Most comedians won’t recognize this before it’s too late, but just know that you heard it here first…

We are at the beginning stages of the next stand-up comedy boom.

How do I know that? Here’s how…

I have been studying stand-up comedy trends for years. Historically, stand-up comedy “booms” typically occur in the US when the economy takes a turn south, like we are experiencing now.

The last comedy boom started in the early 80’s, when inflation was rampant and interest rates were at an all time high. Because stand-up comedy is a relatively inexpensive entertainment option, more folks head to live stand-up comedy.

But wait, it gets better…

As the economy continues to soften and hard ecomonic times are present, more and more folks will also stay home more and focus on TV as opposed to going out. You only have to look at the significant increase in stand-up comedy over the last 12 months on Showtime, HBO and Comedy Central to see what I am talking about.

Now you will hear many comedians say that it was TV that killed the last stand-up comedy boom. In reality it was unfunny stand-up comedy on TV that helped to squish the last stand-up comedy boom.

I worked with comedian Mick Lazinski who told me that in 1984 the demand for stand-up comedians was so high that if you lived in New York and had a head shot—you were a comedian.

But there were other factors as well that lead to the demise of the last stand-up comedy boom…

As more and more less than funny stand-up comedy was being shown on TV, the price of TV’s and VCR’s was plummeting, which took away the home group dynamic for watching TV.

Inferior stand-up comedy on TV, coupled with an emerging trend of individual TV viewership from dropping TV and VCR prices is what killed the comedy clubs and stand-up comedy on TV.

So, it has taken over 20 years and a crappy economy to get to this juncture again.

The good news is that there has been a glut of very talented comedians since the last boom. The Killer Stand-up Comedy System was developed since the last boom.

The bottom line:

If you are truly funny and have developed your stand-up comedy skills to a high level…

There are, and will continue to be, more and more TV opportunities now and for at least into the near future–24-48 months I would venture to guess.

So, you had better be prepared and ready for the “big game” if getting on TV is your goal. New stand-up comedy stars will be born from this boom. Will you be one of them?

Like I said, just know that you heard it here first.

Cheers,
Steve Roye
The Professor of Funny for Money

About the Author/Founder of The Stand-up Comedy Professional

Steve Roye is the author of the Killer Stand-up Comedy System and author of the content made available in the Comedy Pro Membership Program available on this site.

Over the past decade, Steve has established himself as a leading, globally recognized expert in the field of stand-up comedy material development, delivery and entertainment business strategies for comedy entertainers as well as speaking professionals.

For more information about Steve, please check out the About The Author section on this site.

Dane Cook receives a rock star’s welcome from a packed arena in this stand-up concert originally broadcast on HBO.

But the jury may still be out on whether Cook is phenomenally funny or simply a phenomenon.

He is certainly a master of the new media. Cook has savvily marketed himself on the Internet to his target college-age audience, and they have embraced him as a fellow “bro” and “dude,” who would seemingly be awesome to party with. In his timbre and physicality, he has the shaggy, likeable quality of Will Farrell, another frat boy favorite.

Cook is a man of his people. At one point, he is interrupted by a drunken Boston Red Sox fan who wants to shake his hand. Cook then leaps off the stage and chases him up the aisle to give him a send-off hug, all the while being clapped on the back and offered high and low fives by the cheering audience.

Cook comes complete with arrested development lingo, such as “Here’s what drove me banana sandwich,” that will no doubt b (more…)

About the Author/Founder of The Stand-up Comedy Professional

Steve Roye is the author of the Killer Stand-up Comedy System and author of the content made available in the Comedy Pro Membership Program available on this site.

Over the past decade, Steve has established himself as a leading, globally recognized expert in the field of stand-up comedy material development, delivery and entertainment business strategies for comedy entertainers as well as speaking professionals.

For more information about Steve, please check out the About The Author section on this site.