About a month ago I was scrolling on YouTube, watching various Jubilee videos when I saw they had a Community Post requesting "liberal Christians" to interview for a show pitting different Christian viewpoints against each other. For those not familiar with Jubilee, it's a wildly popular company that makes viral YouTube content in the debate space. Their show Surrounded (which I was on) puts one famous person against 20 less famous people in a speed date format to debate various topics. Mine was 1 Conservative Christian v. 20 Liberal Christians. I decided on a whim to submit and was selected to be on this episode. Here's a few thoughts on the episode, my experience, and my weird viral moment on TikTok and Threads. 

Understanding the Format
For those of you interested in being on a popular YouTube or TV show, just know that there's a lot of behind the scenes "formatting" to help "produce" a show. On the show, the producers select who will go first and "win" the race to the chair. So when five or more people race to the center, like pro wrestling, we know the outcome. Which was disappointing because I was doing box squats for a month to get ready to pop up and debate. 

The filming takes place in a very warm abandoned warehouse studio, with large air fans blowing right before they call "action!" So if people look sweaty or uncomfortable, they are also hot as heck. 
We didn't know we would be debating Allie Beth Stuckey, a MAGA podcaster and author of "Toxic Empathy." So preparing for the debate was nearly impossible. In fact, they didn't send the topics to us until 9:30PM the night before. We filmed on a Saturday, meaning who's checking their email on Friday after 7PM? So any prep was out the door. 

While I'm pretty knowledgeable in right wing Christian talking points (LBGTQ+ bad, Abortion bad, Immigration bad, Empathy bad, etc.) there was still no way to completely know the best examples to use to debate, so I had to rely on my own studies and hope the right words came out. Talk about walking by faith. 

But once Allie showed up and we settled in, the shoot was super smooth with there being four claims she made and I waited until her claim "Empathy can lead to sin" came up. I really am bored by the political issues and would rather discuss more philosophical ideals. So when the claim was made, I raised my hand and was selected to kick off Claim #3.

The Actual Debate
I learned two things while watching previous debaters: 

1. Regardless of how well it's going, the other debaters are going to throw up red flags so the clock stops and they can get their turn.

2. The format is more about quick talking points than deep dive discussion.

I wasn't sure if the show would be three hours and cut down to 90 minutes or it it would be 90 minutes and 99% of the show makes the episode. Turns out we film 100 minutes and 99 minutes got in. Outside of cutting some friendly banter up front, the main points are showcased. 

To be honest, I thought I would be debating a male. So having to argue with a woman is always a bit different. Anyone who has debated knows this to be true. This goes for women and men, as we know the general rules of society that keep us feeling safe. So I knew that some of my snark would need to be dialed down, which was probably best since these clips do go viral. 

Our actual discussion went for 5 minutes, which was pretty impressive, since many people were voted out by the three minute mark or earlier. One poor Mormon girl was voted out before she could sit down. At one point I realized I was going to be able to state many of my arguments in defense of empathy, and that's when my school teacher/preacher persona got to take over. While being a comedian doesn't necessarily make one a better debater, being quick witted does help. 

I'll let you be the judge on how I did, but the online response did help me realize a few things about myself and the content game in general. One thing I forgot is my wagging finger goes wild when I'm cooking.

Going Viral for 15 Minutes 
So far the YouTube episode has over 1 million views, which shows people are hungry for some type of civil debate, because the episode is much more low key than previous videos. But what was super weird to me was how MY TIKTOK clip went viral. 

I don't have a real TikTok account. I just have a tiny burner account to watch clips and see things that make the news. I had 50 followers with most just being bots from a handful of clips I post so if I do comment on something it doesn't look like a bot. I used to have 1500 followers but got rid of that account when my algorithm failed me. 

I took a clip about how Jesus used empathy and it gathered 230K views, 30K likes, over 500 comments, and over 3,000 saves. It was reposted by many people as well. On Threads I had one clip get 2K likes, 450 comments, 147 reposts, and 75 shares. And another clip had 300+ likes, 76 comments, and 20 reposts. I felt like a pretty girl on IG with a new Gucci bag.  

I also went from 50 TikTok followers to now 470 followers. That's 400 organic followers in less than a day. I've been posting comedy clips since 2015 and nothing like this every happened before. It turns out people were less interested in my comedy and more interested in me pointing my finger of empathy at a MAGA Trad Wife. 

