Smack the photo for entry into a humorist’s mind.
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I am a huge fan of standup comedy so this event was nothing short of a dream come true. The best part of any comedy club experience is when the comedian involves the audience as part of his act. You can see the other parts of his skit online and still get the jokes, but to be picked on in a comedy club is possibly one of the best experiences. The embarrassing connection you make with the comedian and the rest of the audience is priceless. Even when you look at someone else being picked on, you get to see them in their entirety, their full appearance and mannerisms, which helps to sweeten the joke. Going to a comedy club should be a joy that everyone should experience. As Professor Judell said, “[if] you … become the butt of jokes. Take it as an honor.”
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This event was my first experience in a comedy club and I absolutely enjoyed it. However, it seems like i was swept away by the atmosphere because I feel as if I would’ve laughed at anything anyone said on stage as long as it is followed by the sound of other people’s laughter. When I retrospected to what I’ve heard on comedy central before going to the club, I noticed that the quality of the jokes told on that network were on par with the jokes in the club. However, I don’t laugh out loud to the jokes on Comedy Central but I was laughing loudly in the club. This really showed me how just watching stand-up acts on television cannot compare to acts in person, surrounded by your friends. I will definitely go to more comedy clubs in the future, provided that my wallet will allow it.
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When I went to the comedy club, I did not expect to be called out during a performance. There is a whole different personal connection when a comedian addresses you directly and bases his act around that. Sure, a comedian could make asian jokes and I could relate to it. Being there live and breathing the same atmosphere as the comedian was a whole new experience. This was the highlight of my experience at the comedy club.
This led me to think about how incredibly hard it must be to be a comedian. It is their duty to control the atmosphere, pick and choose what to say, know where to and not to cross the line, and certainly to entertain the audience. The mood of the club is very important to the success of the act. A person would not joke about the 9-11 attack in front of the firemen sitting in the front. This is all put in to account and really, a comedian could only base his jokes around the same subjects that we hear everyday. They come up with clever ways to say the same thing over and over. This, I believe is one of the hardest, but most rewarding careers. I don’t know a better reward than to make others laugh and feel better. -
I really enjoyed going to the comedy club. It was my first time going to one and it was amazing. One of the things that bothered me slightly was the female comedian. I was raised relatively conservative and for a woman to speak so openly about sexuality and make comments about it was a bit unsettling to be honest. I think what really got me was how she would use often negative terms when describing herself. If I laughed it was an uncomfortable laugh on my part. However when I was thinking about it later I realized that by addressing such issues through humor it becomes a little bit easier to deal with them. I personally don’t think that boasting of certain negative characteristics is the best method to dealing with negative stereotypes and negative views of women but it maybe a very plausible option for others to deal with the matter. On a lighter note, the comedy club really was very entertaining 🙂
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A dash of comedy always adds to the liveliness of any social atmosphere. So you can imagine how thrilling a comedy club could be. Especially when you sit front and center. I loved our comedy club experience. I can laugh at just about anything. But this isn’t the case for everyone. Everyone has their own sense of humor, and so every joke might not be a crowd pleaser. However by scoping out the crowd and figuring out the age, background, and experiences of the audience Ray made jokes that would apply to just about everyone. Because people laugh at things they can relate to. We always here: “It’s funny, because it’s true!”. The contrast between the male and female mind sets was hilariously accurate. I especially enjoyed being picked on by a few of the other comedians. They try to get as personal as possible, so my proximity to them helped with that. I didn’t like a couple of comedians. The sensual noises that the African-American comedian girl was making was a tad excessive. However all-in-all, the night was enjoyable. I had a blast listening to the comedians comment on politics, racial biases, and everything else.
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I have been to comedy shows before, but this was my first experience in an actual comedy club. It was pretty much everything I expected, though I have to admit it was better than I expected. I often watch “Live at Gotham” on Comedy Central on Friday nights, which is filmed live at a New York City comedy clubs, but often I find that they are not so funny. Perhaps the difference is the company. Laughter is contagious, and I found myself laughing at just the laughter sometimes at the club. There were two couples to the left of me that were so drunk that it became a sort of subplot of humor. They repeated every single joke which, admittedly, was kind of annoying but somehow entertaining. Later, when they were flailing their arms like laughter imbued dervishes, they managed to spill their drinks all over themselves. That was not annoying in the least bit, it was pure entertainment for me.
