I laugh a lot - out loud, whether I'm with people or alone, at my own thoughts, or at things that no one else in the room is laughing at. people have told me that I laugh 'too much' and I internalised that for a long time, thinking I just had a low bar for humour. but I also know what it's like to be in that kind of comedy-competitive environment where laughs are seen as a limited resource, and I realised after a while that I like acknowledging peoples' comedy, even if I don't think it's the greatest thing I've ever heard. I like connecting with people in that way, and I feel no need to withhold the 'reward' sought by telling jokes. all I'm saying is, seize the means of laughter.
I laugh a lot too and really loudly, to where when I started skyping with online friends in like 2010 they'd comment on it and to where fans commented on it initially when we started Critical Bits. I used to be self-conscious about it but life can be hard and I think joy should be expressed and I'm also not the best at expressing more serious or more negative emotions so I might as well lean in on one that I'm good at and that is easy for me haha. Also when fans commented on it it was always positive which made me less self-conscious. Joel who runs the podcast has a big laugh too so whenever we go to a comedy show together we're easy to find in the crowd. I think some comics are more witholding than others. I know I don't laugh when I don't like someone and get that but I like most people okay and being witholding like that is silly to me
"The best way to get funny is to push yourself into situations where you'll be rewarded for being funny and punished for being not funny." Ah, okay. Well, I guess I'll learn to bake or become a good listener or something instead.
Okay so this is comment is about Nanette, which you only briefly mentioned. And it’s also more of a general grievance rather than a specific response to you. I actually think this is a really great video. So it barely has relevance to this video and I’ll delete this comment if you think it’s not appropriate here. ~~ I think Nanette lost a lot of its context outside of Australia, where familiarity with Hannah Gadsby was already really high and comedy traditions in general are different. I’m not saying you gotta like it, I have critiques myself. But I’ve not really seen any American acknowledge that there may be culture signifiers they don’t get, in the way they might for media coming out of other countries. Australian culture isn’t just lol Vegemite. I feel like there were two Nanettes. The live show I saw in Melbourne, where a famous comedian did a retrospective of her career and art-form. And the special where American media kinda swamped the discussion and imo missed a lot of the cultural lead up. Hannah Gadsby had a prominent career prior to this special, she’s been in the Australian comedy scene for 10 plus years. Nanette was originally promoted as a farewell tour for goodness sake, it was never framed as a debut, but that’s kinda what it became which changes a lot. Just as an example, when she spoke of humiliation it really means a lot more when you have familiarity with her previous work. In many ways the whole show was a recontextualisation of her previous work and her previous public image - which doesn’t really mean anything if you don’t know any of that! And also the state of Australian public discourse, and Australian comedy is in a very different place than America (and not necessarily in a good way) and that context all gets lost too. Imagine if all the reviews you saw for Avengers Endgame were exclusively written by people who had never seen any other marvel film, kinda frustrating. America is getting better at acknowledging their lack of familiarity with other cultures (often better than Australia ironically). But sometimes it feels like they don’t see Australian culture as even existing outside of the cliches, so presume there’s nothing to miss when they try to consume our media. I don’t wanna be some staunch defender of Nanette, again I have my own criticisms. However I have a huge chip on my shoulder about the cultural context totally being removed, especially from something so deeply rooted in it.
I don't want to remove the cultural context of Nanette at all. Having seen it just a few weeks back for the first time, and upon reading this, I think all of this just speaks more strength into Nanette: It's capacity to be seen in these different perspectives. The point she makes towards the end about removing that humiliation element to her act, about having a tether to the real world, and about talking about endings where stories become something else and maybe have a "conclusion", is something most human beings can comprehend and appreciate if they give it the space. Context is important, but once art is out in the wild like that, what it comes to mean isn't entirely left up to Hannah or one type of audience anymore (Australians, Americans, Europeans, etc). Removing context IS bad, I don't want to underplay that here. I think Hannah even calls attention to this reality though with her special Douglas, in which she explains to a US audience that, for fans such as yourself, this is another in a long series of specials, for some it's a freshman effort, and for those who have only seen Nanette it becomes a complicated second sophomore effort. As for her reference to her own previous works, she does speak well about most comedy in that special, even if intentional or not.
this is very true! I also appreciate the extra perspective, but it did feel a bit weird to have it being discussed without really acknowledging that the stuff Hannah Gadsby was talking about in Nanette was both deeply personal and happening at a time when she was if not the only, certainly the most prominent Australian comedian performing that style of humour, so much so that it became her uh 'brand' so to speak; it felt like she was expressing that she felt she wasn't 'allowed' to move past it and explore other avenues in her work and that that was a large part of the issues she was having.
Saw Hannah Gatsby do a lecture on early renaissance iconography genuinely was busting my gut to it,,, don't have an opinion on her stand up but shes very well informed when it comes to 15th century depictions just lettibng people know that
I just cannot stomach the idea of being in a situation where you are EXPECTED to be funny. I consider myself pretty funny (its probably the only thing ill ever compliment myself on), but I shine in normal social situations where humor isnt a presumption. The idea of getting up on a stage or wherever and being funny in front of people I just think "where do you get off having such an ego? that you think the things you say are so funny they deserve an amplified voice?". Because its devestating for me to think that people think that i am making an effort to be funny, even if I am. I remember once someone just looked at me blank in the eye and said "I know youre trying to make me laugh" and I wanted to put my head under a tire then and there.
