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Jokes & Comedians/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| writing a joke by starting at the punchline | 1/12/2012 | Tom |
| Q: Hey Tom, I have been into stand-up comedy for as long as I can remember and am planning on giving ... A: Jason -- Thanks for your message, and I apologize for the delay in my response (wasn't due to a ... | ||
| Writing comedy | 8/27/2011 | Tom |
| Q: The only problem with me trying to become a comedian is writing jokes I'm more of the spur of the ... A: Brandon -- Thanks for your message, and I apologize for the delay in my response. You express a ... | ||
| sense of humor | 2/8/2011 | Tom |
| Q: In class when I talk I don't have any thing thing to say that would make my class fellows laugh.What ... A: Jack -- Thanks for your good question. I think it is sometimes difficult when other people seem to ... | ||
| Comedy Writing Rules | 12/24/2010 | Tom |
| Q: If you don't mind can you share your top ten (or 20 :) lol) joke structure rules. for example... ... A: Jarel -- I'll give two rules, but they really only apply to the spoonerism-based comedy that I've ... | ||
| Improv in StandUp | 12/24/2010 | Tom |
| Q: Is it more important to know how to improv during your set or have structured jokes that work? & How ... A: Jarel -- Both are important, just for different reasons. Nobody who performs a lot comes up with a ... | ||
| Careers in Political Satire | 10/8/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I'm a student, and I'm looking into getting a career in political satire. Preferably I'd like to ... A: Brian -- Thanks for your question. I have to say that I've never really thought about how one might ... | ||
| Bill Cosby | 10/4/2010 | Tom |
| Q: Bill Cosby cut an album and I think it's called "A very funny fellow Right" but I am not positive, ... A: Lila -- Thanks for the question (not stupid, and you provide a lot of detailed information to get ... | ||
| Corporate comedy question | 8/9/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I'm a comedic actor who has done corporate comedy in the past until I decided to sell out & get a ... A: Sammy -- This is an interesting question. I think you're probably already ahead of the game in that ... | ||
| "Your in the barrel" | 7/30/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I never got that... can you explain? A: Jason -- This is a reference to a classic (and somewhat unpleasant, I find) dirty joke. I'm going ... | ||
| can't remember a joke---only punchline | 6/2/2010 | Tom |
| Q: What is the joke that ends with "How do it know?" Thanks. A: Jan -- I was able to find several potential answers by doing a Google search for ["how do it know" ... | ||
| nervous | 5/17/2010 | Tom |
| Q: i just turned 18 and everyone tells me i would do great as a comedian and i love entertaining people ... A: Kaden -- It's great that you want to do something more with your skills and talents at humor. And ... | ||
| Comics who make it and comics who don't.... | 5/17/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I was wondering what are your thoughts on comics who make it and some who don't. It's like there are ... A: Mike -- This is an interesting question, even if the answer to why some make it and some don't ... | ||
| Sharing your thoughts with other comics.... | 4/6/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I am new comic and I am doing pretty well so far. Sometimes I'll have other comics ask me what are ... A: Danny -- I think you're asking a good question, and probably one that applies in lots of situations ... | ||
| comedy | 3/23/2010 | Tom |
| Q: well basically i just wanted to know if you find being a comedian is easy or can it have its ... A: Danny -- Thanks for an interesting question. My observation of various careers (my own as well as ... | ||
| Copyrighting material | 3/23/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I was wondering can a comedian copyright his routines? I know how a comedian's act can change ... A: Mike -- Good question. Copyright is something that we've all heard about but I think most of us ... | ||
| More funny | 3/12/2010 | Tom |
| Q: How do I naturally become more funnier? A: Carissa -- I apologize for the delay in my response and hope that you received the explanatory ... | ||
| Where do I begin? | 2/19/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I am a 16-year-old who wants to become a comedienne. I believe that I have good material and have ... A: Liz -- It's great that you want to pursue your goal of performing. No doubt you have discovered ... | ||
| How to deal with other comics? | 2/15/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I have recently ventured into the world of stand up comedy. I am an aspiring comic from the ... A: Thomas -- It sounds like you're thinking about this in a reasonable way. It's probably good to be ... | ||
| my jokes | 2/12/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I've written several jokes, and I'm trying to take a stab at comedy for a living. The only problem ... A: Mike -- I've never really thought of this situation from the angle that you take in your question, ... | ||
| How to deal with other comics? | 2/9/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I have recently ventured into the world of stand up comedy. I am an aspiring comic from the ... A: Thomas -- This is an interesting question. It sounds as if you clearly would like to make some ... | ||
| Observation | 1/12/2010 | Tom |
| Q: I understand that many jokes are just made of unique observations. I noticed that Employees Only, ... A: Tommy -- It's definitely true that many jokes are based on unique observations made about everyday ... | ||
| Is being a stand up comic worth doing | 12/24/2009 | Tom |
