Let’s face it. Live comedy is dead... for now.
Comedy clubs are my favorite places in the world. Few things are more beautiful to me than a group of strangers uniting to share an experience through laughter. Unfortunately, the very nature of stand up comedy is a sexual paradise for a virus like COVID-19. Hundreds of humans packed together in a tiny room with low ceilings, while continuously shooting droplets into the air like a confetti cannon on New Year’s Eve. Right now, It’s irresponsible and downright dangerous.
If you’re anything like me, this is a crushing blow. Comedians and comedy lovers alike want to be able to gather and chuckle, especially as the situation drags on. We need levity, especially in a time when the weight of everything is flattening all we’ve ever known to be true. The fabric of society is being shredded, and if we don’t find a way to laugh, we’re going to cry salty tears until we fill up the kiddie pool in our front yard.
But have no fear, my faithful weirdos: VIRTUAL COMEDY IS HERE!
For most consumers, Zoom is a platform for business meetings, family hangs, even just a simple way to spend some face time with a friend. When quarantine began, comedians wasted no time in switching to this format. I had virtual shows within the first week and they haven’t stopped since.
I’m not going to lie. At first, I hated this. Live entertainment is my jam. Staying in my home and performing from my bedroom didn’t have the same appeal. Screaming into my phone can’t give me that adrenaline rush that I crave when I walk onto a stage. That being said, there are some major benefits to hocking jokes in this new medium for both comedians and audience members. Such as...
YOU CAN TUNE IN FROM LITERALLY ANYWHERE
This past weekend my friend had a couple of people over to celebrate his birthday. Being that it would only be five of us and he has a pool, this was one shindig I didn’t want to miss. In the before time, there would have been no way to make this work if I had a show. Now, it couldn’t be easier.
I set up my phone and tripod in his backyard so that all you would see is my gorgeous face and the Pacific Ocean off in the distance, put on my headphones, and happily did a ten-minute set. As soon as it was done, I jumped in the pool and went back to hanging out. With Zoom, the crowd is in your pocket. Anytime. Anywhere.
This also means that we can book comedians from different parts of the globe. On the same show, you can have entertainers from LA, NY, Australia, Indonesia. There are no limitations.
I hosted a show this past weekend from my home in California. One of my friends tuned in from the beach. On the East Coast. No more waiting for me to come to your city. I’m inviting myself to your house every time I do a show. You stay home in your pajamas and cuddle a furry friend, the comedians will take care of your entertainment. After all...
THIS IS A SHARED CONNECTION
One of the aspects of comedy that I miss the most is the random interactions I have as I trot around the planet. I meet people from every walk of life for the sole reason that they want to forget their problems and have a laugh. While we can’t gather safely IRL, we can do it virtually.
Zoom comedy brings people together in real-time. You can hear others laughing. You can see their faces (or not if you want to turn your camera off and just watch). Friends and fans have been genuinely pleased to know that everything is happening in the moment.
My friend Chris said it best after attending a show. “I’ve been watching comedy from my couch my whole life. This is the first time I felt like the comedian was in my home, performing just for me.”
That sums it up perfectly. You can chat with the comedians and other audience members. You can ask questions to spark conversations. You can stare into people’s homes and wonder who the hell chose those terrible drapes! This format allows you to be at peak comfort while experiencing live entertainment from professionals. If you’re missing going out, I feel you. But no matter how you spin it...
THIS IS LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
I don’t know where you’re reading this from, but right now live entertainment of any kind is forbidden in Los Angeles. This leaves a huge void for people like myself who thrive on actual experiences. While you may not be traveling to a destination physically, you are interacting with others and creating memories that will last.
Even though you and your friend may be 2500 miles apart, you can watch a show together and still feel the magic that this is something special. You can discuss the jokes you didn’t get or why one of the comedians was performing from what appeared to be a prison cell toilet.
Movies, TV shows, and streaming services will always be there. Zoom comedy isn’t here to replace Ozark. It’s an alternative. There’s something wonderful about knowing we are all here for the same reason. A TV show can’t change its outcome, but with Zoom...
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
Just like any live comedy show, things are going to happen in the room that can’t be avoided. But now instead of a waitress dropping a tray, dogs are barking, cars are screeching, older generations begin talking because they forget they are in the middle of the show. The variables are endless and some of my favorite moments have been a comic responding to a ridiculous noise or a light going out.
As we all navigate this new reality, there’s going to be a ton of hiccups along the way. No matter what happens, we can always find a way to make it funny.
This also allows you to play with the new format. In one show, I was doing a set as myself when I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I popped off-screen, put on a wig, and came back pretending to be a kidnapped girl being held hostage in Alex’s bedroom. I begged for someone to call the authorities. I dropped out of frame again, then immediately came back as myself and pretended like nothing ever happened.
COMICS: This is your opportunity. Try out that weird bit you’ve always wanted. Take chances. Think about how you can give the best show possible, with and without your written jokes. The stakes couldn’t be lower! There are no bombs on Zoom, only awkward pauses. We all want to take back the stage but we also know that we can’t. That’s why Zoom is here...
IT KEEPS COMEDY FRESH
I’ve heard it a ton. “I can’t wait to be back doing/seeing comedy again.” Well, guess what, buttercup. That transition period is going to be ROUGH. This is not riding a bike. Comedians need practice. And the ones that are choosing to not perform right now are going to suffer more than they realize.
I’ve already forgotten jokes that I’ve told a thousand times. My rhythm is different, my cadence is changing. Doing these Zoom shows not only makes me think about the art form as a whole but also it keeps me WRITING. I have to come up with new things to say since a lot of my audiences are repeat customers. I still get that “new joke feeling” when I come up with a premise and punchline that I can be proud of. I crave that stimulation.
Jokes don’t just happen. Every once in a while you are given a gift from the universe like seeing a cat rollerblading. But the majority of the time, we have to sit down and arrange our thoughts so you don’t see them coming. With Zoom, my new jokes have found life. I feel like I’m still progressing as a comedian in a time when others seem to think the world is “on pause.”
By no means am I saying that this is a permanent replacement for stand-up. Believe me, when this is all over, I may never do a Zoom show again. But for others, it may be here to stay. Agoraphobics, people with disabilities, kidnapped children who are locked in a cage in a sex basement in Indiana; they can’t simply leave the house to see a show. But with the magic of a computer or phone, even the sickliest of sickos or POW's can still find a way to be part of the hot, comedic action.
We are all in a constant struggle to figure out how things will work going forward. It’s going to be a lot of trial and error. In a time when we are all missing family, friends, work, and our general way of life, why not try something new? And who knows, you might even love it.
See you at my next show. No mask required.