Hello fellow comedians! (wow, didn't realise how geeky I could make myself sound)
I have a question for you all. I'm relatively new to comedy writing and have written my first stand up routine of around 5 minutes in length. Thing is, some parts are a bit on the offensive side.
I just wanted to get an idea, from comedians who's routines are perhaps a bit risque too-how have audiences generally reacted to it in a pub/small comedy club setting?
Hope anyone can help!
Summer Ray
Not a comedian but when I was in bands I always reminded my myself that Iggy Pop shat on stage. Always found it a great yard stick.
Quote: Ignatius Rake @ October 10 2012, 1:45 PM BSTNot a comedian but when I was in bands I always reminded my myself that Iggy Pop shat on stage. Always found it a great yard stick.
That's called incontinence or something like that and is a medical condition... 
Brilliant! But my offensive is a different kind of offensive. It's more personal...I'm talking ethnic minorities and terminal illnesses. Basically, I want to know the likelihood of me getting beaten up and/or shot on the way home after a gig.
Quote: SummerRay @ October 10 2012, 1:51 PM BSTI'm talking ethnic minorities and terminal illnesses.
Making offensive jokes about either is not something I would encourage in the slightest. Stick to shitting on stage. It's far more wholesome.
And yeah, if you did get beaten up or worse, don't expect any sympathy.
Wow, harsh words there. I'm not really one to shit live so I think I might give that a miss
Ask yourself this question, are these "offensive" jokes sufficiently funny that you are willing to back them up and explain yourself to people who might be offended by them?
Thanks Tony, good point. I think so, yes...
The answer to your question is that you can be as "offensive" as you want, the beauty of stand up comedy is that no one, in theory, censors it, however, on a practical level, if you don't make the audience laugh but make people walk out or complain to the promoter then you won't get many bookings.
It takes a lot of experience to handle sensitive subjects in a way that can make people laugh.
Yes, thanks. Personally, I think the routine is entertaining but because I'm new to the stand-up scene, It's hard to tell...
maybe I should just go ahead and do it. What's the worst that can happen? Hmmm maybe I shouldn't say that...
Quote: SummerRay @ October 10 2012, 3:05 PM BSTWow, harsh words there. I'm not really one to shit live so I think I might give that a miss
Yeah, sorry. Maybe they were.
Exactly how offensive are you talking?
It's hard to say on here without actually telling you the routine. I perform it in quite a tongue in cheek way though so I think that anybody with half a brain would know I'm not being serious.
Are you mocking racism a la Alf Garnet or promoting it a la Skrewdriver?
If the latter, best to expect a kicking probably.
Depends who the actual victim of the joke is. Nothing necessarily wrong with talking about those subjects but if it comes across as unfunny and just taking the piss out of them then people start getting bored and annoyed.
For example, there's a Jimmy Carr joke that goes "If only Africa had more mosquito nets, then every year we could save millions of mosquitos dying needlessly from aids." It is offensive because of the way that something as trivial as mosquitos are seen as more important than all the millions of humans that die from aids. However, the difference is that if you actually analyse it, it's not actually laughing at people dying from aids, therefore you can justify it (though I don't like it myself).
Also, you don't have to be offensive. Don't aim to be offensive for the sake of it, it's not your job.