Reading the Room and Knowing Your Audience Defined

​Most everyone has heard a person say the expression, "read the room!" Whether it was because someone said something dumb, or in the comedy world, a person went too far politically or sexually, they didn't "read the room," and their brand of humor ended up hurting the show. The same people who say this after the fact also say things like "know your audience." That's an expression that I never liked, because no comedian knows their audience. Unless you're doing a charity show for for Veterans For PETA, then I would suggest no anti-military jokes and don't mention you love eating cows. But most shows are blind draws. Your name is called up to the stage and you hit them with a joke - then it's fight or flight. So how do you know how to "read the room" and "know your audience?" 

You can't. But here's a few tricks to help you navigate the set and how to pivot if you feel like you're drowning on stage.

Have An Opening Joke That Sets the Tone
I don't care if you are a new open micer or a solid 20 year+ pro, you need an opening joke that sets the tone for your comedy. I like opening up with either a weight loss joke or when I'm on the road how I couldn't figure out to put chains on my tires in the snow. Both set up the insecurity I have in my identity and let the audience know I'm honest about my faults. These jokes also are a perfect representation of my joke telling skills. Either they laugh and I know they'll respond to my humor or I might have to switch it up and go darker, or even worse - do some crowd work. 

If you're a dirtier comic, then I say do an opening joke that's a PG-13 type and if it gets a pop, then up the ante. But walking out there and doing some freaky sex joke or saying a really dirty phrase or word (like the C word or saying "What's up Fuckers?!") can turn them off the rest of the night. Unless you're performing on a dirty show or these are your fans and they expect it, build up to your highest level of blue humor - don't start there.

Many comics like to riff when they get up on stage, and it helps them feel loose, but unless the previous comic says something that is just a slam dunk to tag or riff on, I like sticking with the tried and true. Too often riffing turns into ramblings and now you have no way to get into your set. 

How To Read Their Political Views 
Sometimes people will see a lot of old or young people and assume their political views because they are trying to "read the room." But that's not fair to them. Old people can like a good dick joke as much as a 25 year old bro. In my NorCal show in Yreka the host/casino manager told us that they started the show very PG and after a few old people complained it wasn't raw enough, they changed the room to soft R. Yes, it was the old people complaining the material wasn't dirty enough. 

When it comes to politics, unless you just like dividing the room because you're a nihilist, I have a few go to set ups that determine the direction I'm going. I do a joke about how my staunch Republican grandma helped me financially when comedy didn't cover all the bills. The joke celebrates her views and makes fun of her being a bit senile. If either part doesn't get a good response, then I know not to go into that territory again. If they applaud her conservative leanings, I know I can make more jokes about Gavin Newsom and how he runs the state. If they like the twist at the end, I can make a few more jokes that poke fun at conservative views. It's an evergreen political jokes that sets parameters for me to navigate. 

George Carlin would make fun of Republicans and Christians a lot, but he also told a lot of jokes about environmentalists and liberal political correctness. He had a fan base that loved it all, but his even distribution of targets is a great way to start. Chris Rock did this too in the 1990's, making fun of fake white people problems but then going after the black community for supporting OJ Simpson. By being fair to both sides, he could just tell all the jokes he wanted instead of feeling trapped by one political view. 

Go Dirty or Clean When It Goes South
As a mostly clean comic, I noticed that a lot of audiences crave a cruder sense of humor. Comedy is a cathartic experience for many, as the crowd sees you as the vessel representing them. Laughter is a sort of involuntary agreement between all involved. Sometimes they just want you to say things they wish they could. They want to hear you talk about sex, drugs, etc. Maybe you don't do that type of humor, and that's fine. But when they don't respond and you get off stage to hear the next comic get a big laugh on an R rated joke, you'll feel even worse. 

That's why if my evergreen clean material doesn't go over, I have what I call "Elevated Blue Humor." These are the jokes I wrote that maintain my swear free brand but deal with raunchier topics. Here are a few dirty jokes that I could say on TV and go over with raunchier crowds:

• My date with an adult film actress
• My "blood flow" conversation with my doctor about sex 
• My $1500 date with a 25 year old about not getting laid 
• My Farmer's Only app joke about not finding any hoes 

All of those jokes are pretty "adult" but I walk a fine line, and they allowed me to elevate from basic sex puns and use my writing skills. 

The same goes for being too dirty. If you want to win them over, you might need to clean it up. If they keep pulling back, then lighten it up. Switch it up and share your more "human" side. I'll never forget when a dirty comic was bombing and then told the crowd, "since you didn't like my set, I'll ruin your night," and she told them how her uncle was a pervert. Your job is not to punish the crowd for not liking you. Your job is to make them laugh. 

Living and Dying By Crowd Work
One time my feature act bombed really bad and I had an hour after him on stage. I tried to do my usual opening jokes and they weren't having it. With 55 minutes left on stage, I decided to go bold and just do crowd work the rest of the time. Literally creating comedy gold out of dry straw. It worked, but it was exhausting, and like a high wire act, I knew I could fall at anytime. In fact, a few times I weaved in my bits to no response, only to return to crowd work.

You see, some audiences don't want you to talk about yourself or stuff - they want you to talk about them. Blame TikTok crowd work clips, blame social media's goal to have you post YOUR life as if it's a TV show for others, or blame the modern audience's lack of intelligence in general shared experiences. But some crowds just want to be the star, and crowd work does that. If they don't laugh at jokes, I've learned they tend to laugh at jokes about them.               

The weirdest part is they might not know that. They just sit in silence and you have to read them and adjust. I was once terrified by crowd work, but now it's my favorite 5-10 minutes, as I get to challenge myself. And if you enjoy that rush, I suggest you practice 1-2 minutes in a 5 minute set, 2-3 minutes in a 10 minute set, and 5-10 in a 20+ minute set. 

Final Thoughts  
Trying to figure out the crowd is part of the job of a comedian. "Reading the room" just means trying jokes and seeing what they respond to as you go. "Knowing your audience" is just being smart and not doubling down on topics they clearly didn't like earlier in the night. Sometimes I'll watch a comic before me and see how the crowd responds to their material, but if everything is just local jokes about the city council, and they kill, then I've learned nothing. One time a local comic in Arizona made a joke in Tucson about parking under a tree branch and the place erupted into laughter. I learned nothing in that moment, but sometimes I'll see a comic do very liberal or conservative jokes, and the crowd goes silent. That helps me read the room. 

This whole comedy thing is trial and error, and you never get to do the same show twice. Every night it's a new crowd, but if you are paying attention to the responses, you can make adjustments. Sometimes they are laughers and it's easy. But sometimes they're locked in but not the rowdy kind. It sounds like you bombed, but after the show they all want to buy a t-shirt. I call those crowds polite smilers. Go figure. But like a good captain steering the ship, just set your sails to the wind of the crowd, and you'll be fine. 

​Or you won't win them over. And in that case - just dust off your shoes, call it a learning experience, and head off to the next show. You know, like a professional comic does.