With this new found success, I posted a follow up clip and I'm sorry to say, your boy isn't the viral sensation he hoped he was. Back to normal numbers, and back to reality. Which is fine. I'm not even sure I could switch gears into some type of Christian ethos content machine at this stage in life, even if I did pull off back to back 200K view content. 

Final Thoughts 
Overall, I enjoyed my time meeting the people I met and having an opportunity to discuss empathy with a person who so has so much animosity toward it. Why? Maybe because it would force her to think about others in uncomfortable ways. Maybe her definition of sympathy (aka pity) creates a position of power. Or maybe because her male religious mentors like Charlie Kirk and Douglas Wilson have been so much against empathy for the reasons mentioned earlier. 

What I really learned is that even with another credit, my life hasn't changed. It's not like I'm now the authority on liberal Christianity. I jokingly told my brother I could start The Empathy Project - only to find out there are multiple organizations with the same name. I also ironically found out that I went more viral with a burner TikTok than when I had a 1500 follower account I was actively using. I also learned more women seemed interested in me when I mentioned Jubilee than Dry Bar Comedy. And I learned that no matter my points or Allie's points, the comment section creates its own beast. 
I'm reminded of the last scene in The Coen Brother's Burn After Reading:

CIA Superior: What did we learn, Palmer?
CIA Officer: I don't know, sir.
CIA Superior: I don't fuckin' know either. I guess we learned not to do it again.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir.
CIA Superior: I'm fucked if I know what we did.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir, it's, uh, hard to say.
CIA Superior: Jesus fucking Christ.

I hate ending on a swear - but that banter is literally how I feel right now. 

Below is the full episode. I kick off Claim #3. Enjoy! 

​Maybe the most controversial issue in stand up today is the participation of the top headliners in the world going to the Riyadh Comedy Festival, put on by the Saudi Arabian government to participate in a 2030 campaign to increase tourism. They are of course a nation and government that mistreats women, the LGBTQ+ community, and has been known to have low tolerance in dealing with critics of leaders and critics of religious figures. Many attribute Saudi Arabia for funding 9/11, and of course there are other countless examples of government funded terrorism over the decades. Christopher Hitchens laid out their crimes, as he pointed to Saudi-funded charities, such as the Muslim World League, that spent billions promoting terrorist ideology and which were later linked to terrorist financing, particularly before 9/11.

Often, people will quickly point to the United States being guilty of similar crimes, and while we can all agree the US isn't perfect, the major difference is that the US doesn't have a government funded comedy festival. If Canada, a government that funds the Just For Laughs festival, was guilty of such atrocities, then the anti-sentiment would be headed that way. But the only thing Canada is guilty of is making delicious pancake syrup.   

I would even be critical of comics who support Donald Trump. Oh wait, I already have gone on the record criticizing Joe Rogan and Tony Hinchcliffe. So if anything, my disgust is just maintaining my comedic integrity.

But if you need more data, Human Rights Watch sees the organizers of the festival as a world problem as well.     

"The Saudi government is using the Riyadh Comedy Festival … to deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations," said Human Rights Watch in a statement this week. "Participating comedians, to avoid contributing to laundering the Saudi government's reputation, should use the comedy festival to publicly urge Saudi authorities to free unjustly detained Saudi dissidents, journalists, and human rights activists."

So here's a few take-a-ways and thoughts on the latest civil war in stand up comedy.   

Comics Are Divided - As Expected
The list of headliners participating range from Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, and Kevin Hart to a slew of famous British and Arab comics. It's a Who's Who of talent. Some noted comics declined the offer, but most of the bigger names agreed with little to no reservations. Upon hearing about the festival, David Cross, a veteran comic and TV/movie star wrote a blog calling out the hypocrisy.  

David Cross wrote, "We can never again take seriously anything these comedians complain about (unless it’s complaining that we don’t support enough torture and mass executions of journalists and LGBQT peace activists here in the states, or that we don’t terrorize enough Americans by flying planes into our buildings). I mean that’s it; you have a funny bit about how you don’t like Yankee Candles or airport lounges? Okay great, but you’re cool with murder and/or the public caning of women who were raped, and by having the audacity to be raped, were guilty of “engaging in adultery”? Got any bits on that?" 

