Modified On November 4, 2008
From an article in the Western Washington University school newspaper on a gang of crazy kids who are doing the coffehouse open mike, comes this quote from WWU junior Alex Haley:
“My uncle was a comedian and I guess that’s where I got my first exposure to stand up comedy,” Haley said.
He said when he was in the sixth grade, his teacher made a deal with him in which she would let him do stand up for the first 10 minutes of class as long as he would stay quiet for the rest of the day. He said he usually would tell his uncle’s jokes regardless if his fellow classmates got them or not.
Reporter Talithia Taitano doesn’t follow this up with a question as to exactly who this uncle is! Brian Haley, perhaps?
We want to know, if for not other reason than to express our condolences– woe to the standup comic who encourages (accidentally or otherwise) a nephew (or a niece!) to go down the standup path! (There will no doubt be an uncomfortable holiday dinner or two in this comedian’s future as the distraught parents fear that the WWU tuition money is all for naught!)
The article is noteworthy because all the young comics seem to have their heads screwed on right and seem to be approaching this standup thing with a startling maturity and purpose.