Why you need a little bad taste
Mike Binder: "You’re not supposed to know where a comic is going. It’s supposed to blindside and shock you."
Been really enjoying the writing of Mike Binder over at Standupworld.com. Great to get the perspective of a seasoned vet who’s been there/done that (he’s a comic, directed that Comedy Store doc and Bill Burr specials, etc.).
Here he is on how to be “pound the table funny.”
I love freedom of speech up on that stage. I like comedy that’s raw and offensive because I think it’s supposed to be shocking and surprising. You’re not supposed to know where a comic is going. It’s supposed to blindside and shock you. The comic’s job is to say the things you want to say, the things you were thinking or maybe didn’t think you wanted to say until they said it for you. If comics only play to what the crowd feels is in good taste, they aren’t going to be truly funny. Not pound the table funny. They’ll just be good. They’ll be packaged funny. Polished, polite, pros and, yeah you’ll laugh, they’ll get applause. They’ll be entertainers. They’ll be like great Apple products. You’ll appreciate the hell out of them.
He gets at the crux of what’s wrong with comedy that’s safe and guaranteed not to offend: It’s rarely genuinely surprising in a way that leads to belly laughs. It can be clever, people can nod in agreement, it can generate applause – but it won’t make people lose their sh*t the same way someone really riding the line does. We want to see the tightrope walker out there between the towers, y’know?
Related to Jack Ruby? No? My bad. I was pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Binder cross my path here over the last year (via the web) because I always admired him for the movie he made with Joan Allen and Kevin Costner called THE UPSIDE OF ANGER. Don't remember if he wrote it, and if I go to IMDB or RottenTomatoes I'm gone for hours, so I won't now, but you get the idea. Definitely worth checking out. Didn't get much luv because people are idiots.
I really enjoy your writing, and was very impressed with the piece on the alpha male (such as myself). It was splendid. You make good use of your comic sensibility and tone, and it was therefore fun, rather than just a lecture.
But really, my friend, having seen that, I want more for you, and I gotta tell you: I think you have to quit slacking and get busy. You write, what, 7 Substax a week? Not 8? Not 10? On top of your own performance material? And touring? And 4-5 demanding side hustles. And chasing the gench? Surely you could work a valet shift or two in there. Pusscakes LOVE the crystal meth, and you could do them in between park jobs, right? Nobody ever looks to see where the valets went or what they're doing. I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't respect your hustle. You got this.
Was it cool being the only kid whose dad owned a Titty Bar? I'm betting...