JOKES AND SUSHI [stand up comedy BLOGRMAGE: DAY 10]

Another Friday night with my family means another chance to practice joking. We went to a sushi restaurant, and a lot of people were interested in the comedy challenge. Naturally, I got to practice a few of the one liners I had been working on.

This environment felt especially natural after the sterile couch performances from last week. A lot of my one liners went over really well--not all of them, though. There were a few times when I naturally told a story and everybody laughed and said they liked that joke. The thing is, I wasn't trying to tell a joke, it was not preemptive humor, and it went over well. Then I'd try to tell the joke again to another person and it'd become all sterile. Must bridge the natural to stage humor gap!

Hanging out with groups is great for gathering material for two reasons.

1. Conversations and jokes naturally happen
2. It makes everyone paranoid (I loved writing in my notebook whenever my cousins would speak and then make eye contact)

Today, I watched the dvd Zach Galifianakis: Live from the Purple Onion.

It's the most unique comedy dvd I've seen. It felt more like a documentary than a stand up set. His routine is highly abstract, and while it is entertaining, it's not my favorite. I respect the genius of it and give him mad credibility, but I wouldn't want to watch the dvd again. Maybe a few certain parts, but I think part of the appeal of his persona is not knowing what to expect.

Peace.

Pradeepan