Marc Maron took a move "jokey" approach. "From the folks that brought you 9/11. Two weeks of laughter in the desert, don't miss it!'" joked Maron. "The same guy that's gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a f***ing suitcase. But don't let that stop the yucks, it's gonna be a good time!"

I would say that Maron and Cross's stance falls more in line with George Carlin and Bill Hicks. Whereas I would argue the comics who decided the paycheck was worth it fall more in line with the late Gallagher and other cash grab big names. One side has the integrity of Carlin and the other of a man who used roller skates and watermelons to get laughs.      

Participating Comics Are Defending Themselves Ferociously
The one comic that has taken the criticism personally is Bill Burr. On the Conan O'Brien podcast, he went off on his critics.  

The AV Club writes, [Burr] noted he got “the most amount of shit” from other comedians, who he described as “sanctimonious cunts … who don’t really sincerely give a shit.” He said, “If you actually give a fuck about those people and how they’re living over there, there’s gonna have to be these types of things to pull them in. And I will tell you, the Cheesecake Factory in Riyadh, it’s incredible. It’s right next to Pizza Hut and KFC, and if you want a pair of Timberlands, it’s across the street next to the Marriott, catty-corner to the fucking Hilton.”

I suppose Burr will be hocking Cheesecake Factory as a date night idea soon. If anything, he might have found five new sponsors for his podcast. "When I'm looking the other way at human rights, I'm usually stuffing my face with stuffed crust pizza and shoveling pumpkin cheesecake down my throat, which I still have, unlike the journalists and artists who criticized the Saudi Arabian government!"   

Louis CK went on Bill Maher's show to argue it's a gateway to opening western ideals to the people there. “When I’m talking to the other comedians who have been there, they’ve been really surprised by what’s going on. There’s a woman who’s a lesbian and Jewish, who did a show there, and she got a standing ovation. So, there’s stuff going on that’s unexpected in this thing,” he said. “People have been playing Saudi Arabia for years. Comedians have been going and playing Arab countries. There was a film festival there recently, it’s kind of opened up. But I’ve always said no to Arab countries.”

Louis CK took a less aggressive approach in defense of participating because he probably knows he's selling his soul, so the pushback is justified and expected. Burr, on the other hand, is feeling the cancel culture crowd and like a child, doesn't like his choices being criticized or judged. This is new territory for the Boston comic and he's transferring his own self loathing onto the comics that he doesn't have to work with anyways. Burr already said if he loses gigs, he'll just stay home for a while. Must be nice. 

The Aftermath Will Show No Change 
While I find their participation discouraging, it's not surprising. Comics are not really the moral center of the Western zeitgeist. While Jon Stewart and John Oliver have a moral ethos, they aren't stand ups anymore. They might have declined the offers, but they aren't in the same category to be offered this gig. 

But nothing will change. Burr and Maron will still work together at The Comedy Store and Improv. Bookers won't take away their spots. Fans are basically unaware this is even an issue. The job was on the comics to self-regulate their participation in events like these. 

If Burr and Louis CK were really about opening borders and creating new avenues for western ideals and free speech, then they should have done the gig for free. I expect Bobby Lee to take the money and run. But the comics who spent the last 30 years trying to take down the establishment, only to support one of worst ones should have either declined the blood money or donated it up front to a cause that is the victim of the Saudi Arabian leadership. Whether that was an LGBTQ+ group or women's group, would the festival organizers be okay knowing that? 

Lesbian and Jewish American comedian Jessica Kirson later stated she regretted participating and gave the money to a human rights group after being criticized. Clearly, her moral IQ wasn't high enough to see the problem early on, and after getting pushback from her tribe decided to retreat. Fine, better late than never, but the damage is done. 

These Participating Comics Are Useful Idiots 
During the Cold War, Vladimir Lenin would call famous celebrities and politicians who supported Russia "useful idiots," a term to describe those who were used as pawns to prop up evil regimes.  

South Carolina professor Mark Herring defined it best: "Whatever the provenance, useful idiot is now short speak for anyone oblivious to the harmful effects of a given cause, political or otherwise. Useful idiots are not what one would call stupid; they are highly intelligent and aware of the circumstances. The problem appears to be that they attribute to a given cause its positive effects only while turning a blind eye to its derogatory ones. The most benighted of useful idiots will even argue against any accusations that what they have supported may not, in fact, be wrong at all."