I think another part of the show is the taunting of the audience. Unluckily for them, there was a group of middle aged, retired, ethnic looking Indian entrepreneurs sitting right in front of the stage. Every single comedian that went up spent a good five minutes on these guys. I have to admit it was funny, especially because they were such good sports about it.
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The comedy club was an amazing way of ending the week. The comedians were so hilarious. I liked how Ray Ellin started off with getting to know the people around him. It made the atmosphere more at ease. I don’t remember exactly the jokes said but I did laugh throughout the whole, except the last comedian (forgot his name, but the thin black guy from best week ever). He wasn’t as funny.
The other best week ever guy (Cherad?) had said one thing that sort of bothered me. He was talking about how kids were annoying, but trying to be funny about it. And then said, laughing, “Fuck kids!” I thought that went too far. It reminded me of the video we saw of Demetri Martin and he started talking about baby blood…I feel that comedians should stay away from using kids with derogatory ideas/words.
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My first impression of the club (beyond that of wetness) was a minor hint of fear. While I wasn’t as exposed as Erhan, I felt a little too close to the stage for my own comfort. Should I go by myself, or with a date, I would be back, where the lights cannot see me. Still, I enjoyed the show and the jokes. I was not overwhelmingly surprised by their crassness; it is to be expected. I enjoyed it, nonetheless.
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As Lana said, so many of the jokes were crass. And I loved every minute of it. Comedy is a form of art that really lets us open up in a unique way. We can de-stress by laughing and appreciating humor that would be normally too inappropriate for normal conversation. My favorite comedian that night was the female comedienne, whose style was a lot more laid back and dry than the others there. Something I loved generally about the show thought, was how subjective it was to the audience. I love that about live performance, and it’s especially pertinent to comedy, where jokes can’t even be made without certain audience members being there to make fun of!
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Insulting, offensive, dangerous, risky, rude…and hilarious! Why is it that we laugh so readily at that which is not “supposed” to be laughed at? Comic Strip Live was a provocative and fantastically entertaining experience, and it made me wonder about the origins of humor and their connections to culture and modern society.
Sometimes humor is whatever is most shocking, and other times humor is what people can most easily relate to. The comedians we watched made a lot of current references to pop culture and political news. At least three of the performers that were on that night spoke about Obama or his family. I found that people were more ready to laugh at a joke they understood than they were at a joke that was directed only towards a certain group. People feel pleased with themselves when they personally relate to a joke—they feel special and relevant to the comedian’s thoughts and act.
Of course, a majority of the jokes made on that stage were crass and shocking. Sexuality never ceases to be an interesting conversation topic and an intriguing one at that. The more raunchy the humor, the louder the audience laughed. While it shocks some people that someone would actually get on a stage in front of a crowd and talk about their personal experience, others find the vulnerability and confidence of a good comedian fascinating and almost relatable. Our current society frowns upon indecency, but in the comedy club, anything goes. This is one of the reasons I loved the experience so much. Allowing myself to laugh at things I would normally feel some sort of humility laughing at was liberating and fun. The transforming atmosphere of a dark and crowded theatre on a Saturday night is reason enough for an audience to create its own temporary society and culture—one with a new set of morals and a completely new definition of “appropriate”. As George Carlin said, an “upside down” world.
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I love stand up comedy!! This event was an awesome experience for me because I always wondered what it would be like to actually attend one of the shows. I realized that when you are actually seated in the audience, you laugh more than when you are in front of your computer. It was a very enjoyable experience. One of my favorite stand ups of that night was Ray Ellin. The way he incorporated the audience in his act was amazing because it requires some improv. I’m a big fan of improv and I really think that in order to be a true comedian, you need to be able to improvise, while being funny of course. Comedians like Robin Williams, Larry David and Ryan Stiles all deal heavily with improvisation.
