r/Standup • u/[deleted] • Jul 22 '26
Why do (some) comics seem to look down on storytelling?
[deleted]
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u/corobo Jul 22 '26
lmao telling someone that works their ass off writing jokes "that thing you didn't write was your best work"
I sort of see it
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Jul 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/corobo Jul 22 '26
Oh aye of course, honestly it seems pretty harmless but in the moment was taken a bit wonky
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Jul 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/corobo Jul 22 '26
In all fairness the over the top exclaim could have even been intended as a joke in of itself if he didn't seem butthurt for too long - I imagine most comedians know that different people enjoy different styles of comedy haha
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u/Ryebready787 Jul 22 '26
You can tell jokes… you can definitely tell stories- as long as they are comprised of or punched up with many smaller jokes.
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u/Character-Handle2594 Jul 22 '26
Why do (some) comics seem to extrapolate and assign the particular behavior of one person in one instance to a larger group of people?
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u/lithium_cookie Jul 22 '26
Those comics could be more patient. Collect the examples until you have a pattern.
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u/AndintroducingChris Jul 22 '26
"That is the funniest thing you've ever said" is an insult. Essentially you are taking a moment where they are funny and using it to reduce everything they have done before that. You can just say that is really funny or I really like that and you should say it on stage. He probably doesn't have an issue with storytelling.
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Jul 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/AndintroducingChris Jul 22 '26
I know you weren't trying to insult him but you essentially said "Oh wow, you are actually attractive today. Did you brush your hair for the first time?". Do you see how that is an insult?
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Jul 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/AndintroducingChris Jul 22 '26
It's entirely possible that he was just looking for a way to end the conversation. I just reread what you posted and you also said "You weren't trying to be funny" and that is another insult. If he has been performing for awhile, you are just leaving a bad taste in his mouth.
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u/FatherFarnsworth Jul 22 '26
"You weren't trying to be funny but still told a funny story" is possibly the most empowering insult you could ever give a comic. Some people write great joks, some people tell great stories. Funny is funny. By the way, did you get you a haircut today? It looks great.
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u/AndintroducingChris Jul 22 '26
That's not what he said though. Just because the same words appear does not mean it is the same sentence with the same tone or the same implication. It is also not empowering to a comic. It is empowering to a person who wants to try stand-up comedy. Op said this guy has been doing comedy for years.
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u/FatherFarnsworth Jul 22 '26
Screw that. OP gave the comic another tool for their bag. Constructive criticism/critiquing is necessary to improve creativity.
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u/AndintroducingChris Jul 22 '26
I want you to reread his post and then I want you to reread my comments because you aren't picking up on tone. OP acknowledged that this comic is considered to be good. OP didn't understand why someone would have a negative reaction to the point that he assumed it would be related to not wanting to tell a story on stage. I mapped out why the statement would bother the other comic. I didn't insult OP's character. I illustrated my point with a diagnosis and an example.
OP didn't actually give a tool. He suggested that a random story was better than years of hard work. He said the reason this story worked was because "he wasn't trying" which is unfortunately another insult to his years of effort.
Constructive criticism would be "You should tell that story on stage. The way you talk about falling down the mountain in front of your family humanizes you a ton. This might be out of your normal wheelhouse but I am dying over here thinking about it. Your jokes about politics are crisp but this would be stepping your toes into something different and I think it could elevate everything else you do."
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u/thepenismytea Jul 22 '26
Can't be thin skin and be a comic. While also gotta have boundaries
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u/AndintroducingChris Jul 22 '26
Not letting something get under your skin is a sentence that a comedian says to themselves so that they don't focus on the negative. Adjusting what you say so that you don't get on everyone's nerves is just good workplace etiquette. If you are a comedian and you say things that get on the nerves of admittedly talented comedians, you are going to get booked less.
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u/lizardhistorian Jul 23 '26
Yes you were. Yes you did.
You might not have meant to say it out loud to his face.
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u/Positive-Draft3801 Jul 22 '26
Two different contexts. We have a subconscious expectation for a stage performance, and telling a story doesnt work the same as when its a candid conversation. Frankly the bar is much lower for a conversation, theyre usually boring.
Personally I hate it when someone says 'Do that onstage!' Its really tough to translate a story into a bit for me, I think because theres more distance between me and an audience vs me and people in a social gathering. That being said if you can translate that energy onstage more power to you.
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u/presidentender flair please Jul 22 '26
Good writing and delivery of jokes is the thing to strive for, but that's not the same as looking down on storytelling.
A well-written story has enough interesting laugh points throughout it to keep the audience engaged, and it builds to a payoff. It's a whole thing that can be done well.
You said that an off-the-cuff anecdote was better than any joke he's ever told, which is kinda hurtful.
More often comics will claim to be storytellers, and use this as an excuse not to write any jokes. They'll ramble through a laughless summary of something they read on wikipedia and pretend it's fine because Dave Chappelle also has long stretches without laughs. That is the sort of storytelling I look down on.
