On being vulnerable vs. just telling jokes
An interesting exchange between Anthony Jeselnik and Tom Papa.
Recently, Anthony Jeselnik explained why he doesn’t do confessional (i.e. “I’m being personal and open”) comedy to Tom Papa:
Jeselnik: I really like just having jokes. Like, “Oh, talk about your life.” I don't want to and I don't. I don't enjoy doing it.
Papa: I didn't know really much about you. We've known each other a long time. I know certain stuff, but it's very much like the [George] Carlin thing. You knew the essence of him, you loved him, but you didn't really know what was going on in the life part of it because he was very private and didn’t enjoy writing about that.
Jeselnik: I don't even feel particularly private. I just don't find it interesting. You get people, like, revealing something, is almost in comedy is seen as just as good as having a great joke. And I'm like, no, the joke's important. “He's so open with his life.” That doesn't seem like what I want to be as an artist…For me, it just feels odd. I had one story I was trying to tell, and I just remember the first time I told it, people were like, that's amazing. And the second time I was like, I'm gonna kill myself if I tell this one more time.
Full ep here:
Talked about this subject more here too:
Does great comedy have to come from a personal place?
Judd Apatow's advice: “Always make sure that your comedy comes from a personal place.”
Excerpt:
However, there are great comics who never get personal. Jerry Seinfeld, Mitch Hedberg, Zach Galifianakis, Steve Martin, Todd Barry...their material rarely touches on intimate details about their lives. Do we know what these guys are truly like at home? No. Do we care? No.
They show a personal side based on how they tell their jokes and how they see the world. When Mitch Hedberg talks about Pringles or bananas, you're getting deep insight into his brain and worldview. A strange joke about koala bears can reveal as much about you as a story about how your dad yelled at you or whatever.
While you generally forge a stronger connection by revealing secrets/personal stuff, you can still be great by choosing a different path – feels like the key is finding another way to be singular and peculiar. The goal: Uniqueness.