“About those bombings–it will happen. And it will hurt you will question your existence. The true test of whether or not you have the comic gene is whether or not you keep doing it in spite of that. I’m not even sure it’s much of a choice. When I started I could eat it in a room with a “crowd” of four people and yet somehow I still wanted to go up again as soon as possible–it might be a behavioral defect or an uncontrollable need for attention. Either way, if you have the same compulsion, it will ensure that you stay on the talkie side of a mic in front of other humans.”
“You find what feels wrong in your gut, and make sure you stop doing it. And make sure you do it every day, no matter how painful, because no laugh is worth sacrificing the vision that is going to make you different from everyone else.”
In our daily interactions and social patterns, we might detect categories of humor but rarely consider our individual comedic voices. What are the factors in our lives which determine what we find funny, how we see the world and how we bridge these traits? How do our comedic voices demonstrate our most fundamental characteristics? How do our personal preferences in comedy illuminate inherent tensions in our personalities? This week we welcome back Mike Jest to explore how one goes about finding and sculpting a comedic voice. We discuss the value of clear communication in a refined comedic voice. Furthermore, we explore the roles listening, relaxation and self-reliance play in discovering one's personal tone in comedy.
