live show? If so, how did u deal with the instance? 4. Are most audience interactions planned? As in, at a certain time, u would ask the audience a question and have multiple elaborations prepared.

Wyatt17101 karma

  1. I don’t memorize anything! For a big show typically you’ve been doing those jokes for a while so you know they’re gonna work.

  2. It’s not that hard to memorize because at the end of the day the jokes are your thoughts and ideas! I try to never memorize jokes because I think it makes them come out unnatural.

  3. Of course! You just transition out of the bit.

  4. Some comics do but I don’t. I go into my crowdwork with an open mind to find out about the person.

hung-bui1 karma

How do you think about joke stealing?

Wyatt17102 karma

I think it’s wrong but not as prevalent as people act.

jokemachinegun1 karma

How do you write a joke?

Wyatt17101 karma

That is a long answer my friend

iPukey1 karma

What makes you so special?

Wyatt17101 karma

Not too much

eganist1 karma

/u/Wyatt1710 was the "I watched Sammy and he is my hero" a callback to Samy Kamkar's xss worm on myspace? Because if so, it's a beautiful hacker callback.

Wyatt17101 karma

Nope haha.

FILTHY_GOBSHITE1 karma

I checked out your special after you responded to one of my posts a little while back.

It felt like the earlier work of some really good comedians, and I enjoyed it a lot.

I think you're at the stage of your career where you can absolutely put everything together just right.

The only thing needed to make you "a great" is developing your style, so your jokes are clearly "Wyatt jokes"

I'm sure you'll become wildly successful, you've got the talent and are clearly doing thr work.

As this has to be a question: How would you suggest I help my toddler develop a good sense of humour (without abusing or neglecting her)?

Wyatt17101 karma

Just have her watch standup as she grows up

Evolutiondd1 karma

Will you be on the Joe Rogan experience soon?

Wyatt17103 karma

Haha probably not

bazzablue971 karma

Do you do crowd work?

MundanePlantain11 karma

Hi Wyatt. Im looking for a general use laptop, under $1k that will do some light gaming. What do you recommend?

Wyatt17100 karma

MacBook air

happensonitsown1 karma

Was in the bangalore show, loved it! It was refreshing!

Do you have plans to come to Bangalore again?

Wyatt17101 karma

Honestly, if I can make it financially viable, I’d do a whole tour of India. I’d love love love to do that. At the very least I’ll do a show next time I’m there to visit family.

happensonitsown1 karma

Awesome! Also, do you have any single cousins? Asking for a friend who needs a Greencard.

Wyatt17101 karma

I do ..

LORDFAIRFAX1 karma

Do you ever come to DC? Would love to see your show, and would also take recommendations from the other side of the mic on what the best spots to see a show are.

Wyatt17102 karma

Yes! Planning to come to DC this year

[deleted]1 karma

[removed]

lightningpresto1 karma

Fellow Bay Area 2nd gen immigrant actor! Just commenting to say you have my support! Keep up the good work and hopefully we work together on something in the future

Just so my comment doesn’t get removed, which part of SF did you grow up in?

Wyatt17103 karma

Walnut Creek :/

Akerno1 karma

what makes a standup comedian a professional? do you headline?

Wyatt17101 karma

Yes

Negative_Shallot23111 karma

Would you rather have arms for legs or legs for arms?

Wyatt17101 karma

Arms for legs

moogleman8441 karma

I've got a good joke for your show that you can have for free. Why must you always knock on a refrigerator door? Because there might be a salad dressing! I've got loads of these.

Wyatt17103 karma

I don’t want too many standing ovations

WeepingAgnello1 karma

I watched up to the Benedict Cumberbatch Gag. Man, your shits funny. I'll probably watch it tonight. One question: if you could change your mum so that she only yells at you in one language, but regular conversation is in the usual language, (hindi/english/whatevs), what language would that be?

Wyatt17101 karma

Thank you so much! Wish my parents taught me a second language!

TheFocusedSynopsis1 karma

What is your favorite food?

Wyatt17101 karma

Right now? Chaat

smad3330 karma

Why is American standup comedy so bad?

Wyatt17103 karma

Where are you from?

Ill_Heart_11580 karma

[deleted]

Wyatt17100 karma

Yes this is a very common thing in the community.0

TheMightyDollop0 karma

Are tacos considered sandwiches?

Wyatt17102 karma

Oh god. I’ve pigeonholed myself into answering these kids of questions. Taco although similar to a hotdog, probably wouldn’t be considered a sandwich in a Mexican cultural context, where tortas are some of the only sandwiches they make. I don’t think Sandwich as a whole is as popular of a form there.

phoenixdamn-1 karma

I personally like dark joke. However, I live in conservative country where "insult" might lead legal consequences.

Any tips how to deliver dark comedy style without too subtle?

Wyatt17101 karma

Comedy has a history of not caring about legal consequences! So silly comedians complain about being cancelled now when back in the day comedians used to be jailed or fined for what they said.