By: Steven Padilla
There are many things that annoy stand-up comedians. Sometimes they talk amongst themselves about it. Other times they keep it to themselves.
I am a member of the Facebook group Connected Comedians. It’s a group where you can pose a question and get some great feedback. Sometimes general and sometimes more on a personal level.
I asked the group what they thought were the most annoying things in stand-up comedy today.
Here are the results…
- People recording CDs/DVD who are barely starting comedy. You’re taping an hour but you’re not even a strong feature. ~Josh Homer
- The industry taking comics with 5 good minutes and ramming them down America’s throat and marketing them as vets. ~Josh Homer
- Comics who think hosting means going 1st and just doing material. ~Josh Homer
- Comics who get press, not based on talent, but a friend who works at the magazine/blog. ~Josh Homer
- Comedians who don’t “know their time” on stage, who notoriously go over, and claim they didn’t know. Old joke: How come comedians don’t go to heaven? Because they never see the light. ~Leighann Lord
- Blue MCs who set the tone of the show with “pussy” jokes, thereby making it harder for ever other comic on the show who is not blue. ~Josh Homer
- Comics who flat out lie about their credits/accomplishments. ~Josh Homer
- Comics who steal jokes. ~Josh Homer
- Being Bitter ,Success is Situational not Obligational! ~Louie Bruce
- The phrase Alt comedy. ~Jim Mendrinos
- Amateur comics acting as if they’re entitled to stage time. It’s a privilege. Be grateful someone’s willing to let you suck on their stage for the sake of you working to get better. ~Jordan Cooper
- Show Promoters who market Open Mics like a Real Show i.e; Flyers and/or cover charge but dont pay Comedians. ~Louie Bruce
- Hating on successful household-name comics. ~Lawuweri Guluka
- Open mic hosts that do 10 to 20 minutes in between other comics. Look I understand you are working on your stagetime, but jeez you are ruining the flow of the show. ~Al Bahmani
- Comics thinking its our right or even our duty to offend the audience – as if they only have the right to react with laughing or applause but not other feedback – we work for them and it seems like most of us forget that because we’re too self absorbed and caught up on being “artists” – its arrogant. ~Mark Dawson
- When comics in the audience are talking amongst themselves during anothers set. ~Mark Dawson
Now I realise there are more than 10 annoying things listed. What I was going to include depended on how many “likes” a comment received. My baseline was at 7 likes. Many tied for that.
It was a very interesting topic. Over 70 comments were made. There were some other very good ones. There was no way to include all of them.
What annoys you? Post in the comment section below.
Twitter- @stevenpadilla78
Comedy Scene In Houston 
claiming scouts from comedy clubs will be there, when its just some guy that is doing a door deal at the club on an off night.
saying your open mic is packed…when no one is there
saying you ‘killed’ at an open mic
saying you ‘killed’ when you did not
being overall delusional
spamming the FUCK out of my Facebook with your promotions for a show im not even on
Flyers with “(insert city) Funniest comics!” And all of the performers are open mic’ers
Food and Drink as payment! (Just ask, we might just do it for free.)
“claiming scouts from comedy clubs will be there, when its just some guy that is doing a door deal at the club on an off night.”
I take issue with this one because
1. I’ve performed at AND attended MANY SOLD OUT shows on so called “off nights”. Some of those so called “off nights” sell out BETTER than some weekend shows…
2. Those “off nights” allow comics who may not normally get booked on a weekend night at the Improv or Showcase to do shows at a “real” comedy club.
3. Those so called “off nights” can actually be just as good or better better pay days for the comics fortunate enough to get booked than a feature spot on the weekend…
4. Those “off nights” create opportunities for comics to be seen by people who might have opportunities beyond the club. I’ve gotten booked for a Bahamas Cruise and the South Texas run all by being seen on an “off night” . I’ve gotten to open for Luenell, Rodney Perry, and Pierre all by opening for Wil Sylvince on an “off night.” I’m getting to open for Cocoa Brown and Joe Claire next month in DC not beccause the promoters saw me do a feature spot on a weekend, but because ANOTHER promoter gave me shot on WHAT? AN OFF NIGHT…
You know what annoys me? Comics who don’t create opportunities for other comics criticizing those that do…
I am also annoyed by top ten lists LOL…
Experienced comics who don’t hustle and wonder why other comics with half their experience get booked twice as much…
Comics who talk shit on FB but smile and shake your hand when they see you…
“Mainstream” comics who are afraid to work “urban” rooms
“Urban” comics who are afraid to work “mainstream” rooms
White comics who think racial jokes will get them far
Black comics who think “white people this, black people that” jokes will get them far
Promoters/Comics who don’t pay (f*** you Steve Flye and Dat Tim)
Comics who BEG you to get on shows but NEVER call you with a gig or even info on their booking agent…
Comics saying they ‘filled the place’ when all they did was book a corner of a bar that was busy anyway, filled with people who (a) were going to the bar anyhoo, (b) had no idea that a comedy ‘show’ was happening (c) couldn’t care f*******g less that there is a comedy ‘show’ happening.
Comics defending one critique on this list. Yet not acknowledging being guilty of several.