Mentoring M&M

A cronie of mine is a teacher in Manchester, NH. Her seniors are creating their final projects, free to choose whatever inspires them. One senior, M&M, wants to be a stand-up comic.

Mrs. Moore, cronie and teacher, immediately pinged me via facebook and pretty much told that I would be mentoring M&M for his senior project. She'd already given him my name and he'd already sent me a friend request, so I didn't really have a choice.

I'm usually reluctant to engage in these kinds of activities, knowing full-well that they require a lot more work than anyone realizes - coupled with the fact that I'm a perfectionist and a control freak. I get absorbed into projects quickly.

But after our first Skype session, M&M won me over with his great attitude and enthusiasm.

His task - create a 15-minute set in 3 months. Sounds easy enough. The biggest obstacle was that M&M had no crowds to test his material on. At 17, he's not allowed in any bars in greater Manchester, so open mic nights are out. He'll have to practice on Mrs. Moore - her payback for signing me up to volunteer.

The American Comedy Institute

When I was newcomer in New York I took a life-changing stand-up comedy workshop at the American Comedy Institute, with Stephen Rosenfield. Steve is an understated, simply hilarious man, with writing skills that make you believe that comedy is easy.

Steve's workshop drove home 3 simple ideas:

• Know what makes you funny
• Write quick, clean set ups
• Follow them up with hard, relentless punches

We worked in class, improving our funny stories in front of one another. Then we sat down with Stephen for one-on-one writing sessions. At the end of the workshop, we showcased our new material in front of a live audience.

This will be the approach I take with M&M.

In The Beginning

We're off to a great start. In our first session, M&M tells me that his idol is Dane Cook. Good. I approve.

Dane Cook's comedic voice is so strong, he could recite the Bible and it would be unmistakeably Dane Cook. If M&M can grasp this notion in himself, and not try to be a copy of Dane Cook, we're gold.

So who is M&M? So far, I know that he's 17 years old, mischievous with a conscience, works in the produce section of the local grocery, has girlfriend, and his dad is a cop. All of this should add up to some exceptional comedy.

Photo by flickr

Unibrows and Weird Al Yankovic

If you’re in Seattle and need a brow job or bikini wax, you go to Stacya Silverman on Queen Anne. Not just for the excellent service, but also for the conversation. A maven of the arts, Stacya works on every actor, comic and drag queen in the city, and offers her opinions and inside stories freely. Being of Mediterranean descent, I make frequent pilgrimages to Stacya’s for full facial depilatory and to catch up on the latest news.

After kvetching about why the Seattle Rep still hasn’t hired Allison Narver as artistic director, Stacya told me about her recent trip to New York. In typical Silverman fashion, she landed at JFK for a fun getaway and was immediately called in to do the makeup for a music video being directed by Weird Al Yankovic, based on the children’s book Philadelphia Chickens.

Weird Al Yankovic got his start 30 years ago on the Dr. Demento Show. My brother and I would listen in every week at 11pm. My dad banging randomly on the adjoining bedroom wall, demanding “turn it off and go to sleep.” We’d just turn it down and move closer to the stereo.
Weird Al, got his start as a college DJ in southern California. From there he starting satirizing popular songs by the Knack and Queen, “My Bologna” and “Another One Rides the Bus,” respectively.

Weird Al was, at first, a novelty act - like Tiny Tim, with an accordion rather than a ukulele. It wasn’t until MTV, that Weird Al went global. There are a lot of humorists like Weird Al, that may not have made the transition to the national market. Their humor is almost dependent upon low production values and solo mentality.

But Yankovic embraced his fame and took his act to new heights by spoofing the infamous “Beat It” video with his own “Eat It.” Next came “Like a Surgeon.” It was clear that Weird Al was not shy about his satire, taking on the most difinitive pop songs and idols of the 80s.

Not every artist is clamoring for Weird Al to parody their songs, however. He’s been refused by some of the best in the business:

• Prince
• Led Zepplin
• Paul McCartney
• Eminem

His parody of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise,” entitled “Amish Paradise” got dicey when Coolio contested giving Yankovic permission to cover the song. But since the royalty checks were already cashed Coolio and Yankovic made peace moved on.

photo by flickr.

Steve Martin

If you don’t love Steve Martin, you either haven’t seen his stand-up, or you’re on the wrong medication. Steve Martin takes old-school conventions and turns them into something entirely whacky.

Well dressed in his signature white suit, Martin poses as the straight-laced intellectual. But nothing he does conforms to this persona. In fact, his comedy stems from the dichotomy between the cool and slick guy he presents and his absurd, nonsensical and unpredicatable actions. The more seriously he seems to take himself, the funnier he gets.

What makes him truly great is that all of these seemingly random bits are skillfully crafted for maximum effect. I wonder how much improv Martin used in his comedy. My guess is very little. In fact, I bet that he never went on stage without lengthy preparation.

The Great Flydini, shown here, is a perfect example of Martin’s use of an old-school convention, that of the stock magician act, spun with Martin’s absurdist humor.

In his book Born Standing Up, Martin explains how his performing began with a magic act at Disneyland. Later, in college, he studied philosophy and existentialism. This was the perfect foundation for his comedy.

Stock, community-fundraiser-style entertainment, like:

• Balloon animals
• Arrows through his head
• Playing the banjo

Mixed randomly with absurdist, philosophical bits like:

• Comedy is Not Pretty
• Let’s Get Small
• The Cruel Shoes

Although no longer playing to sold out arenas full of King Tut fans, we’re fortunate that Steve Martin is still writing. Novels like The Pleasure of My Company and Shopgirl give us a deeper look into the curious brain of Steve Martin. Unsurprisingly, in both novels, his main characters struggle to break the boundaries of their own psyche.

Photo by Flickr

Why Comedians?

Comics are like snowflakes, no two are ever alike. From Borscht Belt old-timers like Milton Berle and Sid Ceasar, to the unknown newcomers in the comedy hubs of LA, Chicago, New York and Montreal, each brings a distinct voice to their comedy.

• Rodney Dangerfield, the lovable loser
• Steve Martin, that wild and crazy guy
• Chris Rock, the antithesis of the angry black man
• Sarah Silverman, the nice jewish girl gone bad

It is their distinctive personalities, they’re own skewed view of the way things are, delivered in their unique voice that makes comedy happen.

This blog is dedicated to the comedian - past, present and future. For their voice, passion, neuroses and humor.

Each post, will feature a new comic - some old, some new, and some you’ve not yet heard of. We’ll attempt to illuminate what drives a comedian to stand up in front of people and make them laugh. We’ll gain insight into how they struggle, how they triumph, and how they prepare for their next gig.

Calling All Comics

My sincere hope for this blog is to engage working comics to share their stories and offer us a window into the life of a comedian. Let us know how you found your funny.

We’ll dissect the various styles of comedy from prop comics like Gallagher and Carrot Top, to insult comics like Lisa Lampanelli and Don Rickles. We’ll hear their stories, watch their videos and understand how their comedy evolved from their own life experience.

How To Be Cool

Although I am not a huge advocate of bathroom humor or racial comparisons, I do want to encourage a freedom of expression through this experience. So readers, bear in mind that there may be un-pc entries, and political and/or personally offensive commentary. I do, however, want this blog to remain off the lists of "adult content," so cursing and linking to such content will not be tolerated.

Let’s be cool and not push our own agendas, nor take things too seriously. In short, let’s keep our sense of humor about the whole thing.

Thanks for joining me on this quest. I hope you enjoy it as much I do.

photo by flickr