Genuine humor is often developed as a defense mechanism, like you mentioned. That's why most genuinely funny people often struggle with addiction, self image, relationships and happiness in general. It's hard to "get" funny - for those who are very funny, it's a language that was developed over time through interpersonal diversity.
the funniest person I know is also the kindest person I know (tho with her being my best friend, I'm a bit biased) but, case in point, she's also had suckiest life of anyone I know in person. her life's still currently p sucky. With several chronic medical issues, ptsd and an abusive family, comedy has been her way of both coping with all that and as an attempt at deescalating situations to avoid conflict.
People always want shortcuts to improving certain skills, and there never are any. People who tell you other wise are probably trying to make a quick buck. Nice video!
I was told that I was funny growing up, but I think the moment I started trying to do it was to win the approval of much older people on the internet. 4chan and other forums definitely breeds in this need to be funny all the time as a "I have value" coping mechanism, but it also leaves scars of self hatred and not really being happy with anything you make. I guess the humor thing ended up being useful for my job, but it also left me really insecure. Double edged sword, I guess. Thanks for this video, it's helped me understand myself a bit more. Sorry if my comment was oversharing.
This really made me think about the function of comedy in my life, and the flexibility of comedy as an interpersonal tool. What is comedy for? I was funny from a young age. Was it a baby's gay defense mechanism? A way to get that sweet sweet endorphin rush of validation when very little else made me feel worthwhile as Very Sad Teen? Who knows! Fact of the matter is that I've been able to make people laugh. Now I work with children and adults in mental health crises that requires them to be hospitalized anywhere from a few days to a few months. I find humor is one of my strongest therapeutic tools. A lot of people are scared to use humor clinically, because is one of the worst times is many people's lives an appropriate time to joke? (Yes.) Nothing has sharpened my comedic skills as an adult then perfecting them in the high stakes, high risk, high payoff environment of an inpatient unit I find humor is so versatile clinically. It helps deescalate, in both 1:1 interaction and in groups. Anger, terror, despair - I've seen it defuse it all. It's a way to connect and show empathy, especially for the kind of people who don't respond to overt statements of support. It helps me gain trust by demonstrating to patients I can handle hearing what they might have to share -- because if I can joke about heavy topics, it shows I'm comfortable with them. It can help me prepare a patient for potential pitfalls/barriers within a treatment plan without seemingly overly negative and inducing them to give up prematurely. It's a FANTASTIC assessment tool...is a patient's affect truly entirely flat, or can I make 'em crack a smile? Does this person have the ability to understand that I am joking (whether or not they find it funny)? There's nothing that avoids raising someone's defenses like humor. There's nothing like humor when directly confronting someone about something. There's nothing that brings together two people who are working on repairing their relationship with your assistance like a shared laugh. I can go on and on and on... Of course, none of this is universal. Humor can feel invalidating, offensive, it can make you laugh but make you feel worse after anyway -- like any clinical tool it can be used badly. But damn, I happy I'm happy to have humor in my skillset.
I’m getting a qualification in counselling at the moment and a lot of the advice here was really applicable. Particularly the reminder that vaguer concepts like humour or communicating empathy are still learned and practiced and moulded. Great video 👍🏽
I really appreciated the vulnerability and honesty in this video. I’m an oldest sibling and I’ve always been the serious one compared to my brother, who’s not only funny but musically gifted and is always the center of attention at parties/social gatherings/ etc. I’ve wanted to be funnier but like Shannon said, “funny” is not only subjective but you have to be quick enough to make it happen in the moment. Honestly, I feel like my humor only improved when I started working in retail, where I was pretty miserable and was faced with ridiculous ppl/situations daily. Listening to my more experienced coworkers react in the moment helped me at least have some one-liners in my back pocket ready for the right moments.
What you said about tying the ability to be funny to your self-worth is so true dude it’s insane. A friend of mine playfully said “you’re not funny” once to me and I’ve never gotten over it. Hell I told a joke about a personal and really traumatic thing that happened to me and as expected the people who I told the joke to laughed but then they just made fun of me in the worst way possible. You’re putting yourself out there in a way that’s awful and is not conducive to your self worth. I’ll be honest unless you became funny after using comedy as a coping mechanism for some traumatic shit that happened to you, stay away it’s not fucking worth it my dude, you don’t need it.
I'm glad Shannon focused a lot on the video about the dangers of using comedy for validation cause right now; I think that's something I've just noticed more with the history of comics and stand-up? That's why I think many of the real big, anti-PC comedians like to view comedy as this inherently sacred thing because it's an extension of themselves that always needs to exist. However as wonderful as comedy is as a tool to use for good and even self-reflection; laughter itself is fleeting. This happened a lot when Dave Chappelle's Sticks and Stones came out. Although I was turned off by it's transphobia it had this very...reactionary perspective didn't make it feel as powerful standup and overall I thought it was weaker than previous efforts he did like Killing Them Softly. Some people agreed with me, but everyone I know who enjoyed Sticks and Stones pretty much went "It's your fault for being so sensitive and not finding this funny. Dave is the GOAT." That's where I really started to see how the desire to find validation in humor really sticks to people. Hell, fans of Shapiro and Crowder tend to see them to the scope as truth-telling comedians as well. I still really love and admire the power of standup comedy. It's the most vulnerable sense of performance out there. Hell, people often use clips of standup specials to even comment on society now. However when you see how comedy is used as a way for therapy for the comedian, it becomes tragic and very potentially dangerous in a way. That's why so many stories about comedians go in really dark, messed up place. Being funny in that way is very difficult however you can never fall into the trap of sacrificing your own beliefs or even health for jokes.
I agree 100%. The phrase "comedians tell the truth while politicians lie" (I don't know the exact phrase but I hear it on the internet a million times) is really starting to rub me the wrong way because we have people rallying behind entertainers and performers in the millions for validation and a sense of camaraderie. And when that validation is not given or is broken, people lash out and feel personally betrayed by this person that they've developed a parasocial relationship with and have never actually met before.
