Cavett in NYT on standup motivation

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on August 16th, 2008

Dick Cavett expounds on his brief foray into standup and why comics become comics in the New York Times.

And when it works and when, as the great Lynn Fontanne — of that unsurpassed pair of stage comedians, Lunt and Fontanne– phrased it on a show of mine, “on those nights when you’re going high” the thrill is one you don’t get in the pants business.”

Of all the conclusions Cavett makes here, this might be the one closest to reality. We are moved to drag out Occam’s Razor:

…The explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory.

For the flip side of Occam’s Razor, check out the many comments under Cavett’s piece. In particular, check out the blowhard “Rob L” from entertainment hotspot N. Myrtle Beach and Elizabeth Fuller, who writes:

My impulse is to whisk the comic off stage to give him or her a hug and then a good talking to. Your column didn’t satisfy my need to know why I react this way, but it’s nice to know someone else sees the brutality and pain involved in the whole enterprise.

All these folks leave out the very obvious fact that, when one gets good at standup, doing it is fun. Travel, good conversation, no boss, freebies, drinking on the job, appearances on television and radio, cameraderie of fellow comics, lots of laughs– No one ever mentions these perks! Brutality? Pain?

We’re of the opinion that the comments feature after an opinion piece like the one in today’s NYT is like a Rorshach test– the commenters’ own fears, hopes and demons are revealed in the course of expounding on one of their greatest fears, that of standing and addressing a roomful of strangers.

See the SHECKYmagazine interview with Cavett here.

Thanks to Jamie Bendall for pointing us toward the column.

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