Many times I get accused of trying to impose impossible or unrealistic “standards” on a hugely subjective performing art — stand-up comedy with my Comedy Evaluator Pro software.
For the record, I have not managed to set a single standard when it comes to stand-up comedy, comedians getting big and frequent laughs on stage or how they manage to do it.
Headliner comedians over many decades have already set the standards of “funny” for comedians to emulate and strive for.
Those “standards” of comedy remain solid today among a new generation of talented comedians who also have the skill to slay an audience with their own brand of stand-up comedy.
Related Video:
The only thing I have managed to do is develop a process to measure and quantify what headliner comedians are able to do, which is 100% verifiable:
-
Headline-level comedians usually generate 4-6+ substantial laughs per minute. By doing that…
-
Headline-level comedians typically generate a minimum average of 18+ seconds of laughter per performing minute (PAR Score 30+).
-
Comedy star-level comedians seem to operate in the 24+ seconds of laughter per minute range (PAR Score 40+). This increase in PAR Score is related to both the comedian’s talent and the larger audiences that comedy stars tend to perform for.
These incredibly gifted people were reaching these milestones long before Comedy Evaluator Pro existed, and they will continue to do so for years to come—with or without my program.
The Truth About “Standards” in Stand-up Comedy
All I have done is connect a headliner comedian’s measurable ability to generate laughter with a few clear, straightforward criteria—regardless of their material or delivery style.
You can see for yourself what a headliner-level comedian is capable of, night after night. Just watch recordings of headliners, count the laughs using your fingers and toes, then use a timer—you’ll arrive at the same results I did.
I haven’t set any standards in stand-up comedy, and I never claimed to. Talented comedians have been setting those standards one audience at a time—long before I was even born.
But I do believe it’s valuable to know where you stand in terms of effectiveness compared to headliners—again, regardless of content, delivery style, or persona.
Measuring Comedy is Like Measuring Gas
If you’ve ever driven a car without a working gas gauge, you understand exactly what I mean.
In football, how could you score a touchdown if you couldn’t see the goal line or even knew where it really was?
In stand-up comedy, the goal line has always been there, established by the comedians who came before you.
All I’ve done with Comedy Evaluator Pro is make that goal line clearer to see—and easier to reach, faster.
One Last Thing…
While stand-up comedy is often called a subjective art, laughter is NOT subjective—it’s visible, audible, and measurable.
Related Video:
At first I was quite nervous of the 18+ seconds. I then started to grow more fond of it since it gives me a goal to aim for and smash! Having an indicator of how good is excellent for people that truly want to make into the worldwide stage. It tell them how they are doing generally.
Don’t kill the messenger. I originally thought you made up the LPM (laugh-per-minute) scale, but you are simply establishing the bar that has been there, unbeknowst or not, for major comedic success. We might fall short of becoming rich and famous, but it’s good to know how you compare to the best in the industry. I might never make it big, but i’m confident i can at least make the cut so to speak. I might not quit my day job, but the more i study your advice the more confident i feel. I hope i make it big one day and can give you credit for the help you gave me. I know the paid course is going to do even more, just looking at the sheer volume of information pages, you obviously have dedicated years of your life to this system and continue to add content and feedback.
P.S. Thank you for such rapid resposes to my barrage of questions!
Not killing the messenger at all. Virtually everything I have to offer is verifiable, whether it be laughs per minute or seconds of laughter generated per minute by a comedian delivering headline level stand-up comedy material.