Trifecta.

Oh Hey, World.
If I've learned anything about comedy in my 22 years it's one simple fact: making yourself laugh is easy, making others laugh is super tough.  What is even harder than that is creating something you think is hilarious, and then putting yourself out there for the world to see, and judge, and potentially not laugh at.  And while being funny may be difficult, any and every kind of comedy can be healing.  Whether it is a stand up comedy act filled with humorous impressions, an episode of South Park that makes fun of the latest social trend, or an improvisational monologue feeding off of an audience, comedy is meant to spread joy.  It can elevate moods, be used as a form of catharsis for the comedian, or even become a way of expressing feelings that are otherwise difficult to say or not easily accepted by society.

As a little kid I was always told that I was pretty funny- not to toot my own horn, but beep beep, you know?  The only problem was that I would make little comments or do impressions and, when my parents would laugh, I would cry because I thought they were laughing at me.  Not exactly the best start to a career in comedy, but I guess it's better than crying because nobody was laughing.  Regardless, the point is that being funny is much harder to do for an audience larger than those closest to you, especially when they are spending money to see it happen.  Making witty comments to friends or quoting hilarious movies may bring about a few laughs, but it is a whole other story creating a sketch or a stand up act that is performed for people who paid to be entertained.  In that way, professional comedy is a talent that takes a very brave performer and therefore my six year old self didn't stand a chance.

Famous comedians like Patton Oswalt, Brian Regan, Sarah Silverman, and Jim Gaffigan all probably started their journeys in stand up and performance comedy by simply making jokes because it felt great or made others feel great.  Their intentions were not always to make money or become famous, but to be entertaining and share the laughter with those around them.  That is perhaps the most wonderful thing about comedy- it is only successful when it is shared with others.  While people can easily make themselves laugh, the true mark of a good comedian is their ability to share their talent and make others feel the funny as well.

The bottom line is that I have always loved every aspect of comedy.  Laughter may not really be the best medicine, but it certainly helps a bit, and the goal of this blog is to get that comedy information out there.  Whether it is places to find comedy in your area, research on the subject of comedy and its effects, how to get better at writing and performing a specific type of comedy, or funny and entertaining websites to check out, this is the place to be.  It is all comedy all the time here at “Get Up, Stand Up.”

...By Ken Levine
As hilarious as I find myself, I'm also insanely humble, so I can admit that I am no expert in the comedy writing community.  To improve my writing chops, I decided to check out a blog by a real expert- Ken Levine.  Levine’s focus in his blog (aptly titled “…By Ken Levine”) is what is going on in the television comedy world as it is happening.  Having written for crazy awesome smash-hit comedic television shows such as M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frasier, The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Dharma & Greg, Levine certainly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to writing funny things for already funny shows.  Not only that, but he has worked on the radio and in television as the host of Dodger Talk and has worked as a play-by-play announcer for the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, and is currently with the Seattle Mariners.  Home runs indeed, sir.

Levine’s blog is especially great because he posts once a day.  With a history of experiences in the television comedy-writing world, his voice is one that is beneficial to get to know, and it is much easier to do that when he writes for his blog readers every day.  When checking out the blog, don't let the plain template fool you, because his blog is quite popular- it was even ranked as one of TIME magazine's Best 25 Blogs of 2011.  To put it in fancier terms- his rank in the US among websites is 38,853, and his rank among Alexa’s traffic website is 158,590. On the whole, his writing is funny and informed, but you don’t have to take my word for it- check out his pieces on “Comedy Sluts on Parade” (if that title doesn’t already make you want to read it, I have no idea know what will) and “Why I Love LA!” to see for yourself.

