Less than two weeks ago I graduated from Jeff Justice's Comedy Workshoppe and performed my first stand up routine at The Punchline comedy club. There was a sold out crowd of friends and relatives of the 17 people "graduating" that night. We each got about 5 minutes to do our new thing on stage in the hot lights. It was phenomenal fun to be in front of a supportive audience and to make them laugh. It even sounded like real laughter. I thought I was funny for a few minutes there; but I did check behind me to see if there was somebody back there making faces or pulling his pants down.
Then I entered a comedy contest at another club out of town. Now, I want to point out that the info they sent about the contest said, "The more clever and clean you are, the more likely you are to advance."
I think this was a joke from the club owner. I was gullible enough to believe it; either that, or my definition of clean is a h*ll of a lot squeakier than anyone else's. I went in with just under seven minutes of well rehearsed comedy - or "jokes" as I call them.
After the first contestant, I knew I could be in trouble. By the time the fourth came off and I was next, I was practically in a panic. I realized that after hearing four people doing sex and masturbation jokes, and using the "f word" freely - the audience was going to be numb to my "clean" jokes. And I guess I was right. I say "guess" because the audience barely got a chance to decide. I know I sound like sour grapes, but I can't help but wonder if the crowd would have warmed up to me a bit if I had been allowed to get through my set; but I wasn't.
There were three so-called celebrity judges who were mainly there to give critiques to each contestant after each performance. One of the judges had a high hat cymbal to use as a gong. He gonged me barely three minutes into my set. I was pretty miffed that I didn't get a better chance. Admittedly, I started weak because I was so psyched out by all the "dirty" comedy before me. So I faltered a bit. It's also possible that they took my opening little joke as bragging. I said, "Well, I'm not a guy, ethnic, Jewish, bitterly divorced or a lesbian; so I guess my chance of making it in stand up comedy is thhhffft*!"
*(Made a 'raspberry" sound and a zero gesture.)
I guess there were more lesbians and bitter divorcees in the crowd than I expected.
I did get some laughs after that, but not enough for the judge with the cymbal apparently. Anyway, I survived my first bombing and I am still alive. I am questioning whether a straight, happily married white girl can make it on that scene. I also have been asking myself how edgy am I willing and able to be. Frankly, I think just about anybody can come up with a dirty joke. Being funny without being shocking or gross is a bigger challenge. I believe I would like to continue to tackle that bigger challenge.
That's all I have to say about that for now.
