Writing Assignment # 2

Throughout the chapters I have read so far in Comedy Writing Secrets, the author emphasizes the most on connecting with the audience in order to be a successful comedian. I found this most intriguing because many aspiring comedians tend to overlook this concept and in effect offend their audience. I was introduced to the MAP method, material, audience and performer, which forms a triangular shape that puts the audience at the top. Focusing primarily on the audience gives any comedian the insight to what type of material to present. For a comedian to be successful he/she must be able to connect with the audience. Not all material is suitable for different audiences. What an audience full of sophisticated lawyers thinks is funny, an audience of teenagers/young adults may find boring. One thing however that will attract any crowd is the use of realistic humor. The extent to which one uses reality however, is where the audience comes into play. Reality is one of the most favored topics by any person because all individuals can relate to it in some way. This is how a comedian connects with his/her audience. To use reality correctly, one must understand what reality is and focus on the type of reality that the audience pertains to. The reality of one type of audience cannot be used successfully for another type. For example, conservatives versus liberals: their views are obviously different. Sexual jokes or poking fun at politics or religion are topics that a comedian must be very careful with.
The reason I chose this concept out of all the others taught throughout these chapters is because as the author said, the connection with the audience is the most important. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on using reality as a base for one’s jokes, but exaggerating them a bit. Learning this gave me new insight to what type of things I should focus on when writing my material. I, however, was left confused on how I could master the technique of talking about reality by expanding on it with exaggeration. One thing the author could have done possibly is give different methods of approach using realism plus exaggeration all in one.
My favorite comedian is Dane Cook. In my eyes he has mastered the technique of connecting with the audience. Dane Cook uses real-life situations in every one of his shows because he knows that this type of humor is most appealing to them. The majority of his audience consists of young to middle age adults. Dane Cook can relate with his audience because he himself is also a young adult and the things he experiences closely relate to the daily lives of his audience. Beside the material, however, his success also comes from the way he presents his shows. Dane Cook is successful because he actively engages in his jokes, mainly by acting out his stories. He knows exactly how and what to present to his fans.

One of Dane Cook’s shows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftznGL-qkzk

Aside from the facts taken from Comedy Writing Secrets and the videos of Dane Cook’s performances, I could further support this claim by doing research on other famous comedians and analyzing their approach on how they please their audiences.