Comedian
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 Charlie ChaplininThe Champion(1915). | |
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Occupation type | Performing art |
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Related jobs | Humorist |
Acomedian(femininecomedienne) orcomicis a person who seeks toentertainanaudienceby making themlaugh.This might be throughjokesoramusingsituations, or acting foolishly (as inslapstick), or employingprop comedy.A comedian who addresses an audience directly is called astand-up comedian.
A popular saying often attributed toEd Wynnstates: "A comic says funny things; a comedian says things funny."[1]This draws a distinction between how much of thecomedycan be attributed to verbal content and how much to acting and persona.[citation needed]
Since the 1980s, a new wave of comedy, calledalternative comedy,has grown in popularity with its more offbeat and experimental style. This normally involves more experiential, or observational reporting (e.g.,Alexei Sayle,Daniel Tosh,Malcolm Hardee). As far as content is concerned, comedians such asTommy Tiernan,Des Bishop,Kevin Hart,andDawn Frenchdraw on their background to poke fun at themselves, while others such asJon Stewart,Ben EltonandSarah Silvermanhave very strong political and cultural undertones.[citation needed]
Many comics achieve acult followingwhile touring famous comedy hubs such as theJust for Laughsfestival inMontreal,theEdinburgh Fringe,andMelbourne Comedy FestivalinAustralia.Often a comic's career advances significantly when they win a notable comedy award, such as theEdinburgh Comedy Award(formerly the Perrier comedy award). Comics sometimes foray into other areas of entertainment, such as film and television, where they become more widely known (e.g.,Eddie Izzard,Lee Evans). A comic's stand-up success does not always correlate to a film's critical or box-office success.[citation needed]
History
[edit]Ancient Greeks
[edit]Comedians can be dated back to 425 BC, whenAristophanes,a comic author, and playwright, wrote ancient comedic plays. He wrote 40 comedies, 11 of which survive and are still being performed. Aristophanes' comedy style took the form ofsatyr plays.[2]
Shakespearean comedy
[edit]The English poet and playwrightWilliam Shakespearewrote many comedies. A Shakespearean comedy is one that has a happy ending, usually involving marriages between the unmarried characters, and a tone and style that is more light-hearted than Shakespeare's other plays.
Modern era
[edit]American performance comedy has its roots in the 1840s from thethree-act,variety showformat ofminstrel shows(viablackfaceperformances of theJim Crow character);Frederick Douglasscriticized these shows for profiting from and perpetuatingracism.[3][4]Minstrelsymonologistsperformed second-act,stump-speech monologuesfrom within minstrel shows until 1896.[5][6]American standup also emerged invaudevilletheatre from the 1880s to the 1930s, with such comics asW. C. Fields,Buster Keatonand theMarx Brothers.
British performance comedy has its roots in 1850music halltheatres, whereCharlie Chaplin,Stan Laurel,andDan Lenofirst performed,[7]mentored by comedian and theatre impresarioFred Karno,who developed a form of sketch comedy without dialogue in the 1890s and also pioneeredslapstick comedy.[7]
Media
[edit]In the modern era, as technology produced forms ofmass communications media,these were adapted to entertainment and comedians adapted to the new media, sometimes switching to new forms as they were introduced.
Stand-up
[edit]
Stand-up comedy is a comicmonologueperformed standing on a stage.[8]Bob Hopebecame the most popular stand-up comedian of the 20th century in a nearly 80-year career that included numerouscomedy filmroles over a five-decade span in radio, television, and entertaining armed-service troops through theUSO.Other noted stand-up comedians includeLenny Bruce,Billy Connolly,George Carlin,Richard Pryor,Victoria Wood,Joan Rivers,Whoopi GoldbergandJo Brand.
Audio recording
[edit]Some of the earliest commercial sound recordings were made by standup comedians such asCal Stewart,who recorded collections of his humorous monologues onEdison Recordsas early as 1898, and other labels until his death in 1919.[9]
BandleaderSpike Jonesrecorded 15 musical comedyalbumssatirizing popular andclassical musicfrom 1950 to his death in 1965.Tom Lehrerwrote and recorded five albums of songssatirizingpolitical and social issues from 1953 to 1965. MusicianPeter Schickele,inspired by Jones, parodiedclassical musicwith 17 albums of his music which he presented as written by "P.D.Q. Bach"(fictional son ofJohann Sebastian Bach) from 1965 through 2007.
