tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-938448068751972875.post8070823832788056642..comments2023-05-30T04:25:37.367-04:00Comments on Sandpaper Suit | Matt Ruby's comedy blog: Start off learning how to "cook rice"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-938448068751972875.post-81819481725375155162011-02-17T00:18:28.892-05:002011-02-17T00:18:28.892-05:00"Reaching higher"? In my opinion, Louis ..."Reaching higher"? In my opinion, Louis CK peaked in the early 2000s.ECNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-938448068751972875.post-67208181006128999422011-02-16T16:48:26.137-05:002011-02-16T16:48:26.137-05:00Do you think the great comics mentioned started of...Do you think the great comics mentioned started off doing "jokey jokes" and progressed to be more personal and evolved as a byproduct of the length of time they were given or based on an increase in skills. <br /><br />I think as a comic you start off looking at the world around you, then your focus moves inward and you understand who you are as a person and what you find funny and/or motivates you. Then you make that relatable. Then you turn your eye outward and using what you now know of yourself attack outside issues with your new personal spin on it. <br /><br />To me the change in comedy, which Oswalt alluded to in the interview is one of exclusion and inclusion. Pryor talked about doing crack and setting himself on fire. Now most people have not done those things, but he made it relatable and brought you in. The current trend of comedy, which industry seems to be more than willing to cater to, is one of exclusion. The comic talks about a particular thing, action, event, etc and focuses his/her aim to make it funny to people who have the similar experience. There is no pulling people in, rather an unwritten idea of "You don't like/know this thing I'm talking about then my joke is not for you." I wonder how good Pryor would have been if he made his jokes just for people who smoked crack and lit themselves on fire. I think about this every time I'm in the audience listening to a comic talk about comic books where the joke is based solely on having read that particular comic book. (Comic books jokes like these is just one, there are plenty more examples I could give.)<br /><br />PS - an 8 minute set is plenty of time, IMO, for the audience to know who you are. Alexandro did just that in his recent 5 minute Letterman set.Josh Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00757919675054009112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-938448068751972875.post-65361014952353453192011-02-16T12:46:08.037-05:002011-02-16T12:46:08.037-05:00Great post. Warning: I'm about to come off as ...Great post. Warning: I'm about to come off as way pretentious:<br /><br />It reminds me of painting or any other art... all the greats like Picasso, they can do the classical, traditional painting. Go back and look at their early stuff, it's their and it's great. It's only after knowing the rules do they "break them" and innovate. What I'm trying to say is Picasso was an alternative comic. Oh, and Renoir's a hack.Max Reismannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-938448068751972875.post-16028815817972674262011-02-15T19:22:23.398-05:002011-02-15T19:22:23.398-05:00Awesome post. As an aspiring comic - I spend way m...Awesome post. As an aspiring comic - I spend way more time trying to find good original premises and then finding a way to set it up and find a punch-line. I have seen quite a few guys who will ramble on / rant without any sense of "here's the joke".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com