Jim Gaffigan's Lovable Character

You know the phrase "If it works, don't change it." This saying goes for one of today's beloved comedians, Jim Gaffigan. With the same comedy routine recycled one act after another, one would think Gaffigan's comedy may become a little dull and predictable at times. But on the other hand, every successful comic has recycled his/her act accordingly in order to stay on top. It is too risky to completely alter your persona into a new one. The audience might respond negatively. This is why, if the act works and people love you, do not change it. 

Going back to Jim Gaffigan, the man has literally used the same routine over and over again to achieve acceptance and a good reputation. His routine mainly composes of these two subjects: laziness and food. Although these two topics may seem dull, they are actually a great catalyst for laughs through the fact that almost everyone can relate to them in some way. Everyone has gone through times of laziness and everyone eats. Jim Gaffigan merely uses these two ideas to create comedy.

Using general everyday issues are not the only reason for Gaffigan's success. Obviously, his personality plays a large role. I have said earlier that Gaffigan sticks to one persona. Well, that persona actually comprises of several personas, or personalities with different voices..

Jim (himself) - This voice lets the audience know he is acting as a normal person, telling a story. When acting as himself, Jim uses his dry humor personality. This creates a sense of integrity for the viewers. He usually begins jokes with this personality, as a hook, then later changes as the story transitions into the actual joke. 

Cranky Old Man - This time, Jim disguises himself as the lazy-man of the joke. Whether it's not finding the remote control or just too tired to get out of bed, this voice really paints the scenario into the viewer's head. Everyone has had their share of lazy-man syndrome, which is why people can relate and ultimately appreciate Jim's comedy.  

Moron - This personality/voice is simple: Jim depicts himself as an idiot. Sharing embarrassing moments and dumb statements is often tied into his lazy persona. But in a way, it is different. People are aware of their laziness. Ignorant people, on the other hand, are ignorant of their ignorance. This requires a different level of comedy. The moron personality, Jim acts as, produces this vision for people to laugh at. However, people subconsciously know they make similar mistakes which again, helps people understand the mind of Gaffigan. 

The Conservative - Occasionally after a joke, Jim likes to pretend as if he is one the audience members in the crowd. This character is your conservative, politically-correct evangelist who is somehow put off, after a joke. This is how it works. First Jim starts in with his joke, making fun of somehthing, then he shifts as a viewer and reacts in a defensive way. 

Gaffigan has a few other personalities, but these four make up most of his act. If you watch Jim long enough, you will eventually come across all four of these voices. 

Out of Gaffigan's success, I would say 90% of it consists of two subjects and four voices: laziness and food, and Jim (himself), Cranky Old Man, Moron, and The Conservative. But it is through this style why Gaffigan continues to be loved. His persona captures the behavior of the average American.  To watch some of Gaffigan's work, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9c9lAfXQHs

Bill Cosby: The Storyteller

There is just something about a good story that mesmerizes us. I am talking about good stories though, not the blah, blah, blah "hurry up with it, so I can get on with my life" kind of deal. But there is no clear answer whether storytelling is a gift or skill. Can a person train themselves to be a be a good storyteller or is it something you are born with? I do not know. What I do know, just like most people, is how to identify a good story. I believe out of all the comedians out there, Bill Cosby is the best. He is one of the few comedians that can make me laugh and try and keep quiet at the same time, in order to hear the rest of the joke. This is what a good story does: entertain as well as keeping the listener attentive. 

Bill Cosby's "Bill Cosby Himself" was the first stand-up act I have ever watched. I highly recommend this particular stand-up for young viewers for the funny, yet clean humor. One part I remember most from this act was his story about the birth of his first child. The way Cosby describes this story is so regal, so pristine, you actually start feeling as if Bill is your grandfather and you are ten again, sitting cross-legged on the floor. 

It all starts off with Cosby's appearance. With a light brown suit and tie, you already get the impression of Cosby's professionalism. This immediately gives him well deserved integrity which demands respect. Body posture is another influence that most people might not realize from a good storyteller.  The way he positions himself in his chair, he seems calm, cool, and collect. Cosby gives off the attitude as if he doesn't care of the audience's reaction, he's going to tell his story, the way he wants to, regardless. But he does so, enthusiastically. The combination of energy and emotion, along with poise and swagger is a craft that can rarely be pulled off. This combination is what makes Bill Cosby one of the best storytellers.  

When telling wild and zany stories, the average storyteller does not go into detail about his/her emotions. They just assume the listener understands the matter being described. This failure is what leaves stories bland and boring. But not Cosby.. It is nine months into his wife's pregnancy when she starts going into labor. He immediately lets the viewer know the distress and panic he was enduring. He transports the listener into the car, which he and his wife take to get to the hospital. Later, they arrive at the hospital and it is here, where things get serious. Without morphine, and his wife contracting, Bill describes the pain his wife was going through. Then he would jump back to and play his role as the husband and soon to be father. Then he played as the doctor and all three roles back and forth without missing a beat. It was an impressing performance that I love watching again and again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w-AG_yF1Uw&feature=related

My Personal Favorite

With all the great comedians out there, it is hard to sit down and say "He is my all time favorite." Fortunately for me, Brian Regan sticks out more than any other as the funniest man alive. Now, like I have posted in my previous blog, this kind of decision is based entirely from my own perspective so it does not mean he is the best comic and everyone should like him just as much as me. It is just my personal taste in comedy that attracts me to his technique. However, even critics agree that Regan has achieved that level of greatness and has been doing so for ten plus years.

