I went to YouTube and did a search using the term bad stand-up comedy and I was kind of amazed at what I found.
Below is a video of an unfunny comedian who gets very few laughs in his set and is an obvious flop on stage.
It’s called bombing in the world of stand-up comedy and this guy — well, he was pretty darn good at it.
But here’s what is truly amazing…
This was only one of a TON of videos I found on YouTube of comedians bombing. Certainly not an optimal situation for any comedian I would say.
Below is a brief video of a comedian bombing on stage at the Washington D.C. Improv comedy club.
Before I comment on the video, I want to make it clear that I have the greatest respect for anyone who has the nerve to get on stage, put their sense of humor on the line and risk public humiliation in order to realize their dreams of being a comedian.
Many people who dream of becoming a comedian don’t have the spine to get as far as the man in the video that follows.
With that said, here is the video and my comments follow:
The Video
My Feedback
1. It is very obvious that the individual in the video tried to deliver “paper written jokes” contrived from thin air, most of which didn’t have punchlines that worked (he’s holding the paper with his “jokes” on it if that’s clue).
That’s a kind way of saying the “jokes” simply were not funny.
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2. It is also obvious to me that this individual spent zero time rehearsing prior to stepping onto that stage (at the beginning of this video, he can’t even remember what’s written on the paper he’s holding).
Related Article: A Critical Factor For Progress As A Comedian
3. Notice that most the individual’s time is filled with him talking and little time provided for audience laughter. That’s what happens when a “talking head” tries to deliver fabricated “jokes” expecting to get laughs.
Hint: When a comedian is talking, the audience is not laughing.
Final Thoughts
Believe it or not, this guy was NOT the worst comedian I have ever seen and the audience was kinder than many can be when a comedian is blowing chunks on stage.
But he is a perfect example of what happens at every single open mic night anywhere on the planet — much of it due to prevalent misconceptions about how to effectively develop and deliver stand-up comedy material that truly capitalizes on an individual’s already developed comedy talent.
Night after night, hordes of people line up to get their “shot” on stage, yet they are unwilling or unable to properly prepare to succeed on stage and get the big laughs or…
They are as prepared as they can be but can’t seem to realize that the approach they are using to develop and deliver stand-up comedy material at a high level is not working.
If you have real comedy talent, people have said for years you should be a comedian but you DON’T want to bomb or struggle on stage like that guy did, here are a few things you may want to do…
First: Check out the information provided on this blog.
That should provide you with some insight on the vastly different approach that I have when it comes to developing and delivering a stand-up comedy routine that will actually work on stage.
Next: Go and sit through an entire comedy open mic and verify for yourself if anything I present on this blog has any credence or not.
Then ask yourself if you want to approach stand-up like the majority of new comedians who tend to struggle unnecessarily for many months if not years to make any decent headway.
Then: If you are serious about taking a shot at stand-up comedy and want to have a faster and more powerful path to success on stage than most new comedians will ever have, you may want to take a close look at the Killer Stand-up Online Course.
Or you are certainly welcome to fumble, stumble and grope along like most new comedians do (and like I did when I first started) — armed with inaccurate and faulty information on how to effectively develop and deliver stand-up comedy material that incorporates your already developed sense of humor and comedy talent — right from the start.
It’s 100% your call and if there is any good news to taking that “hard way” approach to stand-up comedy it is this:
Rest assured, you absolutely won’t be alone.
What I find interesting about this video is that the MATERIAL isn’t all that bad; it has potential, I think. His delivery is seriously lacking, and I agree with Steve that it doesn’t seem rehearsed at all — in fact, the performer doesn’t even seem to KNOW his material, much less know how to deliver it! Also, he doesn’t appear to acknowledge the audience at all until he very end — no pauses for them to laugh, no interaction.
I feel that, if you can make a connection with the audience, your chances of getting away with slip-ups (and maybe even weak material) are much better than if you had an otherwise flawless performance with strong and polished material. Perhaps the comedian we see here would be more aware of his audience had he “internalized” his material through careful editing and practice before hitting the stage!
Check out this one. I can’t believe she posted this on YouTube. (And she has two more videos just as bad…)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2mEsVBbAbA
Just an idea, but you should make a blog page devoted to comics who bombed. Im gonna google like you did, but seeing that guy bomb gave me more confidence. I think if you had links to 5 or 10 bombed on stage videos on a page, it would help take away butterflies. Knowing other people had the courage to try even though they weren’t ready can be a confidence and work morale booster. Just a thought. For all i know, you have the page and i haven’t run across it yet. Perhaps that’s in the Real course.
That sounds like a great idea John. Everyone has to start somewhere. I’m going to take a look Steve’s free demos. I’m sure they will give us the insight we need to become successful comedians. Follow me on twitter @KelliCgreen