Comedy is More Perspiration Than Inspiration

​To get good anything you have to do it often and fail more than you succeed. Too often people are so afraid of failure they only do something in a safe place or under certain circumstances that appease their nervous system. People don't want to drive too far or spend too much money or use their time off to build their future. So instead of building an empire, they find themselves crafting out a corner of a street. Instead of getting paid legitimate money, they have to work for free or get nickeled and dimed by shady clubs. One of the reasons is because they live off the global success of others. They feel other people's success is their success, and it just simply isn't. The reason is because they live off the inspiration others feed them. Here's my basic example. If Jim Gaffigan gets a big movie role, I really can't say "if he wins, we all win," without grabbing my clown makeup. Now, if I get a movie role, then Jim might say, "It's great if an upcoming comic gets a big break - it's a win for all of us." He can say that because he's still worth millions. When I say it, I'm still worth hundreds. So remember this, success is not collective achievements that create inspiration - it's the hard work you put in creating perspiration that matters, not the inspiration. Inspiration is the drug you give yourself to be better, until it's the drug that leaves you complacent.   

"You" Are Not the Accomplishments of Others
Sometimes comics or celebrities have a great story about how they had $5 in their bank account when Netflix called them, and people are inspire. At the end of the day these stories are handcrafted to create empathy and a willingness to follow them. None of actually make you a better comic or better person. 

Too often I hear people tell me these stories "inspire" them, and then I ask, "Did you get up more?" or "Did you finally write that script?" And the answer is always no. In fact, they did less. I have been struggling with this my whole adult life. I love movies and always thought I would be a filmmaker. Instead I saw a much of movies and never made my own. I still get "inspired" when I watch a great film or awards show, but I realized, I'm just a pundit in the Hollywood wheel. Whereas, in stand up, I never really cared to see a bunch of shows, and instead, performed at a lot of open mics and bar shows. 

Sometimes we treat other's success like our own like the way fat dads treat their favorite football team, yelling "we won" after a game. No, Mark, "we" did nothing. They won, while you ate three types of pizza. You can't live off the accomplishments of others, feel good about it, not move forward yourself, and wake up the next day thinking you've done anything. It feels good to the you in the present, but it's cruel to you of the future.

Comedy Challenge: Watch Less - Get Up More 
People ask me all the time if I watched so-and-so's comedy special. 90% of the time I say no. They go, "How? It's so good?" Because I realized early on, if you have great shared experiences, you live off them instead of feeding yourself. Also, let's say your favorite comic writes a great joke. You can't use it. You can't copy it. In fact, if you write your own version - it won't be as good. Tim Burton once told an interviewer he doesn't watch other movies while making his own, so he isn't "influenced" by it.
So when I watch comedy, I watch people the opposite of me. I watch old Albert Brooks and current Eddie Pepitone. Because I'm not doing what they do. But their commitment to the bit is the key takeaway. I don't watch a lot, but when I seek comedy, I seek out them.     

Watch More Bad Comedy, Not Good Comedy 
When I was starting out, I would go to Flappers Main Room and laugh at the great comics like Jimmy Dore, Dan Gabriel, and Melissa Villasenor. But that wasn't helping me. They are performing well crafted jokes to fans. So I started watching the YooHoo room amateur show. I gained a lot of knowledge and ten pounds eating pizza every week. Watching half baked premises, punchline-lacking jokes, and nervous demeanors actually became a real learning experience. Watching good comedy makes you laugh, but watching bad comedy makes you a better comic. 

Let me repeat that: Watching good comedy makes you laugh, but watching bad comedy makes you a better comic. 

Here's the theory: If you watch good comedy, what do you learn? Maybe be confident, have a punchline every 20 seconds, and be vulnerable. But those comics have 15-45 minutes up there to get into a grove. Most comics get five minutes. Watch how young comics squander their time. Watch how they don't get to their first laugh for a minute or 90 seconds (if at all). Watch how the crowd feels the tension of sitting in a silence that never gets broken. Then think to yourself, "I won't let that happen." And start writing great jokes. You'll find yourself forcing yourself to NOT be that awful open micer. If you watch a great comic ramble, you'll just think, "I'm just doing what Chappelle does" and never get better.    

My Inspiration v. Perspiration Challenge 
Okay, so let's say you think you want to go watch your favorite comic or support a show or watch a comedy special. Don't. Stop. Don't do it. Instead, go get up yourself. Go write your new jokes or work on your content or script. When you get the itch to watch, getup instead. Trust me, the headliner doesn't watch you. They're too busy getting ready. Trevor Wallace isn't interested in your Instagram Reels, because he's building his own empire. Stop watching movie, if you want to make movies. Trust me on this. I see so many comics who never "made it" or never got what they wanted because they're too busy taking pictures, watching shows, and trying to be PART of the show instead of BEING THE SHOW. 

Final Thoughts 
I understand the desire to watch comedy to be inspired, but I would argue that only works if you are not a comic. Sure, you can tell me that it inspired you seeing your friends on stage, but inspired you to do what? To watch more comedy? When I watch a sports film like Hoosiers, it inspires me to be better at comedy, buy reminding me to never give up when the odds are against me. It doesn't inspire me to play basketball. Watching comedy specials doesn't lead to you getting a special. Watching cooking shows doesn't make you more full. And watching porn doesn't lead to more sex.

If you listen to your favorite podcaster (car trips only - no sitting at home listening), you'll hear them say "I heard that movie was good" or "I need to see them on stage for myself" or "I want to catch that." It's because they are too busy doing "it" to sit around watching "it." I see a lot of movies, but I go in the spaces between my comedy and writing and TV show pitching time. 2pm is a great movie watching time. 8pm is for performing.  

​If you want a productive 2024, remember you will reap what you sow. Sow into watching, you'll find more time to watch. Sow into doing, and you just might wake up doing more.