Comedians, especially stand-up comedians are unique individuals that have a craft that is seemingly easy-to-do but is actually very difficult to implement. Being funny on stage is not as easy as it sounds, but where do comedians get the courage or the charisma to perform?
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Being Overweight And Comedy
There are many comedians who are overweight, and it’s difficult to ignore it. But being overweight is not important when it comes to comedy. A prime example is Melissa Peterman weight loss—she was just as funny when she was overweight. Although her being overweight probably shaped her personality and enabled her to be the comedian she is, losing the weight changed nothing.
Comedians Are Not Normal People
As many comedians (Joe Rogan, Russell Peters, Andrew Schulz, Ms. Pat and many more) have mentioned before, being a comedian requires a certain personality that sets them aside from normal people. These are people who have either undergone significant trauma in their lives, or lead an unconventional life, and they have found their outlet in laughing and making people laugh about it. It’s true however, that for many comedians the laughter is merely on the outside because many suffer from depression. A classic example of depression among comedians would be Robin Williams—as much as he had touched the whole world with his comedy, he suffered from extreme depression and committed suicide as a result.
Stand Up Comedy Requires A Lot More Emotional Effort
One the surface, stand up comedians make their craft seemingly easy to do. The truth is, however, that it is not easy to find success in this particular industry. Handling the rejection of a bad joke on stage requires a lot of emotional strength. Also, the comedian must be able to successfully distinguish a bad joke from a good one, and the only way to perfect a joke is to try it out in front of an audience. There is no way to practice in private, because what one finds funny is not necessarily funny to an audience. There are so many minute details that a comedian needs to get just right in order to get the right response from their audience. This is why even highly successful comedians need to constantly visit small comedy clubs before compiling enough material to compose a successful comedy special that is recorded in front of a larger audience (such as an arena).
Although comedy is a talent that can’t be taken away from some comedians, they still need to work hard in order to achieve success. For example, while Eddie Murphy’s first appearances on SNL and his comedy specials (Delirious, and Raw) were highly successful, and then he movies were very popular— by his own admission, his reemergence and return to comedy after such a long break is not easy. After all, he had not been on stage for 30 years. It took a lot of work and courage for him to return his fast-mouthed comedy on stage. The bottom line is, if you’re thinking of becoming a stand-up comedian, know that you’ve got your work cut out for you.
