by Leah Bonnema, a NYC-based stand-up comedian seen in clubs, on radio/podcasts or TV via WeTV, Logo and VH1, offers this list of things people say to comedians but really shouldn’t ever say.
In general I believe people mean well. And I should be so lucky that anyone was interested in talking to me at all or listening to my stand up. BUT… I get the idea that people don’t realize comedy is also a job. And that that job entails putting very personal things out into the world. AND that people have spent years working on a single joke. AND also that coming up to someone and saying something mean isn’t funny. The below lists of comedy-don’t does not include heckling, that is a whole entire list until itself.
- “You know what would be funny…”
- “I bet you are going to use this in your little skits.”
- “Tell me a joke.”
- “Oh, you went to college?”
- “Maybe you should have….” or “Rough one?!”
- “How do your parents feel about this?”
- “I could totally be a comedian.”
- “You don’t look funny.”
- “You are so funny. You should be doing more. Why aren’t you on ___. “
- “I really liked you but ____ was horrible”
- Bonus one for female comics “I don’t usually think women are funny, but you were great…”