In 1968, radiosurreal comedygroupThe Firesign Theatrerevolutionized the concept of the spoken comedy album by writing and recording elaborate radio plays employingsound effectsandmultitrack recording,which comedianRobin Williamscalled "the audio equivalent of aHieronymous Boschpainting. "Comedy duoCheech and Chongrecorded comedy albums in a similar format from 1971 through 1985.
Film
[edit]Karno took Chaplin and Laurel on two trips to the United States to tour the vaudeville circuit. On the second one, they were recruited by the fledglingsilent filmindustry. Chaplin became the most popular screen comedian of the first half of the 20th century. Chaplin andStan Laurelwere protégés ofFred Karno,the English theatre impresario of Britishmusic hall,and in his biography Laurel stated, "Fred Karno didn't teach Charlie [Chaplin] and me all we know about comedy. He just taught us most of it".[10]Chaplin wrote films such asModern TimesandThe Kid.His films still have a major impact on comedy in films today.[11]
Laurel metOliver Hardyin the US and teamed up asLaurel and Hardy.Keaton also started making silent comedies.
Fields appeared in Broadwaymusical comedies,three silent films in 1915 and 1925, and insound filmsstarting in 1926. The Marx brothers also made the transition to film in 1929, by way of two Broadway musicals.
Many other comedians made sound films, such as Bob Hope (both alone, and in a series of "Road to..."comedies with partnerBing Crosby),ventriloquistEdgar Bergen,andJerry Lewis(both with and without partnerDean Martin).
Some comedians who entered film expanded their acting skills to become dramatic actors, or started as actors specializing in comic roles, such asDick Van Dyke,Paul Lynde,Michael Keaton,Bill MurrayandDenis Leary.
Radio
[edit]Radio comedy began in the United States whenRaymond KnightlaunchedThe Cuckoo HouronNBCin 1930,[12]along with the 1931 network debut ofStoopnagle and BuddonCBS.Most of the Hollywood comedians who did not become dramatic actors (e.g. Bergen, Fields,GrouchoandChico Marx,Red Skelton,Jack Benny,Fred Allen,Judy Canova,Hope,Martin and Lewis), transitioned to United States radio in the 1930s and 1940s.
Without a Hollywood supply of comedians to draw from, radio comedy did not begin in the United Kingdom until a generation later, with such popular 1950s shows asThe Goon ShowandHancock's Half Hour.Later, radio became a proving-ground for many later United Kingdom comedians.Chris Morrisbegan his career in 1986 atRadio Cambridgeshire,andRicky Gervaisbegan his comedy career in 1997 atLondonradio stationXFM.The League of Gentlemen,Mitchell and WebbandThe Mighty Booshall transferred to television after broadcasting onBBC Radio 4.
Television
[edit]On television there are comedy talk shows where comedians make fun of current news or popular topics. Such comedians includeJay Leno,Conan O'Brien,Graham Norton,Jim Jefferies,James Corden,John Oliver,Jonathan Ross,David Letterman,andChelsea Handler.There are sketch comedies, such asMr. Show with Bob and DavidandMonty Pythonwho created their sketch comedy showMonty Python's Flying Circus(aBBCshow that influencedSaturday Night Live), and sitcoms, such asRoseanne,Only Fools and Horses,andNot Going Out,as well as popular panel shows likeThe Big Fat Quiz of the Year,Have I Got News for You,andCelebrity Juice.The most acclaimed sitcoms includeSeinfeldandThe Big Bang Theory.[13]
Internet
[edit]Comedy is increasingly enjoyed online. Several comedians got their start through the internet such asBo Burnham.Comedians streaming videos of their stand-up includeBridget Christie,Louis C.K.andDaniel Kitson.
Jokes
[edit]There are many established formats for jokes. One example is thepunor double-entendre, where similar words are interchanged.The Two Ronniesoften used puns and double-entendre.[14]Stewart FrancisandTim Vineare examples of current comedians who deploy numerous puns. Jokes based on puns tend to be very quick and easy to digest, which sometimes leads to other joke forms being overlooked, for example in the Funniest Joke of the Fringe awards. Other jokes may rely on confounding an audience's expectations through a misleading setup (known as a 'pull back and reveal' in the UK and a 'leadaway' in the US).[15]Ed Byrneis an example of a comedian who has used this technique.[15]Some jokes are based onad absurdumextrapolations, for example much ofRichard HerringandRoss Noble's standup.[16]Inironichumour there is an intentional mismatch between a message and the form in which it is conveyed (for example the work ofDanielle Ward). Other joke forms include observation (Michael McIntyre), whimsy (David O'Doherty), self-deprecation (Robin Williams) and parody (Diane Morgan).
