In today’s stand-up comedy scene, the tone has turned toward darker material. In a never-ending search for topics that haven’t been talked about stand-up comedians are pushing that line between comedy and drama. The closer they ride the line that could fall into the range of drama the bigger the chance that audience my turn on them.

Here’s a Few Tips to Help:

Commit

If dark material expresses your real sense of humor, and it’s really what you want to say, have the confidence to say it. Never pander to an audience. Do your sense of humor.

My student, Anthony Jeselnik, pushed through this issue. His stuff is dark, and not everybody likes it, but he has succeeded with it. So, you need to be a grownup and realize that some people are going to like you and some people aren’t going to like you. But if you commit, you will find your audience.

When I used to do the Westwood Comedy Store with Sam Kinison, people would say to him, “Don’t yell at the audience,” but he didn’t listen. He continued doing what he wanted to do because that was his sense of humor, and eventually he found his audience… found a huge audience!

So, remember: This is your show. This is your art. Have the confidence to do it, and keep doing it and you will find your audience over time.

Go After Yourself First

If you’re only hitting other people with your mean-spirited jokes, then it looks like you’re just picking on everyone else.

So, start your show by turning that mean sense of humor on yourself. Do some self-deprecating jokes and make them as cruel as the jokes you make about anybody else.  Then, it’s fair play!

Your stand-up comedy routine will become much more palatable to the audience when you’re willing to take yourself apart before turning that wicked sense of humor on other people or institutions.

If you find yourself on the tightrope between comedy and drama, commit fully so the audience knows this is your style and you’re not going to back down. And be willing to take the first shot at yourself to let them know this is your sense of humor, no matter who it’s aimed at.

Greg Dean’s Stand-Up Comedy Classes

Greg teaches his techniques in two classes. Level 1 – How to Build a Stand Up Comedy Routine is the beginning class (also called the “101 class”) that teaches you everything you need to know to build and perform a stand-up comedy routine. Level 2: Writing & Performing at the Improv (also known as the “201 class”) guilds you through the process of building a routine and preparing to perform at one of the world’s most prestigious comedy clubs.

Even though these classes are named a beginning and advanced, they are actually classes that stand up comedians of any number of years of experience can take. They are beginning and advanced in the Greg Dean system. If you’re interested in faster and better ways to create good jokes and you want to dive deeper on joke writing then you’ll want to take both of these classes.

Free On Demand Webinar: How to Build a Stand Up Comedy Routine