I didn’t think the comedians were dirty, in fact maybe not dirty enough. I felt that they kept it clean once Ray Ellin pointed out we were college kids, even though that should have given them the clearance to be open with their comedy.
I enjoyed that night very much and am definitely planning on going back to The Comic Strip Live. -
I attended the 8:30 performance at the Comic Strip Live on November 13th with Katie, Luke, Nazana and Syeda because Ray Ellin was generous enough to extend tickets to us for a later performance. And, as a result, I experienced comedy in its most direct forms: stand-up. And what an experience it was!
The most memorable moment of that hour-and-a-half was after the second comedian, Mike Vecchione, finished up one of his jokes and a woman (possibly inebriated at the time? But, definitely drunk by the time she left) in the back started laughing so oddly and loudly that she drew the attention of the audience and Mike Vecchione on stage who was quite confounded as this transpired. I empathized with Mike Vecchione who was on stage and was being heckled/distracted — whether it was intentional or not — by this woman since I knew how distracting little things can be while giving a speech during SPCH 111 class. But shortly after, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of her distracting laugh. Mike Vecchione followed suit and immediately incorporated her laugh into his bit, causing more laughs.
The extemporaneous manner in which Mike Vecchione integrated that woman’s strange laughter into his routine clearly showed the difference between comedy in musicals or plays or sit-coms and comedy in stand-up. The former’s humor derives its humor mostly from its fictional context whereas the latter’s humor derives its humor from the comedian’s experience and the audience as well. I laughed more during that whole performance than I did watching the comedic clips (albeit still funny) in class because I was actively participating in the humor as opposed to trying to figure out the context of it. It was great fun and I am very thankful to Ray Ellin!
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I have always held comedy as something that defines my interests and my personality. I may not possess the same comical skills as Ray Ellin, but I still enjoy comedy as a whole. After visiting the comic strip live, my passion for comedy went up to a whole new level. I can see why Back Stage Magazine honors Ray Ellin as one of the “Ten Standout Stand – Ups Worth Watching.” Ray Ellin is now on my top comedian lists for sure. He was able to get the crowd involved, and it meant more when he shouted us out as city college students.
In addition, the involvement of four different comedians made it even better. After each comedian left, another came on which increased the excitement of being there. I kept on thinking and anticipating what each comedian would bring and felt each successive comedian would be better than the previous. This tactic in general is great because not everyone is going to like the same comedian, thus it is best to have a variety of comics, and we can pick the one we like the best.
As I said on a previous blog that comedy allows people to say anything they want. Well, in the comic strip live we witnessed that. I thought that the sexual jokes would be kept to a minimum, but in comedy anything is allowed. I feel Ray Ellin did a great job and I would not mind if he did a show of two hours or even more. Overall, I had a great time and I will forever remember this experience.
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So after revisiting Comic Strip Live and experiencing it for a second time, I think I have more to add since my last post.
To me, comedy is a truly great form of entertainment. I enjoy comedy that takes mundane things and points out how ridiculous they really are. I love comedians such as Demitri Martin and Brian Regan, who are funny in their simplicity. One thing I really enjoyed about the humor section of class was seeing all of the different types of comedy that my classmates enjoy, and then seeing how we all laughed together at the comedy club.
The comedy club environment is unique to any other that I’ve ever been in. I found it to be cramped, but awesome. It was so fun to be around so many fellow enjoyers of comedy. I thought that the closed environment caused the laughter to be even more contagious than it usually is. As for Ray’s performance, I thought it was great. He is truly a funny guy, and I loved getting the chance to see him live. It was even better to meet him in class and then again at the comedy club. He really enjoys what he does and I think his personality comes through when he makes jokes. I think my experiences at Comic Strip Live have definitely enhanced my connection with comedy.
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This experience has made me laugh the most on one evening. I have never been to a comedy club or even see comedy live before. For me comedy has always been a few jokes here and there and thats it. It has been integrated into my life. Never before have I even seen comedy as much as I have seen in a matter of few weeks. I was not a fan of comedy before, probably because I was never exposed to this type of art in my life. I have seen comedy in movies before but not in stand-up.
