Most of the stand-up comedians have achieved decent success in the field of physical comedy segueing into internet comedy. There are a few things about comedy that no one can teach you. And if you are thinking of pursuing your career as a comedian, these are mostly unavoidable.
However, it is highly unlikely to turn a non-funny person into a funny chap riding a trainload of jokes and anecdotes. The books that claim to turn one into a funny person should be a complete No-No unless you’d want to be a book-reviewer. On the other hand, classes might be useful for getting that fear or hesitation off you.
Do you have funny inside you?
But no one would go to a comedy class as someone who has no ‘funny’ inside him, and magically transform into someone with wit and humour. A class won’t teach you how to identify punchlines in the sad and weird stories we hear or experience each day.
But if you want to write internet comedy, start it right here. And if you want to do stand-up comedy, go to open mic and tell some jokes. Be the Marvellous Mrs. Maisel. It is easy and fun, minus the easy part which gets topped with humiliation or rejection.
You might spot people rolling eyes at you and your jokes, such that if they rolled it a little more, they would see their brains.
The thing about rejections
Of course, no one likes to be rejected. Unlike romantic rejections, which are mostly personal humiliations, comedic rejection happens in front of a group. Are you brave enough to take that?
If yes is for an answer, beware of trolls!
Because if the fear of being rejected is keeping you from trying your hand at comedy, it’s important that you get over it.
Psst… some people try alcohol and some bournvita, both help in brain’s development and boosting confidence. But booze comes with benefits that bournvita doesn’t. If your joke turns out to be terrible, you know what to blame. JK.
Don’t be on such a self-awareness level, that you apologise even before telling a joke. Or never realise how big a bummer you are, under the inflated ego gotten because of the perpetual praises from friends and family.
If stand-up comedy is a perfect career, that’s your calling, but if you are iffy about it, you can always try sit down comedy for starters, that is writing comedy. I can assure, for people who feel like throwing up the moment they step up on the stage, this one works best.