I think another valuable aspect here is: once you've got your audience on the same page with a familiar concept, you can start veer off the beaten path.
Take the elevator operator section: it starts with what you'd expect from an elevator operator (friendliness, understanding), only then does it get a little off (gossip), and only THEN does it get to how many N-words are they using.
If the first question was "are they using the right number of slurs", you'd lose a lot of people. You have to get them to trust you enough to hold your hand before you can pull them off the road.
Exactly. It’s sort of related to the “capper” that Jeff had mentioned before, but it’s about the process of getting to it.
And sometimes, as in Dumb And Dumber, putting another capper that’s even more absurd, which is basically what this one is.
BTW, I’m surprised that “elevator operator” is still well known enough to use? Over 40 years ago they were in the apartment complex my Aunt lived in, but one of them operated the automatic one, I assume as an agreement with the union to not lay off anyone. I also assumed they wouldn’t hire new people?
I feel like this kind of falls into the same trope as "Arson, murder, and jaywalking". The crazy thing is made more crazy when it pops up in a context that was otherwise played straight
There's some saying about specificity being the soul of wit, or whatever. But I loved the glorious vagueness of whether the operator "used the N-word the expected number of times." I would typically expect zero, but who knows? It could be the elevator at RNC headquarters
I think that line works in part because it’s specific to the corporate tone angle. It offers no opinion on the correct number of N-words, just wants to make sure you were satisfied with them.
You could probably do an entire bit about "The RNC, now with filters off."
Put a few obvious jokes in about politicians: Pence is a literal robot, don't ask how DARPA did it.
Veer toward: "we really hate trump" (because, um, of course they do, and they can't say it).
Then drop the slurs, at the end, once people are nodding along.
Alright, but the wicked thing to do is "The DNC, now with filters off" or maybe, if you have a decently educated audience, "The DNC, circa 1868." -- what follows needs to be "things that democrats have recently said" that are absolutely what the DNC would have said back then. Things like "you can't eat watermelon sold by a black man." (Given reasons differ.)
Hey Jeff, thanks very much for the shout out, and thanks to everyone who liked the piece and subscribed to my Substack. Now I'm feeling the pressure to get off my ass and start writing more!
“It was my understanding that there would be no math”
Here is where I, a math guy and therefore a pedant, point out that the Samberg example is closer to crossword puzzle shit. Next time, keep it in your Shortz!
Jeff, are you still doing Komedy Klass from time to time? I've been an unwashed, unpaid subscriber but recently became baptized in the waters of giving you $7.50 per month, and I've been saved.
I have a couple questions, but first, context: I'm a "failed actor" who lived in DC (hey!), left the Mormon church after that, stopped doing all creative things when I moved back to Utah, now living in Salt Lake City. Last year, I went balls deep into improv and actually found a non-identity-obsessed venue in my area. I'm playing there most Saturdays and it's been incredible fun and really is sharpening my chops in so many ways, while allowing me to use my full range from actor training. (SLC is quite a mix of cultures, not all Mormon, so ... phew!)
1) How does one "train" an audience over time to appreciate long-form improv? We do a lot of 15- to 20-minute formats. We have small audiences, which we planned for. Our director is experienced and used to teach on the West Coast, but in today's TikTok-ification of humor, a lot of people tend to expect absurdism/dadaism (without knowing that's what it is), anti-humor, reference-based wit, etc., and while I love all those things, a lot of long-form improv is also more "organic," slow, character-based, and referencing the audience's suggestions and previous scenes.
2) Scene-based humor requires context, buy-in (which I know you've talked about), and audience participation at the beginning. That makes it kind of hard to market with clips for social media promotion. Any ideas on that?
3) I'm not as online as I used to be, now that I am 37 and weaning myself off social media in my personal life. So there are definitely some trends I miss. But I don't know if that's as consequential for understanding or developing our audience. I'd like to attract audiences who are also somewhat literate. (At the same time, most people won't know what "seppuku" means if we do a samurai scene.) What degree of balance is there to be found between quick wit, building up to a large narrative pay-off, character-based humor, and the general weirdness and vulgarity of improv?
No deep thoughts here, but that survey was genuinely hilarious.
I think another valuable aspect here is: once you've got your audience on the same page with a familiar concept, you can start veer off the beaten path.