Personality traits
[edit]In a January 2014 study, conducted in theBritish Journal of Psychiatry,scientists found that comedians tend to have high levels ofpsychoticpersonality traits. In the study, researchers analyzed 404 male and 119 female comedians fromAustralia,Britain,and theUnited States.The participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire designed to measure psychotic traits in healthy people. They found that comedians scored "significantly higher on four types of psychotic characteristics compared to a control group of people who had non-creative jobs." Gordon Claridge, a professor of experimental psychology at theUniversity of Oxfordand leader of the study claimed, "the creative elements needed to produce humor are strikingly similar to those characterizing the cognitive style of people with psychosis—both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder."[17]However, labeling comedians' personality traits as "psychotic" does not mean that individual is a psychopath,[18][19]sincepsychopathyis distinct frompsychosis,and neither does it mean their behavior is necessarily pathological.
Highest-paid comedians
[edit]
Forbespublishes an annual list of the most financially successful comedians in the world, similarly to theirCelebrity 100 list.Their data sources includeNielsen Media Research,Pollstar,Box Office MojoandIMDb.[20]The list was topped byJerry Seinfeldfrom 2006 until 2015, who lost the title toKevin Hartin 2016.[21]In that year, the eight highest paid comedians were from the United States, includingAmy Schumer,who became the first woman to be listed in the top ten.[22]The top ten of 2016 are as follows:[a]
| Rank | Name | Annual earnings (USD) | Nationality | Age | Notable works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Hart | $87.5 million | United States | 38 | Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain,Ride Along,The Secret Life of Pets |
| 2 | Jerry Seinfeld | $43.5 million | 63 | Seinfeld,The Marriage Ref,I'm Telling You for the Last Time | |
| 3 | Terry Fator | $21 million | 52 | America's Got Talent | |
| 4 | Amy Schumer | $17 million | 36 | Trainwreck,Inside Amy Schumer,2015 MTV Movie Awards | |
| 5 | Jeff Dunham | $13.5 million | 55 | Spark of Insanity,Arguing with Myself,Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special | |
| 6 | Dave Chappelle | $60 million | 44 | Dave Chappelle's Block Party,Half Baked,Chappelle's Show | |
| 7 | Jim Gaffigan | $12.5 million | 51 | Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe,The Jim Gaffigan Show,It's Kind of a Funny Story | |
| 8 | Gabriel Iglesias | $9.5 million | 41 | Hot and Fluffy,The Fluffy Movie,Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution | |
| 9 | Russell Peters | $9 million | Canada | 47 | Red, White and Brown,Outsourced,Breakaway |
| 10 | John Bishop | $7 million | United Kingdom | 51 | John Bishop's Britain,The John Bishop Show,Panto! |
See also
[edit]- Comedy genres
- Humor
- Impressionist
- List of comedians
- List of humorists
- List of musical comedians
- Satire
Notes
[edit]
- ^TheForbes2016 list appears to exclude people often regarded as comedians who are better known for other professions, despite having earned more than some in the list's top ten, including actorsAdam SandlerandMelissa McCarthy,andlate-night talk showhostsStephen ColbertandJimmy Fallon.
References
[edit]- ^"Simpson's Contemporary Quotations, 1988".Bartleby.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2008-03-16.Retrieved2008-04-01.
- ^Aristophanes (1996).Lysistrata.pp. ix.ISBN9781854593252.
- ^Kippola, Karl M. (August 2012). "Conclusion: Affirming White Masculinity by Deriding the Other".Acts of Manhood: The Performance of Masculinity on the American Stage, 1828–1865.Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 176–77.doi:10.1057/9781137068774.ISBN978-1-349-34304-1.
