I have a theory that those who are funny often prefer to spend their time doing other things than making Tiktok videos or such. Could be wrong though. Love the content-and-character double whammy there. That will stay with me. (Still having interesting thoughts about houses on fire getting on...)
You might well be right Tali. You’d think one of them might be though, just one. Thank for the whammy recognition. That’s one of my signature whammies. Haha now that phrase seems to have overstayed its welcome
It really is painful. It seems like there’s a bigger leap between what they find funny and I do, than between me and my parents. But I guess even my parents didn’t like the office or extras they found it too squirmy.
I watched jackass not too long ago, and enjoyed it, but they were my heroes. I’m not sure if I ever got salad fingers, I think I just pretended to.
Generally speaking when you're young there's that aspect of 'guys did you know?'-- when you've been around the block a bit (i.e over 22) it's always going to be a bit eye rolling because we're not the target demo. When I was growing up 'lord of the pings' on youtube (classic internet gaming forum humour, leeroy jenkins, etc.) was the height of comedy, I watch it now I want to strangle my younger self, I realise my dad must have had the patience of a saint.
Humour has shifted quite a bit to context dependent internet jokes. There's more 'hanging out' parasocial content and that is 'the act'. ishowspeed is an example of that, I think he's quite good at what he does, out of that genre, he shifted to a more 'Karl Pilkington' abroad documentary style. By himself, that's fine, but there's thousands of these, and that's where it gets grim, as you said, the gate has been opened.
So I've seen a few funny livestreams with off the cuff humour that are great, but it's the type of experience you would have with friends, it's a friendship simulator. That's why it's degen. I think of all the gen z's that tune in daily as a transactional sim for real life, and it's not so funny anymore. I sit with a furrowed brow --concerning! I had an hour long discussion the other day about Jim McDonald from Corrie, so maybe it's just the next step, but at least corrie was one hour a day - kettle on, bish bash bosh. There's a difference between watching corrie and passively hanging out with someone.
The flipside of this and the ripple effect of this 'next step' of the evolution of performance in general and for comedy, which applies from gen z to gen x, is the podcasting/livestreaming-to-stage gap. It's a bit uncomfortable to discuss if you like these people. The stand up comedians on Joe Rogan's network are likeable enough (debateable) on the podcast,, but seem 5/10 tops when on the stage. People who always write about writing, then it's talking about the 'craft' of comedy but the craftmanship seems lacking. I quite miss the 20 min segment of tight well-oiled comedy than the always-on 'I exist and broadcast myself 24 hours a day', or 'I sit in the back of your mind as a permeable omnipresent force that shows up on your scroll every 20 scrolls'.. it takes real craftsmen to be a performer, and fuck off. When you scroll for an hour this is almost offensive and it gets X-Pac heat from me. I'm not a Bo Burnham fan really, but at least he knows when to come in, do his bit, get his flowers, and gracefully leave. This transactional and attention-retention content is fucking us up. At the same time how do you go back to that? The 20 min segment almost feels outdated compared to the constant presence of these acts in real time, that's what algorithms want. I suppose it takes self-discipline and trusting your base but the way it is now, everyone is a mouth breathing ATM.
Everything I said here is completely subjective and probably stolen from elsewhere, by people who wrote it better, but at the end of the day, Billy Connolly is my GOAT. Inb4 'I'm not reading all that' :D
I remember the great Leroy Jenkins. I’m probably a dinosaur, but I was watching sitcoms. I remember animated cartoons like salad fingers, lord knows if I’d find them funny today.
I find that Ispeed guy quite annoying tbh, all those streamers they just seem to think being loud , high energy and laughing is funny. That said, I’ve only been fed clips and never given a proper stream a go.
I do watch Joe rogan but also appreciate hes not really funny, maybe a fun guy. And yeah I’m always shocked by how unfunny stand up comedians are. The exception is Theo Vonn who’s got god-given abstract wit. I think Bo Burnhan is funny and incredibly original , he can have my flowers.
For sure it’s subjective, and I also think who am I to say? There all doing well and good luck to them. Stand up is so brutally hard. I gave it a go and killed it first time, then gradually eroded, then realised I didn’t have the time or the balls. I wrote a sitcom which one person called an introspective conedy masterpiece and very view people watched.
Nah don’t be daft, appreciate you taking the time to comment and reading my stuff. Billy connelly is a freak of nature. I’m sure you know but he never once planned or rehearsed his gigs. He just went out there and let it out of himself. Improvised and cobbled together bits off the top of the dome. If you haven’t listened to his autobiography give it a listen read by tge man himself it’s wonderful
I have a theory that those who are funny often prefer to spend their time doing other things than making Tiktok videos or such. Could be wrong though. Love the content-and-character double whammy there. That will stay with me. (Still having interesting thoughts about houses on fire getting on...)
