For the next eight weeks, follow the advice of a Campus Clipper comedy connoisseur, our former intern, as he goes through the rigorous steps of taking the route of comedic entertainer in one of the most competitive cities in the country: New York City. If you’re looking to be the next Louis C.K. or the next Amy Schumer, you may want to soak up as much comedy genius as you can.
Let’s take it easy and start with the introduction.
There are many different ways to be a comedian, and even more ways to succeed, but an infinite amount of ways to fail.
Don’t give up yet.
It’s important to learn from the success stories of others and be prepared to meet your own challenges head on – learning from them and becoming stronger. That’s what I hope you gain from this series – How to be a Comedian. I hope that you will learn from my mistakes and get a sense of what the industry expects of a successful comic.
I had a slew of questions when I first started in comedy. Over time, I learned some answers the hard way out of my own personal experiences:
How do I get stand up experience? – Open mic nights
How do I make money? – Ha ha!
What if I’m not good? – Practice more
How can I get recognized? – Social networking, videos, stage exposure
The list could go on forever, but all of these questions and more will be answered by me and some of the best experts in comedy. Getting in the comedy game isn’t just about grabbing a microphone and rattling off jokes off the top of your head (although a rare few are talented enough to do so). It takes writing, rehearsal, mental preparation, and overcoming self-doubt.
A comic has to network, to grow, and to expose themselves to everyone they can (not like that – get your mind out of the gutter). However, you need to make sure you bring your “A-game” if you’re going to put yourself out there. You wouldn’t go into battle with zero combat training and no weapon, right? Keep laughing, keep crying, and keep reading.
Stay tuned next week to learn how to take being funny seriously. It works, just trust me.
A few words from the Campus Clipper –
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go the extra mile.) I decided I’d get a manicure before my appointment, so I picked out a pale pink Essie color and took a seat at table right away. The woman who did my nails was extremely thorough when she was prepping them, and very neat with the polish itself. I learned that all of Vada Spa’s employees all had at least five years of experience before coming there, and anyone who’s ever gotten a messy manicure knows that this really makes a huge difference.
good hair day, I know. My hair is thick and curly, which in summer months best translates to massive and frizzy. I’m used to wearing my hair up in a bun almost all the time over the summer, and it’s less because of the heat than because my hair just gets unmanageable. I was determined to fight back this year, and so I looked into upscale hair salons hoping that there would be some difference between the fancier places and my usual local ones. What I wound up trying was Salon Ziba, downtown by NYU. I want to talk a little about my experience there. (Spoiler Alert: great haircut, great people, great price, happy Laura.)
