No kidding, please

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on July 10th, 2007

Readers of this magazine know we take a dim view of people who encourage kids to take up standup comedy. This time it’s U.K. comedian James Campbell who’s doing it with his Comedy Club 4 Kids.

Founded by comedian James Campbell in 2004, the usually London-based operation decamps to Edinburgh for the Fringe, offering child-friendly performances with a host of guests throughout August. On July 20, a day-long comedy “academy” will teach children aged seven to 13 how to develop a five-minute stand-up routine, using physical and observational techniques, storytelling and sketch-writing skills. Each child who takes part then gets to perform their new act for one night only at the Comedy Club alongside the adult performers.

Where are all the 30-year-old comedians out there with 20 years experience at making people laugh? There are none. They do it for a few minutes, get their clips and then move on to modeling kids and teens clothes for Kmart and Spiegel. It’s a cynical use of the standup stage and craft by their “handlers.”

Like Josh Peck, one of the stars of Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh whose bio says he “started his acting career at age 7 and launched a stand-up comedy career at 9 by appearing in New York clubs including Catch a Rising Star and Stand Up, New York.”

Can we stop putting children on legitimate comedy club stages? Please?

You’re setting the kid up with unrealistic expectations. Kids have too much self-esteem these days as it is without putting them into a situation where they’re going to get charity laughs (and nobody would dare heckle them). And it’s embarassing for the real, adult comics who have to mount the stage after them.

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