Overall, I enjoyed this blog because it spoke to me about how comedy is written and shared with others.  The fact that someone so famous in the television writing community could write a blog for anyone to see- not to mention keep it up to date- is pretty darn impressive if you ask me.  Plus, due to all his experience in the field that he speaks of, his tone remains professional at the core, even if he is commenting on a less-than-professional subject.  Much like my blog, Levine’s blog talks about the role of comedy in our society whether it be other writers, his covering of the Golden Globes, or weekly questions that his readers post to him.  His posts go into great deal and are rich with examples so that any reader has something to relate to- and with an audience that includes just about any TV watcher of any age, that excess of examples may be crucial to the blog’s success.

Levine’s blog will undoubtedly help me to see how someone who is directly in the biz sees comedy writing.  My blog will be slightly different in that I do not have the connections that Levine does (...yet), and I will be covering other types of comedy as well, but overall his tone and attitude are what I will relate to in my blog.  In the end, his blog is informative, funny, and worth reading, which is the exact same tone I wish to accomplish in my future blog writing.

James Henry's Voice
"James and the Blue Cat" by James Henry is full of voice, imagery, aaand a bit of profanity.  His profile simply says that he writes television comedy and lists “Smack the Pony,” “Green Wing,” and “Campus” as his works.  With that whole line and a half being said, I had to investigate his writing to learn about him, so I worked with what was apparent in his voice.  The first things I looked for were his use of links and titles- getting me on a train straight to Nowheresville.  His links are nonexistent, and his titles are either one word or questions people pose to him.  So I delved even deeper and found his voice clear in his posts “Have you got any production company addresses I could send spec scripts to?” (which, from now on, I will call “Scripts” so as not to drive myself crazy) and “Pitching.”  Both posts are tidbits of advice on how to make it in the comedy writing world- specifically when it comes to dealing with higher-ups.  Here’s what I found:

 
First, on the most basic note of voice, he’s British- an important detail about how he would sound if he were reading these posts instead of writing them, not to mention a detail that makes reading his blog much more fun for my American self.  But how do I know he’s British even though it doesn't say that in his biography, you ask?  Simple- he uses “u”s in foreign places and says funny words like “chequebook” and “telly” which, as I’m typing them, my American-influenced word processor has underlined in red.  Colourful, indeed.

Second, he keeps the reader engaged by inserting storytelling into his posts.  For example, in “Pitching,” Henry explains how pitching an idea for executives involves stripping a writer down to the basics.  He writes:

“A lone bard in a smoky hall, weaving stories out of thin air in the hope their thane won’t immediately pull out a sword and behead him because he’s realised the story is clearly Beowulf with the serial numbers filed off.”

He makes the piece more entertaining when taking a dull experience and turning it into something fantastic.  In that same vein, Henry inserts non-realistic stories to make his writing more engaging such as his comment about addresses in “Scripts”:

“Working Title didn't update the address on their website for about a year, which caused some bewilderment last time I went for a meeting, although it did lead to a hilarious Richard Curtis-style last minute dash by taxi, which I had to share with... a man with no sense of smell, and Julia Roberts. No I didn't.”

The line, although admittedly false, gives the reader an entertaining story while teaching the lesson.

Third, his word choice and grammar illustrate more about him.  His use of parenthetical statements and quotations insert his true, comic beliefs into otherwise serious paragraphs.  For instance, in “Scripts,” Henry tells the reader to find a show similar to what they are writing, then:

“Look… for the name of the producer (don't worry about the exec producer, who usually operates on a higher spiritual plane, and often can't even see writers, on so high a level do their molecules vibrate).”

While the information he gives the reader is helpful and true, he allows his own opinions about the execs to shine through.  It's a style that allows his writing to be more conversational, as if he just thought of that as a nice morsel of beneficial information.  

Finally, in “Pitching,” he puts the words “facts” and “science” in quotations, demonstrating his doubt on the validity of the subjects- like using air quotes.
In the end, his writing informs the reader and keeps their attention.  His tone remains the same throughout all of his posts, and he seems to be a funny guy- perfect for his credibility.  But the most important fact is that his blog is well written.  Whether it be his word choice, literary devices, or punctuation, he retains the qualities of what would be considered a good writer, which ends up being essential when writing about, well, writing.