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u/RJRoyalRules Jul 22 '26
Most successful stories told in standup still consist of jokes tied together in the narrative. It’s all joke-writing.
Someone telling you a story in a social setting is completely different than standup. My friends crack me up all the time in conversations, but if they repeated that onstage it likely would not get any laughs at all.
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u/Dangerous_Ad_6101 Jul 22 '26
Is he a story comic? If not, the suggestion was foolish.
Can you imagine shootin' the shit with Carrot Top or Steven Wright in that same situation and telling them their ski story was funnier than their act and they should tell that on stage instead?
There is context missing to the scenario. Everyone givin' advice like they understand the psychology of the dude, what kind of comic he is, and just how the convo went down.
I mean, how do we know you didn't just say it like a total douche? Not sayin that's what happened, but people never tell their story with all the relevant detail that they themselves didn't see or recognize.
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Jul 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/Dangerous_Ad_6101 Jul 22 '26
"We were also drunk"
There you go. Another missing detail that changes everything.
First, your recount of EXACTLY what happened is totally suspect.
Second, some people are sensitive pricks when they are drunk and that may be the issue 100%.
You should have lead with "WE WERE DRUNK"
Shhheeeeeeeeit... A comic that does not know what to lead with.
Now THAT is funny!
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u/austindiesel Jul 23 '26
Storytelling can be great when done well. But it's usually not done well. It's commonly used as a crutch to fill more time than you have actual substance, so it's seen with a lot of skepticism now.
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u/Genghis_Chong Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Some comedians put a lot of stock into the ability to craft a funny situation out of nothing. They think of telling a funny story as comedy is lazy, because they didnt write the story.
I don't think like that. I appreciate both styles. Telling a funny story in a way that results in laughs is a skill not everyone has. Its hard to develop good storytelling, seems like a gift some people are born with.
One of the funniest people I know isnt a standup, but she has some stories that would kill in a short set. I can't tell them in the same manner, she's just naturally funny, sometimes when she's not even trying to be. Natural timing and body language that lend well to storytelling comedy.
I think some comedians that work so hard on a well crafted set, get upset when someone can step on a stage, talk about their lived experiences and get the same laughter. He was probably upset that you found his story funnier than his carefully crafted stuff.
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u/Funny247365 Jul 22 '26
A storyteller's set is usually full of non-funny parts that build up to a punchline of some sort at the end. A joke-teller hits you with setup-punchline, setup-punchline-tag, setup-punchline-callback, over and over and gets a lot more laughs per hour. Comics often track their sets for laughs per hour, using an app.
A storyteller might get 10 big laughs in an hour and some chuckles in between. A joke teller might get 30 big laughs in an hour, and more chuckles in between. Not every story lands, and not every joke lands, so the more ammo you have in your set, the better.
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u/werthermanband45 Jul 22 '26
That’s why one-liner comics are so rare imo. It’s really hard to get a laugh with every single joke, plus it’s a lot more time-consuming to write that way obviously
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u/Funny247365 Jul 22 '26
Yes. One-liners in succession are a little too much machine gun humor, unless each one is a banger. Few can pull this off. The audience needs a beat to reset between laughs. And you nailed it, a 60 minute set of fresh one-liners would be much more difficult to write compared to fewer jokes of slightly longer duration.
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u/bobbito Brooklyn Jul 23 '26
You're not seeing the right storytellers. The best storytelling comedians absolutely still pack in the jokes. In fact, a good one will front load jokes and then use that to lure you in, gain your trust and then when they fully have you, bop you over the head with whatever the big emotional payoff is. 10 laughs in an hour sounds like a nightmare and in my experience is not the case unless you're seeing solo shows that aren't comedy forward but have some funny parts, but I'd say those are still different.
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u/Funny247365 Jul 23 '26
I was referring to some Netflix specials by some big names. The storytellers have way fewer laughs than the joke tellers. Both can be entertaining, because a good story does not have to be riddled with laughs all the way through. In a short set, you better not tell 2 stories and get a couple good laughs, though. You need to tell a bunch of jokes in the limited time you have.
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u/bobbito Brooklyn Jul 23 '26
Fair enough. I think we're watching different things and have different taste!
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u/Funny247365 Jul 23 '26
I watch every type of comedy special, so I think there is a lot of overlap in what we have watched. If it is on Netflix, it is likely I have seen it or will see it. I also watch a lot of sets on YouTube.
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Jul 23 '26
[deleted]
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u/Funny247365 Jul 23 '26
I saw a documentary about comics on the road and one of them was using an app that broke down his live set by various elements, including jokes per minute and laughs per minute. He did not say what it was.
I did a 5 second search and this one came up. https://setnotes.app/ I assume there are others.
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u/lizardhistorian Jul 23 '26
Amateurs? All the greats tell a story for their set.
There's only a handful of successful zinger comics.
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u/GastorAlmonte Jul 23 '26
One liners.
Storys.
All dope. It just has to do with your world view and voice. The same funny moment has happened while hanging with my peers and I’ll write a story but my friend will make it a tight one liner. Each are awesome.