The word cuck sounds so weird in your mouth lol Thanks for this video, it's great stuff, though I think I'll stick to only being able to make one person laugh and having that person be my best friend.
I've done rap battles a few times because I feel like the rhyming helps to carry the joke in a way I might not be good enough to do with straight standup. I also definitely wasn't good enough at rapping that I could get by not being funny. I enjoyed that you have someone else tearing you down which offsets writing pretty mean spirited humour. I've never liked battlers who bring peoples family members or their girlfriends into the thing because they don't have an opportunity to respond. I'd agree that you can't really be good at performing without doing it and preferably really often. All I learnt from dabbling is that I would need to do it twice a day to really get fluent.
it's hard for me to listen to things ABOUT comedy.. it's wrong, but i always feel like it's explaining the joke. tho i think you're right, i've spent most of my life putting myself around people who make me laugh. it's one of the only things that i like to do with people is joke around and laugh.. fuck "watching a movie." Alot of it is my friend group that i had, it's also partly, being gay and having to make people laugh to like me instead of being the Gay Dude. I was the gay funny dude in highschool.
as a someone who tried to be funny most of the time in my life, your reminder on "being funny is not the end goal" made me realize it's ok not to be funny. Thank you
Really enjoyed this. I am curious if you could describe better what you disagreed with in Nannette... but then I think maybe it's good it wasn't as detailed as it could derail from your point. Just really appreciated the message and how this was presented.
Thanks! Not that I agree with them 100% but these two pieces cover a lot of the issues I had with it- thebaffler.com/latest/tokens-of-appreciation-roberts theoutline.com/post/5962/the-nanette-problem-hannah-gadsby-netflix-review?zd=2&zi=fymajlzs
I don't really can speak English, and don't know how to used enough to do puns,but I really love when people use puns and don't really get why is consider a lower form of humor, a lot of them are really creative or need a really unusual use of the language.
I think I unwittingly tried the "be funny to avoid harm/get people to like you" all my life. Didn't work, still not funny. I switched to bribing people to hang out with me with cookies and cake instead, that works quite well. This reminds me a lot of the game dev episodes Extra Credits have done, esp the "Fail Faster" ones and the "get stuff tested by outside people as much as possible". And I guess that general advice propbably applies to like... most things. I was gonna say creative work, but probably also stuff that isn't creative. I would go on a limb and suggest that almost every person has been trying to be funny all their life, to some extend. Humor is part of human life, you don't have to be a comedian to be funny.
For me the number 1 rule is know the crowed. Target that crowed with jokes that fit said group. I was big on comedy growing up cuz I struggled with connecting with people. The best way to connect was jokes. I never had trouble making jokes. Im not a fan of open mic bullshit. I focus on jokes with new people and friends. I like insanity jokes the most.
This video is so good. Glad I found your channel. Like a lot of creative things, I think there's definitely a lot to be said about comedy as craft and as art. By that I mean, comedy as a means to an end, where things like convention, literary strength, and communication skills are highly valued, vs. comedy as a form of expression, where all of those things are irrelevant, and while they might be there, the goal is for the comedian to communicate something in the way they wish to communicate. Most of what we'd call excellent comedy is somewhere between the two. It's the same with visual art, music, etc. I think where a lot of instruction on being funny fails, and not really by any fault of its own, is that it focuses on the *craft* of comedy. You can't teach someone how to engage with their own expression. You can't make them think about themselves in relation to their craft. Only reflection and exposure can do that. I think it's poignant what you said in the beginning, you get funny being in an environment where being funny is rewarded, and not being funny is punished. Those are the kinds of situations that force you to reflect in a way you wouldn't do otherwise. It stops being about comedy and starts being about *your* comedy, and that's a huge distinction. Especially true in situations where you're functionally trying to make yourself laugh. There's a reason that a lot of people we'd consider excellent comics tend to have been or still be pretty troubled people, not to fetishize their troubles or anything. A musician who plays an instrument at the highest level is impressive, but they often aren't as well respected as the one who has something genuine and of themselves to offer. Much the same in comedy.
I’m really enjoying this video and subject but I can’t stop thinking about how seeing people sit close together in your background footage feels like novelty
We had so many cool live shows in different places planned for this year that got cancelled and I haven't seen Paul and Shelby (in the video with me) since like March and have seen Joel once briefly. It's honestly borderline painful to watch the footage because I miss performing and I miss my friends!! On top of everything else COVID
I think I have a weird sense of humor. I've laughed at tiny detail in shows while acknowledging the punchline to a joke in the same show but not always actually finding it funny. It's gotten to the point where I rarely try to be funny because I deliver my jokes kind of flatly, to the point that people sometimes don't realize I'm telling a joke. That, I think, says more about me than them, but once people get to know me they usually "get it," and my jokes get a higher hit rate. Then of course there are those rare golden moments of random inspiration where I say something that feels incredibly innocuous, maybe clever at most, and that somehow gets a huge laugh from a perfect stranger. I just try to be kind and helpful when I can because I know that my humor won't win everyone over. Hell, I don't tell jokes to some of my friends because I know my jokes don't land with them.
sure kindness, empathy, openness, flexibility and vulnerability may be more valuable, but in my experience they aren’t exactly more *valued* by the general public.
We need to talk about how when you have to learn a new language to live in a new place, you have to rebuild your whole sense of humour. Also like - both my parents had a very good, peculiar sense of humour that we picked up and learned from as kids. But we also picked up using humour as a defense mechanism and avoiding serious topics by making fun of anything. And oh boy did I learn that people can be actually frustrated, or worse, hurt by that
I took a different message from Nanette I think. Hannah Gadsbys new Special really shows how to deal with difficult issues through comedy while not putting herself down or making it the object of ridicule. It also was fucking hilarious. I think Nanette was about the distinction between making fun of or telling a funny story through a difficult issue like abuse, homophobia etc.