You might well be right Tali. You’d think one of them might be though, just one. Thank for the whammy recognition. That’s one of my signature whammies. Haha now that phrase seems to have overstayed its welcome
Yeah, but that's totally on me. I tend to beat them to death, like a cat that cannot let go of a toy until it's in pieces.
Haha for me to return home and find my nonsense in tatters, strewn across the living room carpet, is the greatest gift of all
I am also conscious of being “that guy” and bemoaning the younger generation’s lack of wit etc. but… agree, much of it is just unwatchable.
Does Jackass, Salad Fingers etc. hold up, I wonder? Probably not.
It really is painful. It seems like there’s a bigger leap between what they find funny and I do, than between me and my parents. But I guess even my parents didn’t like the office or extras they found it too squirmy.
I watched jackass not too long ago, and enjoyed it, but they were my heroes. I’m not sure if I ever got salad fingers, I think I just pretended to.
Yeah, it can be very subjective
yeah it is, I just sound like a grandpa complaining about hip hop, it’s too loud, there’s no craft to it
Generally speaking when you're young there's that aspect of 'guys did you know?'-- when you've been around the block a bit (i.e over 22) it's always going to be a bit eye rolling because we're not the target demo. When I was growing up 'lord of the pings' on youtube (classic internet gaming forum humour, leeroy jenkins, etc.) was the height of comedy, I watch it now I want to strangle my younger self, I realise my dad must have had the patience of a saint.
Humour has shifted quite a bit to context dependent internet jokes. There's more 'hanging out' parasocial content and that is 'the act'. ishowspeed is an example of that, I think he's quite good at what he does, out of that genre, he shifted to a more 'Karl Pilkington' abroad documentary style. By himself, that's fine, but there's thousands of these, and that's where it gets grim, as you said, the gate has been opened.
So I've seen a few funny livestreams with off the cuff humour that are great, but it's the type of experience you would have with friends, it's a friendship simulator. That's why it's degen. I think of all the gen z's that tune in daily as a transactional sim for real life, and it's not so funny anymore. I sit with a furrowed brow --concerning! I had an hour long discussion the other day about Jim McDonald from Corrie, so maybe it's just the next step, but at least corrie was one hour a day - kettle on, bish bash bosh. There's a difference between watching corrie and passively hanging out with someone.
The flipside of this and the ripple effect of this 'next step' of the evolution of performance in general and for comedy, which applies from gen z to gen x, is the podcasting/livestreaming-to-stage gap. It's a bit uncomfortable to discuss if you like these people. The stand up comedians on Joe Rogan's network are likeable enough (debateable) on the podcast,, but seem 5/10 tops when on the stage. People who always write about writing, then it's talking about the 'craft' of comedy but the craftmanship seems lacking. I quite miss the 20 min segment of tight well-oiled comedy than the always-on 'I exist and broadcast myself 24 hours a day', or 'I sit in the back of your mind as a permeable omnipresent force that shows up on your scroll every 20 scrolls'.. it takes real craftsmen to be a performer, and fuck off. When you scroll for an hour this is almost offensive and it gets X-Pac heat from me. I'm not a Bo Burnham fan really, but at least he knows when to come in, do his bit, get his flowers, and gracefully leave. This transactional and attention-retention content is fucking us up. At the same time how do you go back to that? The 20 min segment almost feels outdated compared to the constant presence of these acts in real time, that's what algorithms want. I suppose it takes self-discipline and trusting your base but the way it is now, everyone is a mouth breathing ATM.
Everything I said here is completely subjective and probably stolen from elsewhere, by people who wrote it better, but at the end of the day, Billy Connolly is my GOAT. Inb4 'I'm not reading all that' :D
I remember the great Leroy Jenkins. I’m probably a dinosaur, but I was watching sitcoms. I remember animated cartoons like salad fingers, lord knows if I’d find them funny today.
I find that Ispeed guy quite annoying tbh, all those streamers they just seem to think being loud , high energy and laughing is funny. That said, I’ve only been fed clips and never given a proper stream a go.
I do watch Joe rogan but also appreciate hes not really funny, maybe a fun guy. And yeah I’m always shocked by how unfunny stand up comedians are. The exception is Theo Vonn who’s got god-given abstract wit. I think Bo Burnhan is funny and incredibly original , he can have my flowers.
For sure it’s subjective, and I also think who am I to say? There all doing well and good luck to them. Stand up is so brutally hard. I gave it a go and killed it first time, then gradually eroded, then realised I didn’t have the time or the balls. I wrote a sitcom which one person called an introspective conedy masterpiece and very view people watched.
Nah don’t be daft, appreciate you taking the time to comment and reading my stuff. Billy connelly is a freak of nature. I’m sure you know but he never once planned or rehearsed his gigs. He just went out there and let it out of himself. Improvised and cobbled together bits off the top of the dome. If you haven’t listened to his autobiography give it a listen read by tge man himself it’s wonderful
:D
:P