What kind of stand-up is the most likeable?

Stand-up comedy could be something to enjoy before going somewhere in the evening and sometimes live at a venue.

But what kind of comedy is the most enjoyable and likeable?

Amusement

This is the alpha and omega here, getting those laughs going is the whole idea of watching stand-up.

One of the comedians I watched, she scored really high on everything except the funniness. The show was enjoyable, but it was still obvious that something was missing.

Even though other factors are important, in this context the amusement is essential.

Relatability or Recognition

If you can’t relate to a story or an experience it might be difficult to understand the set-up and the joke.

Try to imagine stand-up about quantum theory assumptions, sounds a bit uncanny.

If instead, an act centers on something that you can relate to, maybe something that you’ve experienced recently, or something that you’ve been thinking about, it may be very interesting.

If I can relate to the experiences in the act, then I will enjoy it more.

Agreeableness

An agreeable comedian doesn’t put people down and so people most of the time find them pleasant.

For example, they don’t say things that others will find appalling, violent, horrible or disgusting.

And they avoid coming across as smug, arrogant or big-headed.

Dave Chappelle is an example of someone who is agreeable, while Eddie Murphy, Dennis Miller and Bill Burr are sometimes in one way or another leaning in the other direction. Check out Dave:

Stability and Positivity

A comedian doesn’t have to radiate positivity, but they should avoid pessimistic and negative sentiments.

They should avoid making the impression of being anxious and troubled.

For example, I think Robin Williams, Woody Allen and Jon Stewart display these neurotic sentiments at times.

Whereas Russell Peters, in his acts embodies a sound stability:

There are also things that mostly just take away attention away from the positives, such as insecurity or a strong accent, but the most important general characteristics, were, for me, the ones above.

So when you’re trying to find out what stand-up to watch, or if you’re performing, you could choose to go for something that is funny, relatable, agreeable and positive/stable.

Maybe something by Mr Chappelle? Or by Aziz Ansari, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, or Kevin Nealon.