Thomas D. Rice(1808–1860) originated the Jim Crow character, inspiring the minstrel show, which evolved into one of the most popular forms of variety entertainment through the end of the century and into the first distinctly American form of theatrical entertainment... In the 1840s and 50s, the Virginia and Christy Minstrels built upon Rice's success, formalizing a three-act structure of music and humor, variety entertainment, and scenes from plantation life (or burlesques of popular plays). Appealing across class lines, the minstrel show employed archetypal characters, created derogatory and fictitious pictures of African American males, and provided a lens through which whites viewed blacks... Frederick Douglass described the purveyors of minstrel entertainment as 'filthy scum of white society, who have stolen from us a complexion denied to them by nature, in which to make money, and pander to the corrupt taste of their white fellow citizens.' Minstrelsy relied on the promise of presenting 'real' Southern life.
- ^Parker, Bethany (12 September 2008)."Probing Question: What are the roots of stand-up comedy?".Research.PennState News.University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University.Retrieved24 February2019.
American stand-up comedy has its beginnings in the minstrel shows of the early 1800s
- ^"Forms of Variety Theater".American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment: 1870–1920.Library of Congress(exhibit).Retrieved24 January2021.
[T]he minstrel show was the most popular form of public amusement in the United States from the 1840s through the 1870s. It virtually ended, in its original form, by 1896, although vestiges lasted well into the twentieth century. Much humor in later comedy forms originated in minstrelsy and adapted itself to new topics and circumstances. The minstrel show also provided American burlesque and other variety forms with a prototypical three-part format. The minstrel show began with a 'walk around' with a verbal exchange between the 'end' men and the interlocutor. An 'olio,' or variety section, followed. Finally, a one-act skit completed the show.
- ^Oliar, Dotan; Sprigman, Christopher (2008)."There's No Free Laugh (Anymore): The Emergence of Intellectual Property Norms and the Transformation of Stand-Up Comedy".Virginia Law Review.94(8): 1843.JSTOR25470605.Retrieved16 September2020.
Stand-up's early roots can also be traced back to minstrel, a variety show format based in racial stereotypes which was widely performed in America between the 1840s and the 1940s. Minstrel acts would script dedicated ad-lib moments for direct actor-audience communication: these spots often were used for telling quick jokes.
- ^abMcCabe, John. "Comedy World of Stan Laurel". p. 143. London: Robson Books, 2005, First edition 1975
- ^"'stand-up comedy' definition ".Dictionary.reference.com.Retrieved2 December2013.
- ^Ronald L. Smith,Comedy on Record: The Complete Critical Discography(1988), p. 624.
- ^Burton, Alan (2000).Pimple, pranks & pratfalls: British film comedy before 1930.Flicks Books. p. 51.ISBN9781862360105.
- ^Sigler, Michael S (1 May 2001)."Charlie Chaplin Biography".Archived fromthe originalon 26 March 2012.Retrieved2 December2013.
- ^Hickerson, Jay.The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide to All Circulating Shows.Hamden, Connecticut: Jay Hickerson, Box 4321, Hamden, CT 06514, second edition December 1992, page 92.
- ^"Is Seinfeld the funniest sitcom of all time?".The Week.Retrieved2022-02-27.
- ^"Puns upon a time".Bbc.co.uk.December 24, 2010.
- ^abBennett, Steve."Missing a trick: Correspondents 2010: Chortle: The UK Comedy Guide".Chortle.co.uk.
- ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:"Richard Herring on Russell Howard's Good News Extra - Series 3".Youtube.com.
- ^Kelland, Kate (16 January 2014)."Comedians have psychotic personality traits, study finds".Reuters.Retrieved31 January2014.
- ^Suebsaeng, Asawin (18 January 2014)."Study Says Comedians Have Psychotic Personality Traits—Here's What Some Comedians Have To Say About That".Mother Jones.Retrieved31 January2014.
- ^Cooper-White, Macrina (17 January 2014)."Comedians Have 'High Levels' Of Psychotic Personality Traits, New Study Shows".Huffington Post.Retrieved31 January2014.
- ^Forbes (27 September 2016)."The World's Highest-Paid Comedians 2016".Forbes.com.Retrieved18 January2017.
- ^Berg, Madeline (27 September 2016)."The Highest-Paid Comedians 2016: Kevin Hart Dethrones Jerry Seinfeld As Cash King Of Comedy With $87.5 Million Payday".Forbes.com.Retrieved18 January2017.
- ^Desta, Yohana (27 September 2016)."Amy Schumer Is the First Woman to Land on Forbes' Highest-Paid Comedians List~".Forbes.com.Retrieved18 January2017.