| Q: I'm 14 and i adore comedy. I am from England though i don't mind going to America when i am older. I ... A: Stephen -- Thanks for an interesting question. I think that, indirectly, this question is at the ... | ||
| Controlling nerves | 12/18/2009 | Tom |
| Q: I'll try to keep this short. I write down a lot of funny material (sketches, stand-up), but I have ... A: Mark -- I think it's great that you are determined to give this a try despite your concerns that it ... | ||
| comediands | 11/22/2009 | Tom |
| Q: should comedians laugh about their own jokes? thijs A: Thijs -- This is an interesting question. It's always nice to be excited about one's own work, and ... | ||
| preparing for first open mic | 11/18/2009 | Tom |
| Q: I have been preparing for open mic for over a year now. I have a notebook filled with ideas, but ... A: Alex -- I apologize for the delay in my response. You pose an interesting set of questions. I doubt ... | ||
| understatement | 11/9/2009 | Tom |
| Q: I would like to ask a question? How do you use understatements to get laughs in your comedy? A: Chris -- I'd say that understatements are generally a particular form of sarcasm, although it is ... | ||
| sarcasm | 11/6/2009 | Tom |
| Q: I have one question? How does a person develop their sarcastic wit? A: Chris -- This is an interesting question, because I think that, for most people, sarcasm doesn't ... | ||
| Why don’t some comedians laugh about their jokes? | 10/19/2009 | Tom |
| Q: i need for my project to know: Why don’t some comedians laugh about their jokes? do you know ... A: Anthony -- I'm thinking that you are referring to the fact that some stage comedians deliver their ... | ||
| Joke Writing | 10/7/2009 | Tom |
| Q: Tom, For performing standup (I have yet to get on stage), how should I write my jokes out? Should ... A: Evan -- Sure, this makes sense. I think it's great that you're thinking about these practical ... | ||
| about writing and performing | 10/1/2009 | Tom |
| Q: I want to ask a question. Are comedians actors as well as public speakers? A: Chris -- Yes! In fact, I think everyone who works effectively with groups (comedians, teachers, ... | ||
| more specifically about writing | 9/27/2009 | Tom |
| Q: My name is Chris, the first thing I want to ask is, How do you find the irony in a joke in different ... A: Chris -- I think the most important part of what you write in your question is that you have some ... | ||
| Joke Help | 8/12/2009 | Tom |
| Q: Im like a few other people here who have posted, people from school and work say im pretty funny. I ... A: TJ -- I apologize for the delay in my response -- I must have missed the first notification of your ... | ||
| Reworking Material & Your Audience | 7/28/2009 | Tom |
| Q: What are your thoughts on reworking material? when do you know when its time to let go of a joke? ... A: Jarel Jimmy -- Thanks for your questions. I'm only going to tackle one of them directly, the one ... | ||
| Best time to start off | 7/18/2009 | Tom |
| Q: Hey. I'm a 16 year old boy and i have admired stand up comedy for a long time now, a lot of people ... A: Ryan -- This is an interesting question. Most people wonder how quickly they can move through ... | ||
| comedic personna | 7/17/2009 | Tom |
| Q: My name is Chris and what I want to know is how I can develop my comedic persona? andIalso want to ... A: Chris -- It sounds as if you've already been doing the main thing that I recommend, which is to ... | ||
| Multiple PERSONA-lity | 7/10/2009 | Tom |
| Q: Experience: 1 open mic night I'm concerned about coming off having multiple persona's and confusing ... A: Jarel Jimmy -- Thanks for the interesting questions. I'll tell you right away that I am personally ... | ||
| Capitol Steps | 6/22/2009 | Tom |
| Q: Is there any way a guy like me, who has been writing song parodies for family/friends' events for ... A: David -- Good question. This one is actually addressed on the Steps' FAQ page ... | ||
| Comedy | 5/24/2009 | Tom |
| Q: How do you go about writing material? It's easy to be funny in the moment but it's hard to just ... A: Louis -- This is a good question, and I suspect that different people would have quite different ... | ||
| what about 32 ? | 5/7/2009 | Tom |
| Q: ive been wanting to get into comedy in some form or fashion... mainly my own for a few years now. i ... A: Joe -- It hasn't been my goal to be a professional comedian, but I started doing serious work with ... | ||
| getting started in stand up | 3/18/2009 | Tom |
| Q: Well I hate saying that I'm funny but all my friends say that I could do stand up and that I have ... A: Matt -- I think that going right from joking around with friends to the stage of a comedy club is ... | ||
Tom
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions about The Capitol Steps, a political (mostly musical) satire group based in Washington, DC which performs in Washington, around the U.S., and four times a year on public radio. I can answer questions about who is performing which role in Capitol Steps sketches and songs on albumns and can help identify a routine (and which albumn or radio show includes it) based on partial lyrics. I can also provide tips and suggestions for those interested in writing and performing spoonerism-based comedy similar to the Steps` "Lirty Dies."
Experience
I have been a Capitol Steps fan since about 1995. I own all the albumns and have listened to each dozens of times. I have particularly studied (and particularly admire) the "Lirty Dies" routines and I have written and performed material of this sort. Despite the fact that I live halfway across the U.S. from Washington, I've attended many live Capitol Steps performances, including several at their permanent locations in the DC area.
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