The above definition describes the current attitudes of Burr, Louis CK, and the others who have claimed they're just trying to make others laugh. When in fact, that's not why they're there. They are there to make money. When Burr celebrates the popping up of fast food in the country as a positive, you know he's stretching, grasping for straws to hold some moral high ground. Yet, he's grabbed nothing. He's just a useful idiot on this issue. 

Final Thoughts 
I wasn't asked to join the festival. Obviously. So many will say, "If they offered you hundreds of thousands of dollars, you'd jump on a plane tomorrow." If you think that, you clearly haven't been reading my work the last few years.

I've said no to many gigs and to booking comics because they were known for being predators. I've stayed away from supporting clubs and venues that support bringer shows. I've maintained my integrity by leaving Flappers after ownership wanted me to participate in shady business practices. I've left numerous jobs after the company proved to be unethical and toxic.

I've probably hurt my career and finances due to numerous moral choices I've made. But I sleep well at night knowing that once my ignorance was crushed and I saw the truth, I left. 

This stems in areas of my personal life as well. I've had to cut off family members and relationships due to terrible behavior. All we have his our reputation. In the words of Roy Kent to Ted Lasso after benching Jamie Tartt, "Took balls, what you did," to which Ted Lasso replies, "That's all we got is balls, Roy. It's all we got."

​So to sum it up, the comics who participated just didn't have the balls to say no. Most useful idiots don't. 

Since I was a young age, I've always been insecure about my body. Whether it was general attributes like my height or my weight, or more specific areas like my lack of a neck, front teeth gap, or bags under my eyes - there's been no shortage of reasons to seek therapy due to my own self-conscious perception of myself. But it wasn't really until stand up comedy where I began to feel confident in the limitations my body contained. 

I think a lot of comics feel this way. And somehow while we feel constrained in daily life, we feel free on stage to embrace our bodies in a way regular people would never do. 
Think about how Chris Farley and Jim Carrey act on stage compared to interviews. Farley would do anything with his body to get the laugh. Carrey loved contorting his face. But when you see them in interviews, often they were much more reserved. Michael Richards (Kramer in "Seinfeld") is another master of physical comedy who was super stoic in everyday life. 

Your body is greatest tool in comedy, and sometimes when we focus too much on the joke writing we lose the opportunity to get laughs just off a body twist or an eyebrow raise. So let's dive in on using your body to increase your comedic output. 

Your Greatest Weakness in Life is Your Greatest Strength on the Stage
I'll never forget hearing Greg Dean on a random YouTube clip say the above words. Being short, tall, skinny, fat, too muscular, having a weird hair cut, etc. all feeds into your ability to make jokes about yourself and to create a personality to joke about other topics. This is why comics like Rosie O'Donnell, Brad Williams, and Fluffy all thrived on stage. 

O'Donnell was a heavyset lesbian who got to make jokes about how people see her. Williams, as a little person, was able to talk about his unique experiences, and Fluffy takes full advantage of his ability to be the fat and funny character we've grown to love. Yet, in the regular world, all of these physical traits would hold a person back in the dating and business worlds. But in comedy it made them superstars.    

​So when using your body on stage, understand, your greatest weakness is your greatest strength. And this goes for people who are very attractive as well. Crystal Marie Denha opens with jokes about her body, but from a different point of view. She knows her greatest weakness is people don't take her seriously because of her body, so she tackles that first. But also notice how still and stoic she is. She won't let her body become more of a distraction. Understanding how the audience sees you is the key, and playing off the assumptions they make in their head is how you get the classic, "that comic just says what we're all thinking" praise.

Your Body Should Make Every Joke Funnier 
In the clip at the top of the article, look at how John Pinette (one of my faves) uses his body to convey frustration, joy, and various other emotions. He yells, sings, and dances, taking full advantage of his bodily contrasts. 

His early death is a hard one for me. He died at 50 years old in 2014. As a 43 year old man (44 in 30 days!) that number scares me immensely. Even though he lost a lot of weight, it wasn't enough, and the damage was done. 

He wrote one of the funniest bits of all time where he went to an all you can eat buffet and scared the owner. His ability to use his body was inspiring. He was a master at using his body to get a laugh off eye bulges, eyebrow raises, smiling, and stalking the stage. Use the clip as a template for how to create more laughs by just connecting your body to your punchlines.

