Comedian
A
comedian, or
comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. This might be through
jokes or amusing situations, or acting the fool, as in
slapstick, or employing
prop comedy. A female comedian may be known as a
comedienne although this usage has been deprecated in recent years.A comedian who stands and addresses an audience directly is called a
stand-up comedian.
Since the mid-
1980s, a new wave of comedy, called
alternative comedy, has been gaining popularity and delighting audiences with its offbeat style. This normally involves more experiential, or observational, reporting to get a laugh. Famous comedians often overstep the mark of what the public perceive as acceptable, such as the remarks made by
Billy Connolly about the killing of
Ken Bigley.
Formats of a comedian's show are flexible and often depend on the type of comedy. Some comedians such as
Brian Figarol speak about their own day to day lives, while others like
Frank Skinner sing humorous songs.
As far as content is concerned, comedians such as
Tommy Tiernan draw on their background to poke fun at themselves, while others such as
Bill Hicks have strong political and cultural undertones.
Many comics achieve a
cult following while touring famous comedy hubs such as
Montreal in
Canada,
Edinburgh in
Scotland and
Melbourne in
Australia. Often a comic's career is made when they win a notable comedy prize, such as
Perrier Award. Comics survive by continuous touring and foray into other areas of entertainment, when they have become famous. These include
television (such as with
Rowan Atkinson,
Jerry Seinfeld,
Ray Romano,
Bill Cosby,
Dave Chappelle and
Ellen DeGeneres), films (such as with
Chris Rock,
Richard Pryor,
Jim Carrey,
Whoopi Goldberg,
Janeane Garofalo and
Robin Williams) and the usual release of
DVDs of live shows.
*
Comedy genres*
List of comedians*
Humor*
Comedy*
Stand-up comedy*
Humorist*
Banned list*
List of musical comedians*http://onetrickpony.ws/interviews - A collection of interviews with standup comedians.
