March 2010
You are browsing the archive for March 2010.
Sell It
Here’s a problem I didn’t expect to encounter when I started doing comedy: after coming up with a good idea for a joke, trying it onstage over and over, and tweaking the syntax until the bit is really starting to sing, I begin to abandon it. What is wrong with me? I take a joke [...]
The Second Chorus Problem
I don’t like comedy songs. To me, the fundamental problem with comedy songs is structural. Jokes are meant to be surprising, to constantly shift and develop into new areas. Great songs, however, are based on familiarity. The best pop songs all have that one great hook in the chorus that you just can’t wait to [...]
How I Write
I write jokes by talking to myself, out loud, in my car or on the streets of Philadelphia. Yes, I look like a crazy person. I don’t care. My best jokes weren’t written in my head, they were spoken out loud over and over until something started to click. This process initially felt weird to [...]
Donald Glover
I recently listened to an interview with Donald Glover on The Sound of Young America. Donald, if you’re not familiar, was a writer for 30 Rock for a few years before becoming a costar on the excellent show Community. Basically, he left the best job in the world to take the other best job in [...]
Black Rooms
A lot of white comics in Philadelphia never go to the Laff House. These comedians will trudge over to Helium every Tuesday for a 1 in 6 chance of getting stage time, but when Wednesday rolls around they pass up a much better shot at the other major club in the Philadelphia area. Why? Because [...]
