Modified On September 8, 2004
We each called one. We each are batting .500, to put it another way.
The only good thing that Jay Mohr does is say, “Go see (Exiled Comic) when he’s out on the road!” One minor quibble: He uses the word “support” way too much. This is a pet peeve of ours. We cringe when we hear club owners or emcees thanking the crowd “for supporting live comedy” like we’re some sort of obscure diversion like chamber music or modern dance that might only survive lest the folks in the know come on out and (with the help of government grants or charitable trusts) support us. Ugh!
We’re not going to mention any names, but, it sounded like a coupla comics wrote the material on the way to the theater. Hey, if you’re going to be appearing on national television, doing two minutes (of television-clean material), why not buy some material? After Week #1 or #2, and your team has won $50,000, why not take some of the cash and commission some writer(s) to craft a couple of decent, coherent, Middle-America-pleasing two-minute sets.
New comics and fans are saying, “Why not just slice out a hunk of your club set?” Reasonable question, but it just ain’t the same. Just because somebody’s got 60 minutes of material doesn’t mean he’s got 30 two-minute sets at the ready, ripe for peeling off for use on a reality-TV showcase. There are… considerations. All that aside, there’s gobs of money at stake here. Why not buy some material and give yourself an edge. The whole affair is all so unreal. Why not come prepared with a tight, coherent, two-minute set or two… or three… and worry about all the other stuff later.