One of my favorite comedians is Jim Gaffigan. (Relax, I also like Dave Chappelle.) In any case Mr. Gaffigan was quoted in an interview recently, saying:
"As a standup, I'm on my 10th hour now. And I view standup shows as a conversation among friends. And the friends we really like, they challenge us. Whereas the people that only want to have the same conversation with you, over and again – you get bored of them."
When I read the phrase "the people that only want to have the same conversation with you, over and again – you get bored of them" two words popped into my head—Victor Borge.
As far as I can tell, Mr. Borge, a Danish-American comedian, told the exact same jokes for at least 60 years. I saw a live performance of his in San Francisco very late in his career, and it was very funny and very enjoyable, yet we all knew what the punch lines were and when they were coming. (Mr. Borge's timing was world class.)
Now, Jim Gaffigan was making the point that stand-up comedians had to evolve, while at the same time doing familiar bits to satisfy the wants of the audience. I suggest that the wants of the audience are often "tell the ones I know," rather than "whip a new one on me." If you have ever attended a rock concert, the loudest audience responses are from the "old hits." Maybe we just want top hear our favorite recordings in live performance, I don't know. I do know that bands like the Beatles admitted that they often rearranged their old hits so they wouldn't be bored to tears playing them, so there is that aspect, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment