review

Stand-Up Comedy: The Book (Review)

By on May 10, 2011 in Book Reviews

This is a Book Review for Stand-Up Comedy: The Book by Judy Carter. You can also check out other book reviews on Humor That Works or see our recommendations in our Humor Resources.

Book Synopsis

All the world loves a clown and whether you want to clown around at parties or make a living as a standup comic, comedian Judy Carter can show you how to ‘do’ comedy.

My Thoughts

Judy Carter is also the author of The Comedy Bible, written in 2001, and though this book is older (1989) and I read it second, I still think it’s the better book. Much of the same praise from The Comedy Bible remains the same:

If you are brand new to stand-up comedy, you will learn some of the basic terminology like setup, punch, and callback. It’s also written as if it were a workshop, leaving the reader to do exercises and activities which encourages the best way to get better at comedy: by doing it.

However, what I like about this book better is that it’s more focused. The Comedy Bible tried to do too much–this focuses on building your first set as a stand-up comedian. It doesn’t claim to help you climb to the top in the business, nor is it diluted with a poor attempt at teaching you how to write sketch comedy: it’s written specifically for the person who wants to try stand-up for the first time, and to-date, is the best book that I’ve found for that.

There is one watchout with the book: comedy has evolved in the 20 years since the book was written and, though most of it holds up, some of the techniques are outdated–namely the idea that every thing you say has to be in the style of “setup/punch.” You’ll be OK  if you follow the tips in the book, just know that you won’t be on the bleeding edge of comedy.

My Favorite Part

I enjoy the journey the book takes you through as you start to develop a possible stand-up set. The reminders are also helpful: “Remember, comedy doesn’t kill. The trick to dealing with fear is to go on in spite of feeling afraid.”

The Bottom-Line

If you’re brand new to comedy and interested in trying stand-up (or are still in your first year), this book can help you get a jump-start on the process. It won’t make you an instant success and you’ll want to use your own sense of style to determine what’s right for you, but it is a good primer to the fun, yet challenging world of stand-up comedy.

Rating (out of 5): :-) :-) :-) :-)

Buy it on Amazon: Stand-Up Comedy: The Book

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Comic Insights Book Review

By on March 12, 2011 in Book Reviews

This is a Book Review for Comic Insights: The Art of Stand-Up Comedy by Franklyn Ajaye. You can also check out other book reviews on Humor That Works or see our recommendations in our Humor Resources.

Book Synopsis

If you want to build a stand-up comedy career, this book is a must read. If you want to write comedy, this book is a must-read. If you simply enjoy comedy …this book is a must read. Part One offers essential advice about understanding the fundamentals of stand-up, studying other comedians, finding your own style, writing your material, working the live performance, and appearing on television. Fascinating, candid, insightful interviews with today’s top comedians, who discuss at length why and how they do what they do, comprise Part Two, the bulk of the book. The third and last part of the book addresses your stand-up career through interviews with noted comedy club owners, an agent, a personal manager, and a television talent co-ordinator.

My Thoughts

If you’re looking for a book on how-to do stand-up comedy, this isn’t exactly it. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good book though; it is. As the name suggests, this book is for those looking for insights into what it means to do stand-up, and things to keep in mind when first starting.

Part One starts with one of the better breakdowns I’ve read for the elements of Stand-Up (Point of View, Honesty, Delivery, Timing, etc), and also gives the lay of the land for structuring material and performing in clubs. You won’t walk away from the first part with a set-list to perform, but you will have a much stronger sense for how to start thinking about creating one.

Part Two is where things really get good–tips, tricks and insights from some of the top comedians of the 90′s and early 00′s. While their comments won’t help you write a joke, they will give you a sense of what stand-up comedy is really like, what it takes to be successful and things to do/avoid as a comedian. Of all the sections, this is where I did most of my highlighting.

Part Three starts to hint at things to do if you want to be successful in the business of comedy by sharing thoughts from various managers and club owners. There are some helpful sections and interesting ideas, but there’s nothing written that will dramatically improve your skills in the industry. One of my favorite quotes did come from this section, from Jamie Masada: “The greatest good deed you could do for people [is] to make them laugh.”

My Favorite Part

The best part of the book is Part Two, specifically the excerpts from George Carlin and Jerry Seinfeld. And one of the pieces of insight that’s stuck with me the most, and applies to other areas of life, comes from Paul Reiser: “Watching a mediocre comic will trigger you. You’re not inspired by greatness, you’re inspired by mediocrity.”

 

The Bottom-Line

If you’re looking for a how-to write stand-up book, I’d recommend picking up something else. But if you want to improve your stand-up, or at least your understanding of it, pick this up to get into the minds and thoughts of some of the former juggernauts of the game.

Rating (out of 5): :-) :-) :-) :-)

Buy it on Amazon: Comic Insights: The Art of Stand-Up Comedy

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How to Be Funny Book Review

By on February 15, 2011 in Book Reviews

This is a Book Review for How to Be Funny: The One and Only Practical Guide for Every Occasion, Situation, and Disaster (no kidding) by Jon Macks. You can also check out other book reviews on Humor That Works or see our recommendations in our Humor Resources.

Book Synopsis

An invaluable guide on how to “lighten up” from a distinguished pro who has provided laughs for JAY LENO, BILLY CRYSTAL, STEVE MARTIN, ROBIN WILLIAMS, BRAD GARRETT, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, AND MANY MORE.

Who hasn’t wished for the perfect withering comeback line, a clever tension-breaking quip, or a winning flirtatious remark? Being funny is hard work and not everyone is a natural. How to Be Funny is a witty guide that teaches readers precisely how to be funnier in everyday life. It’s a must-read for anyone who has to speak in public, be engaging and funny at work or at play, or who hopes to one day go out on a date.

My Thoughts

You can’t blame someone for being ambitious, but Jon Macks may have tried to do much. The book is titled How to Be Funny, but it misses the mark in the “how to” department, and it certainly doesn’t cover every occasion, situation and disaster (how could it, it has less than infinite pages).

It’s not all bad–Macks is definitely a witty guy and the book starts out very promising. The 13 “Rules” for being funny are a great starting point for any comedian (have a point of view, surprise them and sell the joke to name a few), as is the definition of the different types of “humor.”

The problem is that Macks doesn’t live up to the title. For a book that’s supposed to cover every situation, there are quite a few types of humor comedy missing (it’s clear from the context of the book that Macks makes the mistake of using humor and comedy as synonyms–this is incorrect, comedy is only one type of humor). Even putting aside my personal pet-peeve of incorrectly using “humor,” the book barely gets you past the initial stages of comedy.

The later part of the book does include some interesting sound bytes (“word bytes?”) from various comedians, but nothing that really grabs your attention. If you’re  looking for insights from professional comedians, Comic Insights by Franlyn Ajaye is a much better option.

My Favorite Part

The aforementioned 13 “Rules” (referred to as The Building Blocks of Funny) are great for setting the stage of being funny. Each one is relevant to comedy and Macks helps explain the context of each of the rules. Perhaps the best insight comes from the rule of Understanding the Hidden Truth: “Every great joke uncovers something. Funny people say out loud what the rest of the world is thinking.”

The Bottom-Line

The book fails to live up to it’s ambitious name and only starts the discussion on what it takes to “be funny.” I don’t fault Macks, what he attempts to do is very difficult, he just doesn’t set the right expectations about what he’s able to deliver.

Rating (out of 5): :-) :-) :-)

Buy it on Amazon: How to Be Funny: The One and Only Practical Guide for Every Occasion, Situation, and Disaster (no kidding)

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The Comedy Bible Book Review

By on January 15, 2011 in Book Reviews

This is a Book Review for The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom–The Comedy Writer’s Ultimate “How To” Guide by Judy Carter. You can also check out other book reviews on Humor That Works or see our recommendations in our Humor Resources.

Book Synopsis

Do you think you’re funny? Do you want to turn your sense of humor into a career? If the answer is yes, then Judy Carter’s The Comedy Bible is for you. The guru to aspiring stand-up comics provides the complete scoop on being — and writing — funny for money.

My Thoughts

Pavarotti once said, “Learning music by reading about it is like making love by mail.” The same is true for comedy–the best way to get better at comedy (whether it be stand-up, sketch or other) is to get out there and do it. With that said, a book can help speed up the learning curve, so long as it’s the right one.

The Comedy Bible isn’t that book. Don’t get me wrong, Judy Carter does share some helpful information and the book will likely help the novice performer, it’s just not the first book (or second, or third, or …) I’d buy on the subject of comedy.

Not to be a Negative Nancy (apologies to any readers named Nancy), there are some pros of the book. If you are brand new to stand-up comedy, you will learn some of the basic terminology like setup, punch, and callback. It’s also written as if it were a workshop, leaving the reader to do exercises and activities which encourages the best way to get better at comedy: by doing it. Finally, it covers more than just writing comedy, giving a high-level view of the business and industry of comedy.

Now, to be a Negative Nancy (again, apologies), the book isn’t up to par with other books out there. Carter’s understanding of comedy seems misguided at some points (she suggests Bill Cosby tells jokes; far from it, he’s a storyteller who rarely has the traditional setups and punchlines of “jokes”). And for a book that includes Hack Attack Warnings, she presents a number of rules and ideas that would make someone a “hack.” To be fair, the book is from 2001 so it could be that in the last 10 years, comedy has evolved and the old “good” is the new “bad.”

My Favorite Part

To me, the most helpful tips come from the section headings of Funny Money. There’s nothing innovative about the tips, and they are pretty general, but they are the most helpful, including tips like: “Create a ton of material,” “Study other comics,” and “Highlight your persona.” 

The Bottom-Line

If you’re brand new to comedy, I’d skip this one until you’ve read something better. If you’ve already read a few books on stand-up and need some help writing material, skim the first part of the book and start in Part Two, forcing yourself to actually adhere to the timelines. If you are looking for more insight into the business side of things, jump straight into Part Three.

Rating (out of 5): :-) :-) :-)

Buy it on Amazon: The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom–The Comedy Writer’s Ultimate “How To” Guide

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