Being funny is such a context thing too. I think I am really funny doing improv/stand-up. But take me out of those arenas and I'm like powerless. I don't think anyone from my work would consider me the funny guy. Every time I reveal I get paid to do stand-up people seem to be shocked. I can't seem to "turn on" the funny in casual settings. Even hanging out in the green room before a show I don't feel like I fit in and it sucks. I feel bad for people coming to talk to me after a show and they get this awkward dude instead of the guy who made them laugh.
If I make myself laugh then I'm good. If other people don't find it funny, it just gets funnier. (I'm not talking about edgy jokes but very silly stuff) Make yourself laugh first, life's more fun that way
Interesting video as always And since you mentioned it in the video, and since you're the one who introduced me to the series in the first place...what did you think of the end of Sweet Home?
(I'm not sure if I'm the only one, but I'll say it. Mandela Catalogue, alternate.) Robots make sense too, given how we would our creation that is exponentially faster and smarter. A very high threat to human life, especially now that they influence us directly. Generally the idea that we had a predator that mimicked our appearance and behavior is horrifying. Especially given the fanatic conspiracies of lizard people or whatever. Aliens and Anunaki. The fear of the dead is related to disease of course, but humans have believed in spirits and ghosts since forever ago. But if a corpse were to stand up, it would surely cause mental distress. And the dead feeling of the ai is relative, given its basically a ghost in a machine that was created by humans. The idea that a creature that appears human but isn't, is an immediate treat. Especially since religion and science are prevalent in society, our sensitivity to such a being would either drive one mad or start worshiping them. They already have. What happened, I may never want to know. But it's too late. We are but livestock. The machine churns on. I want to weep, but they would hear me.
here's the deal though. every time i've hung out with funny people i've eventually regretted it for how unkind they are. i once believed that you can find the balance of funny and kind in terms of whom you want to hang out with but now mostly compromise on the side of kindness.
Hey, I'm really sorry that happened to you Strucci. If it was this depressing and crushing to hear, the real experience sounds even worse. I do think it's possible to at least to tv/movie script comedy writing (which is usually done groups of at least two or more) without harming yourself too much, but I feel those communities are difficult to find or establish - it takes a lot of trust and honesty from the people who work there. Pssh, I say that like I *know,* right? I'm just a guy who lives in his hometown and tries to make fiction that makes people laugh. I'd like to ask your opinion/recommend you on Steve Kaplan's The Hidden Tools of Comedy - I think it's a great resource for people trying to learn how to write comedy, not just "jokes or situations that are funny." Reading his book really opened my mind to what the basics of comedy scripting was. It really blows most other things I've read out of the water. ruclips.net/video/pcvXNdlt6v4/видео.html ruclips.net/video/-Q9vDjKJbuw/видео.html www.kaplancomedy.com/product/book/ (Here's the book. Also, I'm not linking to amazon here because fuck amazon, you know?) This podcast on working in and writing for animation is also one of my favorites: archive.nerdist.com/nerdist-writers-panel-48-animation-celebration/ Thanks for sharing Strucci! I hope you're doing better now!
How come you always tint your videos in weird way? Sort of relatedly, I personally find looking at slowly moving videos or images that aren't relevant to the audio, and or where not a lot happens to be like... It's hard to look at. It's moving, so my eyes or brain instinctively expects there to be something relevant to look at, but there isn't. I think I'd prefer a still image. Dunno if anybody else feels the same.
I've heard time and time again that stand-ups in the UK get way funnier faster at Edinburgh fringe in a month than they do in years playing their hometown open mics
I can't speak to that but I went to a million comedy shows in Athens (college town with a great art scene but an art scene so supportive you never really have to improve) and Atlanta (much bigger city with a much more competitive/well-known scene and much more difficult audiences) and if I was a comic I would have focused on ATL haha
these two pieces cover a lot of the issues I had with it pretty well- thebaffler.com/latest/tokens-of-appreciation-roberts theoutline.com/post/5962/the-nanette-problem-hannah-gadsby-netflix-review?zd=2&zi=fymajlzs
![COLOMBIA vs. CHILE [4-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 10](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TDjN4W3yy1k/mqdefault.jpg)
I laugh a lot - out loud, whether I'm with people or alone, at my own thoughts, or at things that no one else in the room is laughing at. people have told me that I laugh 'too much' and I internalised that for a long time, thinking I just had a low bar for humour. but I also know what it's like to be in that kind of comedy-competitive environment where laughs are seen as a limited resource, and I realised after a while that I like acknowledging peoples' comedy, even if I don't think it's the greatest thing I've ever heard. I like connecting with people in that way, and I feel no need to withhold the 'reward' sought by telling jokes. all I'm saying is, seize the means of laughter.
I laugh a lot too and really loudly, to where when I started skyping with online friends in like 2010 they'd comment on it and to where fans commented on it initially when we started Critical Bits. I used to be self-conscious about it but life can be hard and I think joy should be expressed and I'm also not the best at expressing more serious or more negative emotions so I might as well lean in on one that I'm good at and that is easy for me haha. Also when fans commented on it it was always positive which made me less self-conscious. Joel who runs the podcast has a big laugh too so whenever we go to a comedy show together we're easy to find in the crowd. I think some comics are more witholding than others. I know I don't laugh when I don't like someone and get that but I like most people okay and being witholding like that is silly to me
as a fellow laugher at inappropriate moments and seer of people's comedy, I'm so glad this comment was made.
