-
Aye, when it's live then it's a participatory thing; the performer needs the consent and participation of the audience. I don't think the audience see themselves as passive, since they know the performer depends on them. And the good comics aren't just reciting, they're reacting to how the audience responds, choosing material (or a way to present the material) that matches that. And insult comedy is a whole style that really doesn't work on TV, so that's a good example of what I'm trying to say.
There's been a good few comments here saying "I hate X's stand-up, but I find them funny in panel shows". Assuming they've seen X doing stand-up on TV, where the best parts of that just don't work, maybe the difference is that on the panel shows they get to see performer X being interactive and spontaneous. If they went to watch X live, maybe they'd see that there too.
Stand-up exploded onto British TV when late night TV (and later 24 hour TV) became a thing - suddenly there were lots of hours to fill and it's cheap to televise - but the comedians have always been a bit leery of doing their set on it. It doesn't show them at their best and material they've been building and shaping for months or years suddenly becomes old, so that people who've seen them on screen and come to see them live may feel ripped off. Panel shows, on the other hand, don't consume their material, can make them look good, and are a route to a career that pays more than a supply teacher. But live performance is so much better, both for the audience and the comic.
itsbruce-
I saw Jonathan Creek in a Edinburgh warmup and was really surprised what a good standup he was.
Although tbh I think I'm one of those people who generally finds live sets funny - something about the overall vibe I think. Tbh the only time I've been to a bigger venue was a gig at Snowbombing (in a conference hall) and Glastonbury (seriously fuck standing for a whole set).
The two big exceptions were Rufus Hound and whatshischops with the shit haircut that kicked this thread off. The Rufus Hound one was when he was at his peak 'fame' and he came across as a pure cunt, with a load of sexist shit that he pretended was pro-women (this was also at a time when I would have been a lot less sensitive to that sort of stuff too).
hugo7
Actually you have a point.
I always forget that I have actually been to a couple of stand up shows. Mrs m_v is into drag (and lets face it, so am I) and she wanted to go and see Bianca Del Rio’s stand up show a couple years ago. I was dead against it but went ‘for her’ and it’s the most I’ve ever laughed. We’ve seen her twice now and I think the mrs has maybe bought us tickets to go again later this year. She’s an insult comedian so it’s very audience interactive so I see what you mean about the connection.