Comedians in NYC rumbling with owners

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on December 23rd, 2004

No less an institution than the New York Times has seen fit to comment on the current skirmish (alluded to in the pages of this very magazine by SHECKYmagazine columnist Jim Mendrinos in his most recent column) between NYC comics and NYC comedy club owners. Seems that the club owners have a pile of cash that the comics covet. They’re throwing around terms like “coalition” and “strike” and getting some owners to give up some of the jack.

But workanight comedians say the rates in city clubs pale to what they can make doing longer sets on college campuses or headlining in other cities. “I could do 30 shows in town and make $800,” said Ben Bailey, a 34-year-old comic with a wife and a cat at home. “Or I could work the road and do eight shows and make $2,000. There’s no comparison.”

The obvious question is: Why then doesn’t Mr. Bailey work the road? Does anyone work a NYC club for the money?! One of SHECKYmagazine’s fine columnists is a driving force behind this movement, and we wish him and all the comics who have chosen the NYC lifestyle well. But we’re weighing that against our longstanding opposition against anything that even smells vaguely like a union. We’ll keep tabs on this whole affair and let you know how it plays out.

Note to NYT reporter Jesse McKinley: Check your hackneyed prejudices at the door. Get a load of paragraph #3 from McKinley’s piece:

Seriously, folks, you can’t make this stuff up. Hardened by decades of low wages and even lower self-esteem, some 300 New York comedians have decided to unite to ask the city’s comedy clubs for, well, a little respect. (Oh, and more pay.)

Let’s think back… back over all the billions of gallons of ink spilled on the noble cashier/auto worker/bus driver who ever made even the slightest rumble about a pay increase and let’s try and recall if there was ever a mention made of anyone’s fucking self-esteem!! We don’t want any melodrama, and we acknowledge that it’s an article about “funny people(!)” but cut us a fucking break! Read the rest if you are registered with the NYT website.

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