"The best way to get funny is to push yourself into situations where you'll be rewarded for being funny and punished for being not funny."
Ah, okay. Well, I guess I'll learn to bake or become a good listener or something instead.
Okay so this is comment is about Nanette, which you only briefly mentioned. And it’s also more of a general grievance rather than a specific response to you. I actually think this is a really great video. So it barely has relevance to this video and I’ll delete this comment if you think it’s not appropriate here.
~~
I think Nanette lost a lot of its context outside of Australia, where familiarity with Hannah Gadsby was already really high and comedy traditions in general are different. I’m not saying you gotta like it, I have critiques myself. But I’ve not really seen any American acknowledge that there may be culture signifiers they don’t get, in the way they might for media coming out of other countries. Australian culture isn’t just lol Vegemite.
I feel like there were two Nanettes. The live show I saw in Melbourne, where a famous comedian did a retrospective of her career and art-form.
And the special where American media kinda swamped the discussion and imo missed a lot of the cultural lead up.
Hannah Gadsby had a prominent career prior to this special, she’s been in the Australian comedy scene for 10 plus years. Nanette was originally promoted as a farewell tour for goodness sake, it was never framed as a debut, but that’s kinda what it became which changes a lot. Just as an example, when she spoke of humiliation it really means a lot more when you have familiarity with her previous work. In many ways the whole show was a recontextualisation of her previous work and her previous public image - which doesn’t really mean anything if you don’t know any of that!
And also the state of Australian public discourse, and Australian comedy is in a very different place than America (and not necessarily in a good way) and that context all gets lost too. Imagine if all the reviews you saw for Avengers Endgame were exclusively written by people who had never seen any other marvel film, kinda frustrating.
America is getting better at acknowledging their lack of familiarity with other cultures (often better than Australia ironically). But sometimes it feels like they don’t see Australian culture as even existing outside of the cliches, so presume there’s nothing to miss when they try to consume our media.
I don’t wanna be some staunch defender of Nanette, again I have my own criticisms. However I have a huge chip on my shoulder about the cultural context totally being removed, especially from something so deeply rooted in it.
Thanks for taking the time to write this out! :O To support your statement, I, an American, had not considered this. Good reminders all around.
I don't want to remove the cultural context of Nanette at all.
Having seen it just a few weeks back for the first time, and upon reading this, I think all of this just speaks more strength into Nanette: It's capacity to be seen in these different perspectives. The point she makes towards the end about removing that humiliation element to her act, about having a tether to the real world, and about talking about endings where stories become something else and maybe have a "conclusion", is something most human beings can comprehend and appreciate if they give it the space.
Context is important, but once art is out in the wild like that, what it comes to mean isn't entirely left up to Hannah or one type of audience anymore (Australians, Americans, Europeans, etc). Removing context IS bad, I don't want to underplay that here. I think Hannah even calls attention to this reality though with her special Douglas, in which she explains to a US audience that, for fans such as yourself, this is another in a long series of specials, for some it's a freshman effort, and for those who have only seen Nanette it becomes a complicated second sophomore effort.
As for her reference to her own previous works, she does speak well about most comedy in that special, even if intentional or not.
this is very true! I also appreciate the extra perspective, but it did feel a bit weird to have it being discussed without really acknowledging that the stuff Hannah Gadsby was talking about in Nanette was both deeply personal and happening at a time when she was if not the only, certainly the most prominent Australian comedian performing that style of humour, so much so that it became her uh 'brand' so to speak; it felt like she was expressing that she felt she wasn't 'allowed' to move past it and explore other avenues in her work and that that was a large part of the issues she was having.
Saw Hannah Gatsby do a lecture on early renaissance iconography genuinely was busting my gut to it,,, don't have an opinion on her stand up but shes very well informed when it comes to 15th century depictions just lettibng people know that
billied_2003 her series on renaissance women was a revelation. Pity it’s not available on Netflix or some accessible platform.
I just cannot stomach the idea of being in a situation where you are EXPECTED to be funny. I consider myself pretty funny (its probably the only thing ill ever compliment myself on), but I shine in normal social situations where humor isnt a presumption. The idea of getting up on a stage or wherever and being funny in front of people I just think "where do you get off having such an ego? that you think the things you say are so funny they deserve an amplified voice?". Because its devestating for me to think that people think that i am making an effort to be funny, even if I am. I remember once someone just looked at me blank in the eye and said "I know youre trying to make me laugh" and I wanted to put my head under a tire then and there.
Genuine humor is often developed as a defense mechanism, like you mentioned. That's why most genuinely funny people often struggle with addiction, self image, relationships and happiness in general. It's hard to "get" funny - for those who are very funny, it's a language that was developed over time through interpersonal diversity.
the funniest person I know is also the kindest person I know (tho with her being my best friend, I'm a bit biased) but, case in point, she's also had suckiest life of anyone I know in person. her life's still currently p sucky. With several chronic medical issues, ptsd and an abusive family, comedy has been her way of both coping with all that and as an attempt at deescalating situations to avoid conflict.
People always want shortcuts to improving certain skills, and there never are any. People who tell you other wise are probably trying to make a quick buck. Nice video!
I was told that I was funny growing up, but I think the moment I started trying to do it was to win the approval of much older people on the internet. 4chan and other forums definitely breeds in this need to be funny all the time as a "I have value" coping mechanism, but it also leaves scars of self hatred and not really being happy with anything you make. I guess the humor thing ended up being useful for my job, but it also left me really insecure. Double edged sword, I guess.
Thanks for this video, it's helped me understand myself a bit more. Sorry if my comment was oversharing.
This really made me think about the function of comedy in my life, and the flexibility of comedy as an interpersonal tool. What is comedy for?
