Thursday, January 12, 2012

Eureka, I made a guy throw up

I had a great week opening for MIke Marino in Reno, at Catch A Rising Star, inside the Silver Legacy Casino.  Eight shows in 6 days, it was a great way to start 2012.  Last night while on duty, Sheriffing, driving the streets, those doubts crept into my mind.  Do I still have the comedy chops? Is it really something I should be doing ? Wouldn't it be easier just to concentrate on my cop job.  Yes I had probably 4 good shows, and two killer shows in Reno, but there were two, where I really felt the pangs of rejection, my self confidence was shaken a bit.  I met with a deputy for coffee, 7-11, Echo Park, Los Angeles.  We received a call of a wild man threatening a bus driver, refusing to get off the bus.  It was in the San Fernando Valley, it took us about 25 minutes to arrive.  We quickly brought the situation to a peaceful conclusion, or the deputy did, while I stood by.  As we drove away from the call, the deputy made a comment to me on our car to car radio.  A declarative statement, truthful observation on his part.  I retorted with my reaction to what he said ( a punch line to his statement).  It was still pretty warm, and our radio car windows were down.  I heard him screaming with laughter.  He then quickly pulled to the curb, and I pulled in behind him.  He jumped out of his police car, bent over, and threw up !  He was still laughing.  He said thats the first time in my life, I laughed so hard I threw up !!  Did you see me, you made me throw up!!  I still have it.  Thats what it's all about.  That is the key to my writing, To take real situations, observations, and insert my natural sense of humor reaction to them.  My attempt to structure made up jokes is not going to work, doesn't work really.  This epiphany comes on the heel of my study of the work of comedian Steve Roye, who professes to do just what I did just then naturally, to develop killer material.  I have been too funny off stage, using my natural sense of humor in reaction to conversations.  I have been less funny in my act, trying to write, structure, create funny out of made up stuff.  Making a deputy sheriff throw up, never felt so good.  I felt like I was back at the lunchroom in high school, throwing in the punch line someone took a drink of their milk, just to watch them spray it out their nose, as they laughed uncontrollably.  I'm off to observe and report, and insert my personal sense of humor reaction, with my point of view and twist.  I want to make more people throw up.