Making up for something?
Published by on March 30th, 2006
During my limited time in the low end of the standup comedy circuit, I met so many aspiring comedians using their performance as therapy, one or two even under the direction of their therapist: the mask of the clown often fronts a troubled soul. Could the same be said for podcasters?
In the broader sense I do not think so, but here and there you will find the kind of content which suggests something more behind the mask. The signs to look out for are content or presentation style which are in some way in contrast to the individual’s personality: the need to fill some void.
Anyone with the desperate urge to express themselves on a public stage will have a personal motivation in doing so - it can never be purely about money, at least not at the outset. It feels good to reach out and touch others’ daily lives with a little of yourself - I’ll admit, it’s a buzz when you get a good laugh from an audience, and an equal buzz when a podcast listener feeds back how much they enjoyed your last show. Podcasting brings a distinct advantage in that it is easy. Time consuming sometimes, but really not that hard. Admittedly, despite being a socially reserved individual, I never found walking on stage in front of an audience particularly hard, but I am blessed in that respect as the vast majority, even after years of performing, experience anything from nervous anxiety to physically illness before a gig. [I'm not sure if I have ever blogged about why going on stage doesn't phase me, perhaps some of you might find it interesting..?]
A medium such as podcasting provides the individual with their own clown’s mask. What is the risk they are taking by putting their thoughts, ideas or just selection of music out there? Very little risk indeed. And if it doesn’t work, there’s little lost and life goes on just as it always had.
This low-risk is vital to the success in maintaining and replenishing a grass-roots layer to the evolving podcasting cake. Once in a while the mask will enable a real troubled mind to feel brave enough to express themselves to the world and perhaps reveal a rare creative talent, and likely still the waters of a troubled mind just a little.
Sadly in the quest for comic genius, we will have to surf the raging tide of individuals assuming it’s easy to be funny or simply trying too hard. Trust me, after delivering what I thought was the funniest line I’ve ever written to total silence* (no, actually I think I heard a distant toilet flush), I know how hard being funny can be.
*Yet the following night, different audience, different venue, same routine, I had people in tears (yes, of laughter before you say anything!) The joys of standup comedy.
Technorati Tags: comedy, podcasting
2 Responses to “Making up for something?”
April 1st, 2006 at 10:36 pm
Hmm interesting. I know that in the only podcast I have attempted I firmly hid behind a ‘mask’ where I think when you read my blog you get me.
I think if you look at the lives of the great comics there seem to be few who would be considered “well balanced”, it may be the price that has to be paid.
April 2nd, 2006 at 10:23 am
I remember reading in New Scientist about creativity and that they now believe that it flows from a process not too dissimilar to that experienced by people suffering manic depression. Something in the switching between two different states of mind seems to trigger creative thought. When you think about it I suppose it makes sense that something gets released or loosed as the mind flickers between opposing modes. Now if only we can trigger that without stepping too far over the line…