You can imagine how we feel about this…
“Dying” on stage takes one step away from its metaphorical meaning and one step closer to its standard connotation in this show with a premise that is intriguing and also a little disturbing. Comedians will tell jokes, one at a time: If the audience laughs, great; if not, the comedian will be “mercilessly” pelted with paintballs– and presumably he won’t be wearing the sort of body armor enjoyed by the titular moving target of Shoot The Freak at Coney Island. With storyteller/improviser Chris Gethard as the emcee and arbiter of punishment, this sounds like a horrifyingly perfect way to spend a late Saturday.
One Response
Reply to: You can imagine how we feel about this…
I think live comedy almost works better if there is a shred of tension in the air; if the audience KNOWS that they need to respond to the live performance; if there is some factor that unites the entire crowd on a visceral level. This show idea has all of that. HOWEVER, I would also like to add a level of responsibility on the opposite end:
If an audience member fires at a comedian after a joke that everyone else finds funny, the rest of the crowd must shoot that trigger-happy-patron.
Truth is, the entertainment value of hurting another human being without consequence is MUCH higher than ANY other form of live performance. (The overwhelming proof of this is in our history as a species.) It’s bigger than comedy, music, acting, sports, juggling, and dolphins jumping through fire-hoops COMBINED.
My guess is that, even if the most brilliant comics ever were doing sets, the crowd will run out of ammo before the end of the show.
Neanderthals.
Ryan Stout
http://www.ryanstout.net
http://www.myspace.com/ryanstout