Take the elevator operator section: it starts with what you'd expect from an elevator operator (friendliness, understanding), only then does it get a little off (gossip), and only THEN does it get to how many N-words are they using.
If the first question was "are they using the right number of slurs", you'd lose a lot of people. You have to get them to trust you enough to hold your hand before you can pull them off the road.
Exactly. It’s sort of related to the “capper” that Jeff had mentioned before, but it’s about the process of getting to it.
And sometimes, as in Dumb And Dumber, putting another capper that’s even more absurd, which is basically what this one is.
BTW, I’m surprised that “elevator operator” is still well known enough to use? Over 40 years ago they were in the apartment complex my Aunt lived in, but one of them operated the automatic one, I assume as an agreement with the union to not lay off anyone. I also assumed they wouldn’t hire new people?
I feel like this kind of falls into the same trope as "Arson, murder, and jaywalking". The crazy thing is made more crazy when it pops up in a context that was otherwise played straight
There's some saying about specificity being the soul of wit, or whatever. But I loved the glorious vagueness of whether the operator "used the N-word the expected number of times." I would typically expect zero, but who knows? It could be the elevator at RNC headquarters
I think that line works in part because it’s specific to the corporate tone angle. It offers no opinion on the correct number of N-words, just wants to make sure you were satisfied with them.
You could probably do an entire bit about "The RNC, now with filters off."
Put a few obvious jokes in about politicians: Pence is a literal robot, don't ask how DARPA did it.
Veer toward: "we really hate trump" (because, um, of course they do, and they can't say it).
Then drop the slurs, at the end, once people are nodding along.
Alright, but the wicked thing to do is "The DNC, now with filters off" or maybe, if you have a decently educated audience, "The DNC, circa 1868." -- what follows needs to be "things that democrats have recently said" that are absolutely what the DNC would have said back then. Things like "you can't eat watermelon sold by a black man." (Given reasons differ.)
Note: Readers may want to turn on Incognito Mode before searching "Shaved MILF Literary Review"
Hey Jeff, thanks very much for the shout out, and thanks to everyone who liked the piece and subscribed to my Substack. Now I'm feeling the pressure to get off my ass and start writing more!
“It was my understanding that there would be no math”
Here is where I, a math guy and therefore a pedant, point out that the Samberg example is closer to crossword puzzle shit. Next time, keep it in your Shortz!
Jeff, are you still doing Komedy Klass from time to time? I've been an unwashed, unpaid subscriber but recently became baptized in the waters of giving you $7.50 per month, and I've been saved.
I have a couple questions, but first, context: I'm a "failed actor" who lived in DC (hey!), left the Mormon church after that, stopped doing all creative things when I moved back to Utah, now living in Salt Lake City. Last year, I went balls deep into improv and actually found a non-identity-obsessed venue in my area. I'm playing there most Saturdays and it's been incredible fun and really is sharpening my chops in so many ways, while allowing me to use my full range from actor training. (SLC is quite a mix of cultures, not all Mormon, so ... phew!)
1) How does one "train" an audience over time to appreciate long-form improv? We do a lot of 15- to 20-minute formats. We have small audiences, which we planned for. Our director is experienced and used to teach on the West Coast, but in today's TikTok-ification of humor, a lot of people tend to expect absurdism/dadaism (without knowing that's what it is), anti-humor, reference-based wit, etc., and while I love all those things, a lot of long-form improv is also more "organic," slow, character-based, and referencing the audience's suggestions and previous scenes.
2) Scene-based humor requires context, buy-in (which I know you've talked about), and audience participation at the beginning. That makes it kind of hard to market with clips for social media promotion. Any ideas on that?
3) I'm not as online as I used to be, now that I am 37 and weaning myself off social media in my personal life. So there are definitely some trends I miss. But I don't know if that's as consequential for understanding or developing our audience. I'd like to attract audiences who are also somewhat literate. (At the same time, most people won't know what "seppuku" means if we do a samurai scene.) What degree of balance is there to be found between quick wit, building up to a large narrative pay-off, character-based humor, and the general weirdness and vulgarity of improv?
The Universe has always done the hard work. When things don’t go to plan I always blame quantum fluctuations in the early universe.
Man, that was funny.
Finally, something I can laugh at in IMBW!
Just want to give my strongest recommendation to the Seth Myers and Lonely Island Podcast. Quaid Army!
(I forgive their friendship with Jake Tapper.)