As Bruce Lee said, be water. Water ebbs and flows, and like the comedy ninja you are, embrace all your little curves and physical ticks.       

Your Body Is A Tool To Perform At Your Highest Levels 
Too often comics worship the grind of comedy, as if a young death is somehow a virtue. Comics like Patrice O'Neal, who died at 41 years old from diabetes, and Mitch Hedberg, who died at 37 years old of drugs, were brilliant, but yet they didn't monitor their body, using food or drugs as fuel to maintain their grueling schedules. By not slowing down they deprived themselves and their fans of years of more insight and work.

I drank so much in my 30's I found myself almost dead in 2021. The food and the drinking caught up. I was literally using sleep aid to crash and various energy drinks to maintain during the day. I was eating 4,000+ calories a day to keep up with the long days and longer nights. The drinking would level me out at night, allowing me to calm the demons. My performances were struggling as well. It was hard to get on stage constantly exhausted yet pumped up on caffeine and vodka - sweat always dripping from my forehead. I would have to step outside to wipe down my mop of a head. 

But instead of seeing a doctor, I continued doing shows, until I was forced to go to the hospital. Looking back, if I had to choose between saving my body or not making a booker mad for canceling to see the doctor, I'd choose an upset booker. No one is a "martyr" for comedy by dying young. 
Getting rest, having down time, exercising, and eating right (most of the time) is a key component to having a better life and longer career in anything you want to do. This old YOLO philosophy is a death trap. I know from personal experience. Since taking my health seriously, I've seen a dramatic improvement in my stamina on stage and in life.     

​Final Thoughts          
A comedian's body is their vehicle to some of their success. Confidence stems from your body. Comedic insecurity flows from your body. And your body's health will determine how long your life will go on. Take full advantage of modern medicine and health education. Use your body to move on stage and create the most memorable experience as possible. When you just stand on stage awkwardly you ruin the endless opportunities to find new punchlines and tags. Move around and enjoy the great God given tool you own. Because one day you won't be able to, either though old age or bad decisions. In the words of the most gross 5th grader in the world: Use it before you lose it.      

​If you talk to any working comic in the 1980's and early 1990's they'll tell you about the comedy boom where openers were making a real living in comedy. For definition purposes, a feature was the main term used to describe an opener. Hosts and emcee's were usually local comics that supported the club's open mic nights or local DJ's that did 5-10 minutes up front and plugged the shows on the radio all week. But the 20-30 minute Feature could do 5-6 shows a week, make a $1,000 a week (or more) and then headline corporate shows or cruises on the weeks they weren't at the local Yuk Yuk in the Midwest. Today, comedy doesn't pay that rate anymore. Being a feature today means getting the opportunity to open for a headliner for little to no pay because comics today aren't grown adults as much as they are independent content creators. 

What is the Basic Pay For Opening?
If you work a weekend at a club, you can expect $25-$50 a show as the host if you are working for a reputable club. There are showcase towns that might only give you a free meal or drink, but on a road gig (basically outside LA and NYC) you should get some cash. It will also always be "industry rates," which is a way clubs can pay a very minimal amount, because they're all in on the same amount. 

As for Features, you can expect around $75-$150 a show depending on how many shows. The most I've heard is $550 on a scale deal. The Feature usually gets a free meal and place to stay on the road. Some weekends that have four shows will pay $75 a show but if only one show a night pay $150. So there's a glaring inconsistency in what the time and energy is worth. Because why wouldn't it be $150 a show if there were four shows? Because the economics don't play out that way. The booker is essentially looking at the books and saying "I can afford this much regardless of how many tickets or drinks I sell."

Headliner pay can go for $700-$1200 a weekend, but if the headliner is doing a door deal, that can hurt the feature pay. Because the more the headliner takes, the less there is for the undercard. So when a headliner brings their own opener and host, the club will usually take the pay out of his cut or let him pay the openers without making sure it's a fair wage. 

Why Don't Features Get Over $600? 
One factor to consider is that comedians are independent contractors, so if they make over $600 the venue or booking agency has to 1099 them during tax season. If they do two or three gigs for under $600, the IRS does not have to know about those independent contractors. But clubs have to pay headliners a certain amount, and they report that to the IRS, knowing that's the proof they are a comedy club. 