I thought that the stage for all comedians would be bigger. On television it seems that way. But I guess the stages are quite small. There was no room to move. I guess the time we went there was a peak one. Thus making the place so packed.
Looking back on the Saturday night, it was a great experience. I enjoyed Ray Ellin’s hosting. He made a smooth transition from one artist to another. In his little acts he added small jokes picking on the three groups right in front of him – the thirteenth graders from England, the firemen, and us from CCNY. When the four comedians came on stage, all of them commented on the accent the British had. I was a good laugh but got boring after some time. I liked Sherrod Small’s jokes. However Marina Franklin was a little bit too pushy. She wanted everyone to laugh so she went to all the “bad” jokes that included sexual context. There was no need for that. Because, if others, such as Ray could do without, why cant she. But she is herself and I cannot tell her to change. Ray’s jokes come out naturally as he connects the audiences to his life story. Since there were teenagers/college students, he talked about his experience in high school and college. Later, in our class, he was very open and down to earth. I did not think of him that way when we saw him at the club. I thought of him as a little bit more show-off, but he turned out to be a nice person. In class, we were making fun of him with his jeans and hat. I thought that was not needed but it actually made my day brighter and more healthier with all the laughter.
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I just got back from the Comic Strip with Joenard, Kathleen, Nazana and Clara. It was my first time going to anywhere like that, and it was AWESOME! One of the comedians (I think his name was Sherrod) kept picking on ME, for being a young-looking and smart Asian boy. Every time the crowd began laughing, Sherrod would say something like, “Oh! Even the Asian boy is laughing, too, see?” Then, people would laugh louder. At first I felt a little uneasy because I would become the center of attention and many eyes would turn to see me. I don’t think I wanted anything like that when I first stepped into the comedy club, but when I saw others’ enjoyment, I helplessly laughed along. I unconsciously enjoyed being the instrument of the comedian. It was an honor. No jokes and insults are taken to be very seriously anyway, so I said to myself ‘why not?’ and drowned myself in laughter like everyone else. That was the spirit of the comedy club and a driving force to make people laugh. An important expertise that a stand-up comedian must master is to pick on people and make fun of them, either directly or indirectly, without even knowing them well.
So that was kind of fun and new.
When I was watching the comedians’ performance, in particular Ray Ellin’s, I noted how strategically Ray Ellin and some others dropped their F-bombs during their talking. Ray Ellin primarily used the F-bomb for strong emphasis on emotions. For example, when he came into our class and talked about the date with a girl who promised to buy him a dinner but ended up refusing, he said, “I was so f***ing APPALLED!” and we all laughed immediately. Other comedians much used the word in sexual context. This word has just so many meanings and so many uses.
As for any comedian, it is important to connect with the audience and make them relate to what he/she is saying. The last comedian talked about subways and smelly people, something that most of us have encountered at least once. Bunch of others talked about sex but not in the most obscene way. As long as people laugh and enjoy their time, comedians are doing their job!
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I think by this time, the whole “what is comedy?” thing has been discussed enough. Simply put, Comic Strip Live was a fantastic time, and Ray Ellin is the man. I can’t wait to go back!
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If comedy is an art, then it would be my favorite type of art. It’s the only art that I can really relate to. I was never very good at drawing or analyzing pictures. It seems to me as a gift that only certain people have. I would look at drawings done by my peers and just be amazed, thinking how lame I am because I can’t do anything like that. However, I’ve grown to appreciate comedy and tried to incorporate into my personality and thinking patterns. Since middle school, I’ve always been prone to hang around with people that are funny. My tastes have changed over the years, meeting new people who’ve shed light on different areas of comedy. In middle school, my friends and I would basically laugh either when somebody acted stupidly, or did something stupid to somebody else. When I was in high school, I started watching more sophisticated comedy shows on TV, such as Seinfeld or Everybody Loves Raymond. This, in collaboration with meeting witty new friends, developed my mature sense of comedy that’s still present with me today. I idolized my friends for being able to come up with the funniest things to say at the right times. Trying to be like them, I taught myself how to be funny, and how to crack other people up by making witty comments whenever possible. This is not easy, however, and drains my energy. I’ve also gained inspiration from my older brother and cousins, because they’re more mature than me and never laughed at my jokes when I was younger. I tried to elevate my comedy skills to their level so I could fit in more.
