Highest Rated Comments


offthemike722 karma

Do you see a difference between being a humorous lecturer on the subject of comedy and being a “comedian”?

I don’t want it to sound like I’m trying to devalue what you do, but I think you’re using “comedian” as a broad term like when someone calls Bradley Cooper a “comedian” because he’s been in comedies.

offthemike721 karma

I’m making sure to word this as questions because I genuinely find your subject matter interesting and I enjoy the different paths that comedy can take us, but do you see any inherent harm in speaking in absolutes or mistaking opinion for fact? What’s your opinion on “comedy police” who define rules or equations like laughs per minute to define “comedian”?

I’ve had quite a career (made a living solely from it for many years) in comedy, but realized very early that laughs per minute was only one way to steer creativity.

offthemike721 karma

Did you see Anthony Jeselnik’s new show where he goofed on the antiquated mentality of placing importance on laughs per minute?

offthemike721 karma

I disagree. I think LPM gets ascribed high importance to a certain kind of performers. Mitch Hedberg. My friend Brad Wenzel (Conan).

I don’t see many of my personal favorites like Marc Maron (I’ve been a guest on WTF) or even a less confessional comedian like Norm MacDonald caring at all about LPMs.

I see you and I have a handful of friends in common like your fellow SLC resident Spencer King. I think maybe you started as a comedian, but largely I feel like you’re a comedic motivational speaker, which I think is a phenomenal and difficult skill. It’s a skill I wish I could do, and haven’t been able.

That’s what I personally feel is more interesting about your story. How did you take your comedy roots and grow them into something different to enable you to speak about important topics like suicide and depression and reduce the stigma by using comedy to make those subjects accessible?

Would you agree that’s a far richer dialogue than soapboxing about your particular and narrow definition of what a great comedian is being THE definition of a great comedian?

I’m not trying to be argumentative and say you’re wrong. I’m just saying that your opinion is not fact and excludes a lot of excellent comedians.

My personal taste is for what I do on stage. I try to anecdotally share my journey towards becoming a better person by recounting sometimes embarrassing confessions while relaying what I learned along the way. I haven’t cared about Laughs Per Minute since I was an open mic comic 17 years ago. I like comedy that hopefully entertains while making people want to strive to be better. But it would be egotistical for me to think that’s the definition of what all comedy should be. Would you agree?

I worked with Dave Coulier when he was starting his Clean Comedy crusade. Prior to that, coming off the Surreal Life, he tried dirty and it didn’t connect. He preaches that comedy should be this one thing. That’s wrong. Baskin Robbins makes 31 flavors because people like variety.

That’s how I feel about how you framed your definition of comedy. Do you see what I mean? I think a healthier and more beneficial angle would be to say that you give presentations about comedy and you’re able to do that comedically because your background as a comic was as one who focused on LPMs which, over the years has developed that muscle in your writing.

Is that fair?

Also, what’s your favorite ice cream?