As for headliners who bring their own features and hosts, they might want to pay them limited cash because they'll pay the taxes on the revenue. Let's say a comic make $5,000 on a door deal. They'll pay at least $1,000 in taxes, if not more. So now they're down to $4,000. But they flew in, maybe even paying for the feature too. So that's $1,000 again, unless they're using credit card points, which means they're spending money through credit on the trips that need to be covered as well. So once they pay out $250-$500 to the feature, they might make $2,000 out of the $5k. Now, if they're working 50 weekends a year, that's $100,000 in profit out of $250,000 in revenue. Some weekends are less. Some are more. But the structure is based of constantly working. 

Now, if the headliner is a huge name and they're making hundreds of thousands a month and paying their openers the same at scale or less, I would say that's a great immoral act of greed. And I would also encourage you to rethink working with them. Because most likely they'll drop you once you start feeling free to book weekend gigs outside of them.

In the words of Higgins to Keeley from Ted Lasso, "A good mentor hopes you will move on. A great mentor knows you will." If they are expecting you to be happy with their scraps, then you have to go find different pastures. I've made more money doing "less visible" shows than performing for peanuts in bigger venues.

The Lie of Content Creation 
The other reason bookers don't pay, is they know you're all filming your sets and trying to go viral on TikTok. Because of this new development, comics will forfeit money for stage time. Everyone wants to be the next Matt Rife. And yes, some comics are making money in the algorithm. But most land on 500-1,000 views with little to no money.  

But it's in this content creation "opportunity" that comics throw money aside to try to hit the winning lotto ticket. It's not a bad idea, but just remember - every time you set up a camera to film without getting guaranteed pay, you're still getting paid as much as an open micer. 
You can do both. You can ask for money AND film your sets.    

Asking For Pay is Your Right but YOUR Responsibility
It doesn't matter if you're working a club or working with a headliner, at some point you have to ask for more money, as they won't usually volunteer it. If you've been going to a club and getting $25 a show, but it's no longer a value to you, then either ask for more money or quit. Here's the rub though - don't ask for more money until you're ready to walk. Because once you suggest it, either they'll say it's fair and pay up or you've made it weird. 

I've had to walk away from low paying showcase and opener gigs or just flat our reject bookers because the math didn't math. In the beginning you feel bad about it because you want to fill the calendar up. But these low paying gigs never become the way to financial stability in comedy. In fact, there is almost no financial stability in comedy. Most road comics freelance or contract jobs in various arenas of life. There was time last year I was doing road gigs, teaching online classes, writing for the VC Reporter, writing YouTube scripts, teaching 1:1 workshops, selling old toys on Facebook, helping emcee charity events, running JR's Comedy club, and doing freelance consulting for business development days. 

It takes twenty years to build a schedule that pays a living. Until then, you live a schedule to get paid. 

Final Thoughts
Don't be discouraged if you're not making a lot of money now as an opener. And don't be discouraged if you aren't getting much work outside of small gigs. But also don't settle and become frustrated with the process. You'll have to feel it out and see how long it takes others like you to move up or move out. 

Keep in mind, so many comics aren't honest with how they're able to make it. Mommy and daddy might be paying the bills. Their spouse or significant other could be financing everything. They might have loads of debt and loans they took out thinking they'll hit it big and pay it back. So they can do all these low paying gigs without feeling the strain that others feel. Until it all comes crashing down.
I know up and comers who have other people paying for their dreams, but I also know national touring headliners with spouses who pay for 80% of the bills on their salary while the comic jumps from ship to ship or club to club.

What you have to do is read the room, expect no one to reach out to help you, ask when you feel ready to move up in pay, and be ready to cut ties until you've found better gigs or realized this just might be a side hustle while you work a day job. 

​I've always said, the cruelest thing a teacher can tell students is to follow their dreams. The real statement should be "Follow your dreams until you realize it's a nightmare."    