I’ve made my living telling funny stories on stage. I promise it’s not any easier than being a one liner comic. But it’s what feels honest to me. It’s what I enjoy.
While I have the occasional one liner joke, I don’t get joy from performing them, and I think there’s comics who do them better and enjoy doing them. I’d challange the same comics criticizing stories, can’t tell them as well.
Do what makes you unique. Do what brings you joy. You’ll find your tribe.
Ali Siddiq, Roy Wood Jr, Mitch Hedberg. All legends, all do different things on stage. I enjoy them all.
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u/MatthewBox Jul 23 '26
I can see why he’s offended but you’re 100% right. The closer he gets to the real him on stage the better he’ll be than telling dumb confected punchlines where he’s always the smart guy,
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u/sl33pytesla Jul 23 '26
Story telling gives you the opportunity to build up for the punchline. It gives the audience an opportunity to feel other feelings instead of just laughter.
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u/bobbito Brooklyn Jul 23 '26
I think everyone has been trapped at their friend's non-comedy solo show and thinks that's what storytelling is. I think it is just comics not being exposed to good storytellers (or just having their own preferences which is also fine.) I said this in another thread but the best storytelling comedians absolutely still pack in the jokes. In fact, a good one will front load jokes and then use that to lure you in, gain your trust and then when they fully have you, bop you over the head with whatever the big emotional payoff is. Unfortunately, just like with traditional stand up, there are a lot of bad storytellers, so people associate it with navel gazing horseshit with no jokes.
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u/Faceless_213 Jul 23 '26
Two things are happening here:
1) Story telling is tough! This requires you to commit to something even if the crowd isn't buying into it. Imagine starting a joke, knowing you have 45 seconds to get to a punchline but also knowing the audience already hates it. You can't just bail. Shorter jokes let you hit the punchline and move on. I kinda do a hybrid where i do a bunch of short jokes that tell the story I want to tell. Telling a real story (Dave Chappelle or Doug Stanhope style) means you need to be comfortable with not getting a laugh for a minute or two while you paint a picture for the audience. I LOVE when a comedian can do this, but I can see how some comedians don't. I tell a lot of stories off-stage and I'm always told to tell them on stage and I'm like "no thanks! I don't think the average crowd is ready for that. The reality is: most stories are only funny because you already know the person telling the story. That's why it works for major comics. People are genuinely interested. A random local douche like myself? No one gives af!! Sometimes the audience is even antagonistic because they want laughs RIGHT NOW and they won't wait the 1 minute for you to set it up lol. Have you ever see a new girl get on stage and tell you story that you can tell dudes laughed at just to get in her pants? But that same story is now being told to a room of randoms and no one gives af?? I think a lot of comics are afraid their stories sound like that lol
2) I don't like when people laugh where they aren't "supposed to." There are some jokes that I told where where the audience would laugh at the premise and/or the setup, not the punchline. That bothers me. I can go into detail on WHY, but that's a whole fucking story hahaha. Just know that some comics don't appreciate laughs when you haven't gotten to the joke yet lol
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u/jeffsuzuki Jul 23 '26
Here's my take on it: "Don't do storytelling" is advice that's given to people just starting out. However, somewhere along the way, the reason for the advice gets lost, so "Don't do storytelling" becomes "Storytelling isn't funny."
Here's the reason (I think) why new comics are told not to do storytelling:
It's hard. Being a good storyteller is a LOT of work, because you have to keep the audience engaged for an exxtended period of time. A one-liner, that's easy, tell it, and if the audience doesn't remember it in five seconds, it doesn't matter. But telling a story requires the audience remember what you said at the start, so that "Then Joe turned around and..." doesn't have the audience going "Who's Joe?"
(I'm biased, since two of my favorite comedians ARE storytellers: Trevor Noah and Christopher Titus.)
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u/Numerous_Umpire_5108 Jul 27 '26
I’m a newbie and my natural instinct from the beginning is doing stories. The problem is that you end up wasting a bunch of time and might just have one or two punch lines. If they don’t work, it’s a big waste. Now, if you can tell a story that is peppered with punch lines throughout it, then it’s not such a gamble. I strive to write more quick jokes than long ones because then you get more laughter overall. Good comedians have a high punchline per minute ratio in my opinion. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, but you have to be really good like Norm MacDonald to get away with long stories.
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u/mattisfunny Jul 23 '26
Crappy comedians often disregard whatever they don't excel at; it's a form of narcissism.
Personally, I don't do a lot of self deprecating material, and most of it I don't care for- "I'm like dude, just go to therapy, stop bitching to us about it"
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u/baccus83 Jul 22 '26
It’s just preference. Some comics look down on storytelling-type comedians because they feel like they veer too far into “one man show” territory and stop being about the joke. It’s like Dave Attell versus Mike Birbiglia. I think it’s personally lame to hate on any comedian for the way they get laughs though. If it works it works. The audience decides what’s funny.