Standup Comedy: A Serious Lecture or Fun-packed Chatter?

 



Stand-up Comedy: The Basics 


It is the style of delivering matters in a free comic manner. It uses a mode in which the speaker directly talks to the audience. 


Is there anybody who jump from their seats and start applauding when you are about to welcome Kenny Sebastian on stage? 


Why?


What of his qualities sets your wheels on fire?


It is the ambience he creates that impresses his audience. 


The Ultimate Goal of a Stand-up Comedian


Imagine a situation in which you talk endlessly and ride along with your content like a Ferrari. If you are planning to learn your content by rote and produce it before your audience, do not expect them to enjoy your session. It’s a form of art which has the capacity to deliver its potential straight from your heart and no where else.

Here are some tips that define the goal of a stand-up comedian:

  • A Detailed Analysis of Societal Currents 

While you deliver your words, make sure that what you are talking about and how you are presenting it stands on a par with the flow of the society. 


Recently I got to watch Saikiran Rayaprolu's stand-up comedy on how Indians value skin color and appearance. It was really worthwhile to watch the show and assess the traditional rules and stereotypes that remain hidden in each one of us.


Check out the link


https://youtu.be/aTUiGWJinX0

  • The Taste of the Audience

Read your audience and entertain them. The likes and dislikes of your audience matter the most otherwise they may use their liberty to hush you from the stage. 


If you are addressing a group of people from varied age groups make sure you choose topics that appeal to everyone. 

  • Don’t Lecture

The pace of your talk should be in such a way that the audience gets a bit of time to reflect upon the topic and then enjoy it. If you are presenting it as a lecture it kills the pleasure of the talk. And the audience would soon be put to sleep. 

  • Build an Aura of Humor

Your words should be coupled with necessary gestures and facial expressions. Take care not to laugh before you complete your thought. 


You can also act and try some mimicking provided you don’t spoil the air of humor. 


Standup Comedy: A Powerful Weapon


As you see it is not just funny chitchat always. There is sometimes a double meaning to whatever the stand-up comedians say. At times, stand-up comedy is a critical commentary on the society or in other words it’s is a satire on the very society in which we all are part of.  This is why stand-up comedy is now emerging as a career. 


Youngsters these days are very eager and competitive each other to excel in this field because educated young ones are granted a platform to give voice to their inner thoughts, concerns and commentaries on certain issues that dominate the society or the world as a whole. 


Stand-up Comedy: Dark vs Light Humour


Haven’t you noticed some Stand-up Comedians retaining the serious attitude on their face once they deliver the humor and after the audience had applauded it? This attitude has two-fold advantages. 

  1. The audience tends to laugh and enjoy the talk a bit more when the person on board manages to maintain his seriousness. 
  2. The statement or comment he/she has made is a matter of much gravity. Hence the serious expression. Unknowingly, the audience, though laughing, acknowledges the truth. 

Stand-up Comedy: An Eye-Opener via Humor

  • Stand-up Comedy is not just a means of making money. On the one hand, it can make you famous overnight if your content is impressive enough. On the other hand, it helps you to give vent to your opinions and feelings. 
  • Your words can sometimes be an eye-opener for adamant ones. Rather than speaking plainly about something to influence someone, humor becomes an effective way to induce some sense into hard heads. 
  • Through humor, you break the ice and relieve the mind of apprehensions. 
  • It has the ultimate power to influence people, kindle and rekindle certain interests in them, and also is instrumental in shaping their perspectives.
  • Stand-up Comedy also helps one to have a sound knowledge of something via humor.

Conclusion 


The person standing in front of us is not just spinning metaphors and funny arguments for the sake of humor. He/she is, in fact, a clever and qualified one who is able to touch upon the very sensitive and controversial issues to infuse some sense into sleepy heads. 


Stand-up Comedy, on the whole, is a perilous endeavor mainly because of the fact that he is all set to pull the trigger of his inner thoughts to inspire his audience. It is not so easy a task.


Loud round of applause to all the ones who is confident enough to venture into this field. 


Written by - Maryam Salim

Edited by - Kashish Chadha