When I went to the Comic Strip, I really enjoyed Ray Ellin’s style of comedy. It seemed like something I could try to imitate. Although he comes in with jokes, which is something any moron can do, he is able to interact with the audience and come up with jokes on the spot. That is what I believe being a true comedian is all about. The way he manipulates responses from the audience is something only few people can do, because not only does he need to try to come up with something that makes sense, he also needs to make the audience laugh by twisting certain notions to show irony, stereotypes, subtle commonalities, etc. The quickness of his ability to make jokes shows his immense skill. For example, when a Chinese audience member told him about the “God Bless You” tattoo, Ellin instantaneous replied “That’s such a polite tattoo.” I was amazed at his ability to make such a rapid and funny comment. Still, I wouldn’t consider him the funniest comedian. In addition to wittiness, comedians need style, and the ability to talk in a funny way. For example, I always love a good imitation of an accent, whether it’s of a particular person or stereotyping a nationality. Hence, I try to learn to speak in different accents, such as Indian, Chinese, Russian, Italian, German, etc.
When Ray Ellin visited our class, I appreciated his ‘off-stage’ personality. He seemed to be a very well-rounded and down-to-earth guy. He wasn’t a clown, which is what most people probably expect comedians to be when they’re socializing with their friends. I believe learning the art of comedy teaches people how to be sensible because they understand the relation between comedy and reality. They know when to joke around and when to be serious. Thus, I understand when to stop joking around before it gets too annoying for others, and can be extremely serious when necessary. People like Ray Ellin are very inspiring for me, and encourage me to somehow incorporate comedy into my lifestyle outside of being a scientist or an engineer.
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This was by far the most enjoyable event for me, mainly because I’ve always been a fan of stand up comedy. Although my experience with comedy hasn’t gone far past the Youtube videos, I consider myself a fanatic and enjoyed watching the works of comedians such as Chris Rock, Russell Peters, and Dane Cook. After watching some of the stand up works by big name comedians I was expecting a similar outcome at Comic Strip but to my surprise it was quite different. Witnessing the performances by some smaller comedians live was truly a unique, and in my opinion, a more enjoyable experience.
The main difference between a live performance and one that is watched on television is that the live performance is a much more personalized experience. In my particular case, I was lucky enough to get picked on by Ray Ellin for the opening act, something impossible to experience over a video. He poked fun at my hairstyle calling me a “Jonas Brother”, a comment I’ve actually heard several times before. By being a topic in his act I opened up to a lot of his other jokes, after all you can’t learn to laugh without learning to laugh at yourself first. I enjoyed being picked on (I actually hoped it would happen prior to the show) and found Ray Ellin all the more funny because of it. Being the topic of an act isn’t the only way the crowd affects the outcome of a performance, the comedian also feeds off the reaction of the crowd.Our laughter (or lack of) affects the outcome more than any other aspect of the performance. The crowd is the biggest part of an act because just like any other form of art, the jokes are open to interpretation and if the comedian gets the wrong response the performance is dead.
After attending the live comedy show I come to realize three things: first that comedians constantly alter their jokes to fit with the particular crowd their speaking to. As Ray Ellin mentioned in class, he told us many jokes that he didn’t normally tell (some that he didn’t tell in years) because he realized that the crowd was made up of college students. Ray Ellin has become a master of this form of adaptation and it’s just one more thing that makes him a great comedian. Second, the crowd is the biggest factor in a performances success. Ray Ellin again acknowledged the crowds presence by making several jokes about the audience (i.e. me with the Jonas Brother Joke, the English students with their country’s history, and the Afghanistan men who walked in late because they came back from a bombing). Lastly I’ve come to learn that the comedians attitude is vital to a performance. Ray Ellin seemed much more enthusiastic then some of the other comedians (particularly Marina). Ray Ellin was undoubtedly the highlight of the night and succeeds in every aspect of the art of comedy.
