Comedians are magic!

‘I love hearing a laugh that’s never existed in the world before’. Jerry Seinfeld

Imagine agreeing to accept people ridiculing you!

There is an unspoken, psychological contract made between a ‘new comedian’ and the audience, with both hoping for a positive outcome to their relationship.

Surely, these newcomers need to be a bit weird to put their identity before the judgement of numerous strangers, knowing they will likely be humiliated.

Okay, they are not going to die, but metaphorically they probably will.

What drives someone to display their ineptitude to a bunch of strangers, who can sense weakness, doubt and the opportunity to see fellow humans crumble before their eyes; it’s a tough gig for newbies.

This seems a definite win for the audience, as some have the primary instinct to find fault in the performance of the poor clown who bombed, maybe it makes them feel better about themselves?

Welcome to the world of the novice who has ambitions of making it, in one of the most brutal arenas, as a comedian. Getting over, around or through the figurative wall is a challenge that many fail.

Starting from scratch can often be problematic for new comedians and whilst they can observe and listen to those with more experience, there is no clear footprint to follow due to the complexity of rhythm, cadence, timing and importantly the micro habits and quirks that are unique to each comedian. Trying to find the invisible is tough. The pace, depth, and number of qualities displayed by the established, competent comic, look like magic to the novice.

The cost of entry to become a comedian seems to be a willingness to sacrifice one’s identity and self-esteem; personal pride needs to be locked away. Even as they take baby steps forward it is still a slog. However, gradual progress is taking place for those with the perseverance and optimism necessary to ignore the pain, as they learn and develop what works for them.

Unfortunately, most newcomers are unable or unwilling to deal with the slings and arrows, that are part of the job. They can listen to and observe the pros displaying their talents; however, this can often be of little use as they are not sure what to look for eg the micro aspects of performance. Role modelling is not as easy as it looks, the idea that a comic's job is just to stand up, talk, move about, and make people laugh…is laughable.

Imagine the alchemy and talent required to put together words and sounds that make strangers chuckle, laugh, and cry, no wonder it seems like magic. The audience is left unaware and unsure about how the comedian has made them laugh. They just stood up, walked about, and said words and yet the audience laughed and clapped.

Maybe there is an element of magic too!

Making something from nothing is tough especially when that something can’t be seen or touched - it’s just a sound created and selected by the comedian, that an audience must interpret. Perhaps this is where the bonding really starts as both parties have a role to play making sense of what’s happening.

As the ‘machine’ filters out the hopefuls, the improving new entrants continue to refine their act, as they move along the invisible learning curve, striving to hit the big time.

The journey from being ‘unconsciously incompetent’ (don’t know they can’t do ‘it’) to, ‘consciously incompetent’ (know they can’t do ‘it’) to ‘consciously competent’ (know they can do ‘it’) to the stage of ‘unconsciously competent’ (do it without thinking) is a real achievement. This seems like magic to those on the way up.

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competence is the

gateway

to confidence -------------------------

Competence creates efficiency, effectiveness, and a level of confidence that often lifts expectations and achievements.

The very best comedians who hit the peak of ‘master expert’ are the elite of their craft - they still must put lots of energy, thought, and refinement into their performance but they now have ‘ways’ of creating experiences, that leave their audience much happier and feeling better about themselves than when they arrived at the venue. Bedazzling fellow humans is a skill.

Once at the ‘master expert’ level, performance tends to glide more easily with belief, confidence, and optimism boosting the planned and instinctive killer jokes. Seasoned comedians have built a robust mental armoury to deal with criticism and rejection. They use it as fuel to feed their desire for success (it still hurts!).

This is a journey worth the effort due to the opportunities and status that can be gained for those gifted with latent talent, grit, and desire.

Having an optimistic outlook has many benefits, such as being able to imagine a bright future and creating an upbeat mood and atmosphere that can expand beyond oneself to the point that a group of people collaborate to applaud a stranger.

If comedians can develop the resilience and optimism that enables them to progress their abilities and performance, not only are they building their self-reliance and confidence but also the improved performance means they have simultaneously widened their comfort zone. This action often leads the performer to take more risks, try new experiences, and push the boundaries, which seems very important if you are a comedian. Knowing that you can stretch your scope of material and enhance your style, must surely be a positive, as the comic continues to move towards the goal; ‘master’, emulating the current greats such as Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Gervais, Dave Chappell, Bill Burr etc.

One of the biggest hurdles we often see in many situations is people lacking the willingness to step out of their comfort zone. The self-restraining choices that many people select affect, the scale and quality of opportunities they have. It is understandable to not want to be exposed or placed in situations where we feel out of our depth, however, if we want to enjoy the benefits of growth, we are likely to feel inept, embarrassed, and ‘suffer’ as part of the process to achieve our goals. By doing this we extend our reach which leads to personal growth and often unexpected opportunities.

If you are reluctant to push on because you don’t like being judged or it hurts your identity too much, perhaps being a comedian isn’t for you. However, imagine if you reframe the situation from ‘I’m being attacked and judged’ to disassociating yourself from the judgements and reframing it to ‘this is a positive opportunity that will serve me well in the future and I’m ok to accept the feedback’; at least give it a few more goes, you never know!

By the way, not all comedians are upbeat, confident or optimistic etc; maybe it’s not a choice for some but they are still able to create a vibe and atmosphere that transforms others' moods, lifting spirits and bringing joy to strangers. I wonder if they benefit from the recognition and feedback created by the positive reaction. Gaining entry with the audience and hearing them laugh might be the psychological contract in action.

One can be a pessimist but that doesn’t mean you can’t be optimistic!

The best comedians put themselves out there to learn and grow whilst being judged harshly; they never give up. They get to the top despite the setbacks and humiliation along the way.

Time, practice, and experience start to pay off for those who can navigate the often-invisible process of growth, whilst along the way the ‘machine’ filters out the hopefuls. The successful ones still get nervous and bomb, from time to time, however, their determination and desire will have built their metaphorical muscle through practice and repetition. Their now robust mental armoury helps them to deal with criticism and rejection. They use it as fuel to feed their desire for success and raise them to the top of their profession.

In a world that can be tough to achieve our goals, perhaps we should admire the sheer doggedness of anyone who has climbed higher than others who didn’t make it. Their perseverance and being bold have enabled them to get to the top of their tree.

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Be

Bold

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Dealing with the nerves, tough feedback and setbacks filters out the applicants over time, leaving the space for others who really want it. Those who can see and convert the possibilities by being bold and optimistic are, typically, the ones who have earned their status as a Comedian.

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Have a think?

Who do you know that is optimistic?

How do they demonstrate this?

What are their skills?

Perception | Potential | Performance