I was funny from a young age. Was it a baby's gay defense mechanism? A way to get that sweet sweet endorphin rush of validation when very little else made me feel worthwhile as Very Sad Teen? Who knows! Fact of the matter is that I've been able to make people laugh.
Now I work with children and adults in mental health crises that requires them to be hospitalized anywhere from a few days to a few months. I find humor is one of my strongest therapeutic tools. A lot of people are scared to use humor clinically, because is one of the worst times is many people's lives an appropriate time to joke? (Yes.) Nothing has sharpened my comedic skills as an adult then perfecting them in the high stakes, high risk, high payoff environment of an inpatient unit
I find humor is so versatile clinically. It helps deescalate, in both 1:1 interaction and in groups. Anger, terror, despair - I've seen it defuse it all. It's a way to connect and show empathy, especially for the kind of people who don't respond to overt statements of support.
It helps me gain trust by demonstrating to patients I can handle hearing what they might have to share -- because if I can joke about heavy topics, it shows I'm comfortable with them.
It can help me prepare a patient for potential pitfalls/barriers within a treatment plan without seemingly overly negative and inducing them to give up prematurely.
It's a FANTASTIC assessment tool...is a patient's affect truly entirely flat, or can I make 'em crack a smile? Does this person have the ability to understand that I am joking (whether or not they find it funny)?
There's nothing that avoids raising someone's defenses like humor. There's nothing like humor when directly confronting someone about something. There's nothing that brings together two people who are working on repairing their relationship with your assistance like a shared laugh.
I can go on and on and on...
Of course, none of this is universal. Humor can feel invalidating, offensive, it can make you laugh but make you feel worse after anyway -- like any clinical tool it can be used badly. But damn, I happy I'm happy to have humor in my skillset.
I’m getting a qualification in counselling at the moment and a lot of the advice here was really applicable. Particularly the reminder that vaguer concepts like humour or communicating empathy are still learned and practiced and moulded. Great video 👍🏽
I really appreciated the vulnerability and honesty in this video. I’m an oldest sibling and I’ve always been the serious one compared to my brother, who’s not only funny but musically gifted and is always the center of attention at parties/social gatherings/ etc. I’ve wanted to be funnier but like Shannon said, “funny” is not only subjective but you have to be quick enough to make it happen in the moment.
Honestly, I feel like my humor only improved when I started working in retail, where I was pretty miserable and was faced with ridiculous ppl/situations daily. Listening to my more experienced coworkers react in the moment helped me at least have some one-liners in my back pocket ready for the right moments.
What you said about tying the ability to be funny to your self-worth is so true dude it’s insane. A friend of mine playfully said “you’re not funny” once to me and I’ve never gotten over it.
Hell I told a joke about a personal and really traumatic thing that happened to me and as expected the people who I told the joke to laughed but then they just made fun of me in the worst way possible. You’re putting yourself out there in a way that’s awful and is not conducive to your self worth.
I’ll be honest unless you became funny after using comedy as a coping mechanism for some traumatic shit that happened to you, stay away it’s not fucking worth it my dude, you don’t need it.
sent this into my discord servers announcements channel and pinged everyone immediately, thank you for this we needed it
I'm glad Shannon focused a lot on the video about the dangers of using comedy for validation cause right now; I think that's something I've just noticed more with the history of comics and stand-up? That's why I think many of the real big, anti-PC comedians like to view comedy as this inherently sacred thing because it's an extension of themselves that always needs to exist. However as wonderful as comedy is as a tool to use for good and even self-reflection; laughter itself is fleeting.
This happened a lot when Dave Chappelle's Sticks and Stones came out. Although I was turned off by it's transphobia it had this very...reactionary perspective didn't make it feel as powerful standup and overall I thought it was weaker than previous efforts he did like Killing Them Softly. Some people agreed with me, but everyone I know who enjoyed Sticks and Stones pretty much went "It's your fault for being so sensitive and not finding this funny. Dave is the GOAT." That's where I really started to see how the desire to find validation in humor really sticks to people. Hell, fans of Shapiro and Crowder tend to see them to the scope as truth-telling comedians as well.
I still really love and admire the power of standup comedy. It's the most vulnerable sense of performance out there. Hell, people often use clips of standup specials to even comment on society now. However when you see how comedy is used as a way for therapy for the comedian, it becomes tragic and very potentially dangerous in a way. That's why so many stories about comedians go in really dark, messed up place. Being funny in that way is very difficult however you can never fall into the trap of sacrificing your own beliefs or even health for jokes.
I agree 100%. The phrase "comedians tell the truth while politicians lie" (I don't know the exact phrase but I hear it on the internet a million times) is really starting to rub me the wrong way because we have people rallying behind entertainers and performers in the millions for validation and a sense of camaraderie. And when that validation is not given or is broken, people lash out and feel personally betrayed by this person that they've developed a parasocial relationship with and have never actually met before.
The word cuck sounds so weird in your mouth lol
Thanks for this video, it's great stuff, though I think I'll stick to only being able to make one person laugh and having that person be my best friend.
This is so refreshing to hear that about Nanette. I enjoyed it but the perspective you presented did not occur to me. Thanks!