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Going to the comedy club that Saturday was one of the best experiences ever! I’ve always been a fan of comedy because my entire family is very comedic and the joy of laughing is just unmatched compared to other forms of entertainment. Also, ever since I heard the saying “laughing makes you live longer,” I’ve always felt as if I needed to laugh everyday so I can live as long as my great grandmother. Then again, only 18 years have passed. “Silence is death” but when you’re old, laughter can be death too if you laugh too hard.
During the night of the comedy show, I was a little uncomfortable because of the crowded environment, but the experience was still amazing. The drinks were great. Although the space was packed, I still felt a sense of unity among everyone – we were all there to laugh and to enjoy this natural form of entertainment. When Ray Ellin came out, I really anxious because it was my first comedy show and I was really curious as to how it would turn out. I also didn’t want to get picked on, so I tried to hide myself as much as possible. What I found most intriguing about Ray Ellin, and all the other comedians, is his ability to use the crowd in his skit. He examines his crowd and then begins. What I like most about Ray Ellin is that it was socially acceptable for people my age, yet at the same time, there was a bit of vice in it. Unlike the other comedians, who used heavy profanity and relied on humor about sex, Ray Ellin’s comedy was very pure and believable. I feel like Ray had the most natural humor.
After going to the comedy club, I felt this urge to bring out my funny side. People always told me I was funny (even though I don’t know why) but now, I think I’m going to figure out why I’m so funny to laugh and work it to my advantage. I can’t wait until my 106th birthday.
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Like many others in the class, it was my first time going to the Comedy Club. I have always appreciated Stand-Up Comedy because like dance and painting, it is an art. And for me, it seems to be one the most difficult arts to practice. It is unnerving to stand on the crammed little stage with no space to even put a glass of water down. The lights are blinding and the hardest part of it all: will people laugh? Because to stand-up comedians “SILENCE IS DEATH.” You never want the crowd to be booing and throwing frenchfries at you. And like Ray said, everyone has a different sense of humor, so one joke cannot appease everyone.
The best thing about Ray is that he knows how to work with the crowd. On Saturday night when he saw college students predominantly made up the audience, he made jokes about his college life and education. He tailored his routine to the environment. The other comedians relied heavily on sexual content to bring out laughter. Sometimes it was a bit too appalling. But when I thought about it later it made sense why comedians rely on sexual jokes. The comedians want to establish some connection between the audience and themselves and if they only make educational jokes, an everyday person might not be able to connect or understand.And in today’s society, mostly everyone knows everything there is to know about sex from television or other forms of media so it is very easy for comedians to joke about it.
Although we were crammed in a tiny space, overall it was a great experience. And meeting Ray afterwards in class was like frosting on a cake. Like most actors, he is a completely different person off-stage. I am definitely planning to go back again after finals are over.
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George Carlin: “Comedy is a socially acceptable form of hostility and aggression. That is what comics do, stand the world upside down.”
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Saturday night, despite the rain, was an experience worth remembering. Having already been to a stand up performance that did not have an emcee, I was certainly looking forward to Ray Ellin’s routine(s). He did not disappoint. In fact, I feel that he adequately fulfilled his role requirements by providing a direct bridge to the evening’s performers. The two bits on the CCNY students and the British students, along with the fireman jesting actually had some carry over throughout the night. Subsequent comedians actually worked some improvisational material into their routines regarding those audience groups that Ellin singled out. Ellin’s biography did not surprise me at all; his high ranking by Backstage magazine and his renowned use of “off the cuff” improvisation was clearly demonstrated on Saturday. What was surprising to me was the wealth of projects that this man has accomplished outside of stand up. Ellin’s production and directorship of The Latin Legends of Comedy was fascinating to learn about, because it allowed me to view the comedian through a unique perspective: one outside of comedy. His life story is one of a common man, and I think that illustrates an interesting concept within stand up comedy. Other arts would have us marvel at the magnificence of the performer from an almost subservient position, yet here we have a field in which those on stage mirror those in the audience. I think we should appreciate that much more, because the more a country’s people can relate to its artists, the easier it becomes to reach a mutual understanding of perennial issues.
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You’ve just been made president of the Ray Ellin Fan Club.
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