Why I won’t support a Hobby Comedian

You’ve got to be serious about comedy even when it doesn’t pay.

Let me start by telling you, I am not a fan of starvation. How can you not have the option to eat great food when you are hungry?! If you don’t have money to fill your stomach then you are doing something wrong. I will side with any comedian keeping a day job to pay the bills and hustling to still keep his stand up comedy dream alive. Having said that, I also do not understand people who say “I’d like to do stand up as a hobby”.

Comedy is not a hobby. It is something that you are good at and its a dream to make more and more people laugh at your jokes. You have to keep that dream alive. To get good at comedy you have to grow by doing more important spots. How long will you keep doing just open mics? The audience at an open mic is widely different from an audience that has paid money to watch comedy. I remember my first professional show and as I was climbing up the stairs to the venue I instantly knew the difference — much fewer fellow comics at a professional show to support you. An open mic is filled with a lot of comics, many of whom started with you. Your friends may be kind to you and laugh at your jokes. An audience is honest and will either love you or make you feel like shit. You have to gain love and appreciation from audiences. You have to be obsessed with improving and pushing yourself to grow. In short comedy has to be number one in your priorities in terms of the work you do. You don’t have to quit your job right now to make comedy your first priority. You can keep three day jobs and still prioritise an unpaid comedy spot. You must show up to do a spot because there’s a bit you are working on which needs improvement not because you were bored at home and had nothing to do.

You have to hustle. You have to be productive. In comedy you are your own boss but you are also your own slave. I recall what Dean Del Ray said “I will work 15 hours a day, seven days a week for myself just so I don’t have to work 8 hours a day, five days a week for someone else”. You can’t let any other priority come in the way to make stand up second place. There are some sad truths which you have to face when you pursue comedy. You can’t get promoted to a high paying position in your day job that will take away more of your comedy time. You can’t go for higher studies. Why would you want to study more for a job that will make you say no to gigs? You have to invest in getting better one gig at a time. Senior comics, producers and bookers can easily spot the difference between someone who takes comedy seriously and someone who is not serious about it. As soon as someone comes across as half assed, there is no point in giving that comic advice, suggestions and most importantly shows. Why would I bother helping someone who may not show up for the next two weeks unless his internet breaks down? I’d rather sit and help someone who is humble and focused on what he/she wants.

If you are a hobby comic who never wants to really make it, then you can still do comedy but do not expect suggestions for improvement or improvement itself. Pick something you are serious about which you will do even if your life is great and you are not bored. Doing comedy comes with a price. You miss important shows on tv, you are doing gigs when your team reaches the finals, you have to say no to vacations because you were booked for a show and you have to go super late for weddings and parties (if you are lucky enough to make it). But in my humble experience, after a great show you will always win more than you have ever lost in chasing a dream and will feel great about your life.

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