This has gotta be one of my fave introspections over humour
I've done rap battles a few times because I feel like the rhyming helps to carry the joke in a way I might not be good enough to do with straight standup. I also definitely wasn't good enough at rapping that I could get by not being funny. I enjoyed that you have someone else tearing you down which offsets writing pretty mean spirited humour. I've never liked battlers who bring peoples family members or their girlfriends into the thing because they don't have an opportunity to respond. I'd agree that you can't really be good at performing without doing it and preferably really often. All I learnt from dabbling is that I would need to do it twice a day to really get fluent.
it's hard for me to listen to things ABOUT comedy.. it's wrong, but i always feel like it's explaining the joke. tho i think you're right, i've spent most of my life putting myself around people who make me laugh. it's one of the only things that i like to do with people is joke around and laugh.. fuck "watching a movie." Alot of it is my friend group that i had, it's also partly, being gay and having to make people laugh to like me instead of being the Gay Dude. I was the gay funny dude in highschool.
omg! Your Guys, Gals & Non-Binary Pals shirt! I have the same one! Love Street Fight Radio!
They're great guys!!
Two videos from Shannon in one month?!? This is the only good thing to happen in 2020 👍😁
@sadiq You're right; the supreme court protected LGBTQ rights this year as well :)
You're getting me dancing again to Tomba music. My nostalgia is really strong :'D
I'm actually;;y working on a painting as I'm watching this, and damn if doc hammer ain't right
as a someone who tried to be funny most of the time in my life, your reminder on "being funny is not the end goal" made me realize it's ok not to be funny. Thank you
Here is some entergagment. I am entertained and engaged
Really enjoyed this.
I am curious if you could describe better what you disagreed with in Nannette... but then I think maybe it's good it wasn't as detailed as it could derail from your point.
Just really appreciated the message and how this was presented.
Thanks! Not that I agree with them 100% but these two pieces cover a lot of the issues I had with it-
thebaffler.com/latest/tokens-of-appreciation-roberts
theoutline.com/post/5962/the-nanette-problem-hannah-gadsby-netflix-review?zd=2&zi=fymajlzs
@@StrucciMovies thanks! Appreciate the links.
Np!
Good video. My personal advice: just use puns. Lots of puns. The badder the better
I don't really can speak English, and don't know how to used enough to do puns,but I really love when people use puns and don't really get why is consider a lower form of humor, a lot of them are really creative or need a really unusual use of the language.
I think I unwittingly tried the "be funny to avoid harm/get people to like you" all my life. Didn't work, still not funny. I switched to bribing people to hang out with me with cookies and cake instead, that works quite well.
This reminds me a lot of the game dev episodes Extra Credits have done, esp the "Fail Faster" ones and the "get stuff tested by outside people as much as possible". And I guess that general advice propbably applies to like... most things. I was gonna say creative work, but probably also stuff that isn't creative.
I would go on a limb and suggest that almost every person has been trying to be funny all their life, to some extend. Humor is part of human life, you don't have to be a comedian to be funny.
For me the number 1 rule is know the crowed. Target that crowed with jokes that fit said group. I was big on comedy growing up cuz I struggled with connecting with people. The best way to connect was jokes. I never had trouble making jokes. Im not a fan of open mic bullshit. I focus on jokes with new people and friends. I like insanity jokes the most.
Really wish I could undo all the time I wasted trying to be "funny" in my teens and early 20s.
This video is so good. Glad I found your channel.
Like a lot of creative things, I think there's definitely a lot to be said about comedy as craft and as art. By that I mean, comedy as a means to an end, where things like convention, literary strength, and communication skills are highly valued, vs. comedy as a form of expression, where all of those things are irrelevant, and while they might be there, the goal is for the comedian to communicate something in the way they wish to communicate.
Most of what we'd call excellent comedy is somewhere between the two. It's the same with visual art, music, etc.
I think where a lot of instruction on being funny fails, and not really by any fault of its own, is that it focuses on the *craft* of comedy. You can't teach someone how to engage with their own expression. You can't make them think about themselves in relation to their craft. Only reflection and exposure can do that.
I think it's poignant what you said in the beginning, you get funny being in an environment where being funny is rewarded, and not being funny is punished. Those are the kinds of situations that force you to reflect in a way you wouldn't do otherwise. It stops being about comedy and starts being about *your* comedy, and that's a huge distinction. Especially true in situations where you're functionally trying to make yourself laugh. There's a reason that a lot of people we'd consider excellent comics tend to have been or still be pretty troubled people, not to fetishize their troubles or anything.
A musician who plays an instrument at the highest level is impressive, but they often aren't as well respected as the one who has something genuine and of themselves to offer. Much the same in comedy.
it really spooked me when I realized that background footage had the camera panning the entire time
I've been waiting for this video, ngl
I hope it was worth the wait!
being funny is empathy + depression
This one slid by me, had to check your page manually to find it.
Finally a person who gives actual advice on how to be funnier 🥳🥳🥳
"how to get funnier: don't"
understandable, have a great day
Good video, tragic that I will be sending this to people to roast them
Lol damn
I’m really enjoying this video and subject but I can’t stop thinking about how seeing people sit close together in your background footage feels like novelty
We had so many cool live shows in different places planned for this year that got cancelled and I haven't seen Paul and Shelby (in the video with me) since like March and have seen Joel once briefly. It's honestly borderline painful to watch the footage because I miss performing and I miss my friends!! On top of everything else COVID
I think I have a weird sense of humor. I've laughed at tiny detail in shows while acknowledging the punchline to a joke in the same show but not always actually finding it funny. It's gotten to the point where I rarely try to be funny because I deliver my jokes kind of flatly, to the point that people sometimes don't realize I'm telling a joke. That, I think, says more about me than them, but once people get to know me they usually "get it," and my jokes get a higher hit rate.
Then of course there are those rare golden moments of random inspiration where I say something that feels incredibly innocuous, maybe clever at most, and that somehow gets a huge laugh from a perfect stranger. I just try to be kind and helpful when I can because I know that my humor won't win everyone over. Hell, I don't tell jokes to some of my friends because I know my jokes don't land with them.
damn you're popping off with these uploads
sure kindness, empathy, openness, flexibility and vulnerability may be more valuable, but in my experience they aren’t exactly more *valued* by the general public.