I am a fan of originality and this man's act is chop full of it. Regan has a particular style where he pokes fun of his own mistakes and flaws instead of targeting the negativities of others, like so many comics so often do. But he self-ridicules, in a way, where the mistakes and flaws are so common, that it turns into a spectacle that almost everyone can relate with. Funny slip-ups such as: saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and embarrassing moments in front of strangers. Brian Regan also has the tenacity to transform average scenarios, like a day at the airport or hospital to dealing with UPS or buying a refrigerator, into sheer comical brilliance. But it's not just turning average moments into funny ones, it's how Regan pulls these jokes off, that destinguishes him from any other stand-up artist out there.

In most of his stories, Regan portrays himself as an idiot by changing his voice, body position and facial expressions into a character that just demands laughter. This character that I cannot even begin to describe, is the epitome of his act. On the flip side, it is this same character that annoys others. These people say "That although Brian Regan can be funny at times, he tends to overkill that idiot character too much and drowns out potential fans." But me, on the other hand, I can't get enough of this comedy. I believe the only thing Regan is missing in his act, is more lines with that idiot character he pretends to be. 

I have listened to Regan so much, that I believe his routine has manifested into the way I act. 

For anyone who wants to watch and laugh, go to  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM-HWkbnDfg&feature=related  

  

Is there Such a Thing as Bad Comedy?

Yeah, unfortunately there is such a thing called bad stand-up comedy, at least in my eyes. But the funny thing about bad stand-up is that no matter how awful a comedian's act may be, someone in some place is enjoying that very act. Comedy is all based on perspective. The only thing that is important in becoming a successful comedian, is gaining respect from the majority. 

In the stand-up business, there is no such term as "indie" like you may have in the music industry. There is not going to be groups of people only attracted to the non-pop comedians like there is in music. Some people only follow underground low-key bands/singers because they feel they have a stronger relationship with that band/singer. And when the singer goes main stream, those people can say "I've been listening to him/her years before they were on the radio." or even "I've known them years before..." even though those people never met the band/singer face to face. You've might of been in a conversation with a person like this or you may even been that person. This is nothing wrong with idea because music is relative to how you think and feel in that moment in time. When listening to lyrics in a song, one might take those words and brainstorm how they pertain to that person's situation in life or just life in general. Examples would be: love songs, break-up songs, songs about materialistic objects, songs about peace, hate songs, and the list goes on and on.  

Even though comedy and music share similarities, comedy can only thrive by the audience's acceptance. A musician can play the piano or guitar with no one around and still gain satisfaction and pleasure. On the other hand, the only time a comedian will say a joke to him/herself is during rehearsal, unless that person is a nut. There is no self-satisfaction in telling yourself your own joke. The gratification only comes from sharing the jokes with others and having them accept it. This point proves why good stand-up is based soley on the perspective of others while good music can be based on both the musician's and/or other's perspective. 

The other day, two of my co-workers were crack'n up laughing their asses off about something during work. Me, being the intrusive person that I am, interrupted their affair to ask what was so funny. Both of them immediately started going off about Mike Epps's stand-up routine. For those who do not know, Mike Epps is primarily known for acting in such films as: All About the Benjamins, Next Friday, Friday After Next, and a few others. He is actually a pretty funny guy in those films, but I never knew him as a comedian. After my friends reenacted a few of the man's lines I immediately became anxious to watch Mike Epps. One of my co-workers lent me the comedy, I went home and watched it. Shortly said, it was awful. It seemed though Mike Epps was improvising his whole act, in fact, I think that is what he did. He had a few shiny moments, but there was no transition from joke to joke. Epps just simply jumped from subject to subject in a random manner. There was even times the audience wasn't laughing at his jokes, and to avoid the awkwardness, Mike Epps would shout a popular line from one of his movies just to distract the obvious: he is a bad comedian. 

Later on in the evening, I tried to convince myself that my two friends from work just do not know comedy. Maybe this was the first time either of them watched stand-up which would explain why they were so easily amused. Or maybe they just watched Mike Epps from a different perspective than I. Maybe an act does not need to be perfectly pieced together with original material to make some people laugh. And although, I felt Epps was not a good comedian, he was funny enough to make my friends laugh. 

Perhaps in the end, all you need, to be a good comedian, is to make two people laugh or even just one... Good thing this isn't a traditional essay because my conclusion does not reflect my opening statement here. Turns out I have learned something through typing this post.