I recently saw the new film "The Long Walk" and made a joke that it's a metaphor for the Uncle Clyde's Comedy Contest. For those unfamiliar with the film based on a Stephen King novella, the story is about 50 young men who are drafted into walking across New England, with the catch being if they stop walking they are shot dead on sight. The film then explores the horrors of the boys having to move on despite the way their friends were "eliminated." The joke I wrote wasn't really just about the long running Flapper's comedy contest, but really about the nature of comedy in general. Yet, while the joke is hyperbolic, there is truth to the way many comics view comedy - a sort of survival of the fittest - with a never stop griding mindset. While some romanticize the hustle, I would highly encourage you to rethink the idea we are competing against each other and refocus on the idiom high tides raise all ships. 

The Violent Metaphor Has Some Truth
While we can preach a hippy one love message, we all understand there are only so any spots and only so many comics who can take those spots. Many of us have felt the shafting from bookers only to see another comic with a similar look or style get the slots we seek. But while it's easy to get jealous, if you stick around long enough you'll see many "successful" comics don't stay on top long, forced to go back to the same rooms they started in. 

The thing about the Social Darwinistic approach to the arts is that no matter how much a comic positions themselves, the crowd, not the bookers, will determine the success of that comic. Regardless of what you think about the top comics, and trust me, I'm shocked sometimes who makes it to the top, people have decided they're the funniest ones (for now). Over the years everyone from Andrew "Dice" Clay to Tony Hinchcliffe to Gallagher have filled Madison Square Garden. While brilliant comics like John Pinette (RIP) and Eddie Pepitone wouldn't even try such a feat. Yet, Pinette and Pepitone are universally loved by their peers, with the others not so much.  

So yes, there is a truth in the violent metaphor, but that truth must always be looked at through the light of legacy as well. 

Comedy is A Long Walk
If there is something the film touches on really well is the way we have to keep moving while others leave us behind. Perhaps the hardest part of stand up comedy is that we start as a community but end up as an individual. The first few years are open mics and showcases with comics we grow to love or hate doing shows with. Some even become topic of conversation amongst comics for no other reason than their successes or failures. We develop a real village. Then someone meets a headliner or gets passed at a club and their comedy life changes, leaving the group for new pastures. 

Sometimes comics quit because they can't keep paying for open mic spots or paying for parking while not making any money for those shows. Some comics choose family over comedy community. Some comics decide the workforce is better for them. Some comics get writing gigs or acting jobs and move on and never look back. Some become wildly successful and are on the road or play rooms where you can't even get the booker to watch your tape. 

Ironically, the more successful you become, the more isolated your career will become. Whether you spend it on cruise ships, corporate gigs, or the road, you'll find yourself separating yourself from your original community and having to keep on truckin' as you find new rooms and venues and bookers and friends. The curse of walking longer than others is the loneliness that hovers over you, like a shadow.      

Maintain a Few Close Friends 
One thing I have picked up on after working with a lot of famous comics is they keep a few friends around regardless of their individual success. Like in the film The Long Walk, the characters Ray and Peter bond and keep themselves going as forces beyond them (military, rain, inclines, etc.) keep knocking them down. It is in this tight knit support group they keep themselves motivated to walk. 

This is important as you keep building your career. I've seen some huge headliners keep certain people as their close knit community and you can see it has kept them humble and focused. Someone has to be able to call you on your BS, and if you don't have that person in your life you will ruin the success you have because your gut and heart reactions will betray you.

One thing that does make a difference in maintaining these relationships is the pay discrepancy that can hurt a relationship. Some comics go out of their way to compensate their openers and entourage while others think a few hundred bucks is fine after the show makes $25k+ for them. While I can write a whole essay on properly paying openers and writers, if you find yourself underpaying a friend because the headliner you ran with before did that too, just know, it's not cool and it will strain the relationship. 

Scott Galloway talks about becoming wealthy to be good to your family and fly your friends around to experience things with you. Too often I hear about successful comics underpaying their buddies and then flying around with wealthier comics. I would say that's pretty awful, and it's accepted under the guise of "that's how you do it." 

I would argue if you are budgeting correctly, you can find a way to pay what is fair as opposed to paying what has been "the norm." 

Final Thoughts
While watching The Long Walk, I felt this is a generational film like Whiplash, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and The Shawshank Redemption. A film about the plight of man trapped in a system where only friendship can save them. It's that good. It's also violent and harrowing and left me shattered for days. It's that powerful. 

​But it's also a great reminder and warning of the way people live their life, whether they want to or not. And like most great parables dealing with the darkness of the human soul, it can remind us to find our better angels instead of pursuing the better deals.