We need to talk about how when you have to learn a new language to live in a new place, you have to rebuild your whole sense of humour.
Also like - both my parents had a very good, peculiar sense of humour that we picked up and learned from as kids. But we also picked up using humour as a defense mechanism and avoiding serious topics by making fun of anything. And oh boy did I learn that people can be actually frustrated, or worse, hurt by that
I took a different message from Nanette I think. Hannah Gadsbys new Special really shows how to deal with difficult issues through comedy while not putting herself down or making it the object of ridicule. It also was fucking hilarious. I think Nanette was about the distinction between making fun of or telling a funny story through a difficult issue like abuse, homophobia etc.
Being funny is such a context thing too. I think I am really funny doing improv/stand-up. But take me out of those arenas and I'm like powerless. I don't think anyone from my work would consider me the funny guy. Every time I reveal I get paid to do stand-up people seem to be shocked. I can't seem to "turn on" the funny in casual settings. Even hanging out in the green room before a show I don't feel like I fit in and it sucks. I feel bad for people coming to talk to me after a show and they get this awkward dude instead of the guy who made them laugh.
If I make myself laugh then I'm good. If other people don't find it funny, it just gets funnier. (I'm not talking about edgy jokes but very silly stuff) Make yourself laugh first, life's more fun that way
Interesting video as always
And since you mentioned it in the video, and since you're the one who introduced me to the series in the first place...what did you think of the end of Sweet Home?
I cried! It's really good I think! I am considering making another video about it
(I'm not sure if I'm the only one, but I'll say it.
Mandela Catalogue, alternate.)
Robots make sense too, given how we would our creation that is exponentially faster and smarter. A very high threat to human life, especially now that they influence us directly.
Generally the idea that we had a predator that mimicked our appearance and behavior is horrifying.
Especially given the fanatic conspiracies of lizard people or whatever. Aliens and Anunaki.
The fear of the dead is related to disease of course, but humans have believed in spirits and ghosts since forever ago. But if a corpse were to stand up, it would surely cause mental distress.
And the dead feeling of the ai is relative, given its basically a ghost in a machine that was created by humans.
The idea that a creature that appears human but isn't, is an immediate treat.
Especially since religion and science are prevalent in society, our sensitivity to such a being would either drive one mad or start worshiping them.
They already have.
What happened, I may never want to know. But it's too late.
We are but livestock. The machine churns on.
I want to weep, but they would hear me.
here's the deal though. every time i've hung out with funny people i've eventually regretted it for how unkind they are. i once believed that you can find the balance of funny and kind in terms of whom you want to hang out with but now mostly compromise on the side of kindness.
That's certainly the better side to compromise on. Though I do think a balance is possible
Hey, I'm really sorry that happened to you Strucci. If it was this depressing and crushing to hear, the real experience sounds even worse. I do think it's possible to at least to tv/movie script comedy writing (which is usually done groups of at least two or more) without harming yourself too much, but I feel those communities are difficult to find or establish - it takes a lot of trust and honesty from the people who work there. Pssh, I say that like I *know,* right? I'm just a guy who lives in his hometown and tries to make fiction that makes people laugh.
I'd like to ask your opinion/recommend you on Steve Kaplan's The Hidden Tools of Comedy - I think it's a great resource for people trying to learn how to write comedy, not just "jokes or situations that are funny." Reading his book really opened my mind to what the basics of comedy scripting was. It really blows most other things I've read out of the water.
ruclips.net/video/pcvXNdlt6v4/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/-Q9vDjKJbuw/видео.html
www.kaplancomedy.com/product/book/ (Here's the book. Also, I'm not linking to amazon here because fuck amazon, you know?)
This podcast on working in and writing for animation is also one of my favorites: archive.nerdist.com/nerdist-writers-panel-48-animation-celebration/
Thanks for sharing Strucci! I hope you're doing better now!
Well damn, this helps a lot
How come you always tint your videos in weird way?
Sort of relatedly, I personally find looking at slowly moving videos or images that aren't relevant to the audio, and or where not a lot happens to be like... It's hard to look at. It's moving, so my eyes or brain instinctively expects there to be something relevant to look at, but there isn't. I think I'd prefer a still image. Dunno if anybody else feels the same.
I've heard time and time again that stand-ups in the UK get way funnier faster at Edinburgh fringe in a month than they do in years playing their hometown open mics
I can't speak to that but I went to a million comedy shows in Athens (college town with a great art scene but an art scene so supportive you never really have to improve) and Atlanta (much bigger city with a much more competitive/well-known scene and much more difficult audiences) and if I was a comic I would have focused on ATL haha
This is a great video. Also, i just listened to hoagie allin and it was hilarious
Sooooo... basically just do it
Good video!
Dude you cant put Nanette in the thumbnail and then barely say three sentences about it!! I wanna hear why you don't like it :(
these two pieces cover a lot of the issues I had with it pretty well-
thebaffler.com/latest/tokens-of-appreciation-roberts
theoutline.com/post/5962/the-nanette-problem-hannah-gadsby-netflix-review?zd=2&zi=fymajlzs
On a unrelated note have you seen the ending of sweet home
Yeah it was good! I cried! Debating on doing an updated review
another great vid from my parasocial best friend
This is why I don’t, can’t watch On The Spot by Roosterteeth
yeah alot of roosterteeth stuff... misses the mark for me.
queen shit
overanalyzing comedy is never funny, but can be helpful
Just listen to cumtown if you want to know how to be funny.
this is such a fascinating video bc I would have never pegged you as funny, and it's just you talking about how funny you are