By Harris Bloom
Confidence is Key
Even more so than most endeavors, confidence is crucial in stand-up comedy. If you walk onstage unsure of yourself, the audience will smell it on you and you''re doomed to bomb. Even comics who act unsure of themselves have confidence that their act is funny. That's why it's great, even necessary, to have the support of those close to you. With that in mind, here are some snippets of conversations I've had....
Before my first show:
After telling my mom a few jokes over lunch, she said, "That sounds good, and even if you don't do well, don't be discouraged, a lot of comics do poorly their first time out."
Before other shows:
After reading a few new jokes to my girlfriend, I asked her what she thought.
She replied, "I have a headache."
"Are any of your friends coming?" I asked her.
"Yeah, I asked a few. I know Julie's coming."
"Cool, you told her that she has to laugh, right?"
"You don't have to worry about that," my girlfriend answered, "Julie laughs at everything!"
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"So where are you performing Saturday?" My mom asked.
"Gotham."
"Uh oh."
"Why 'uh oh?'"
"Well, that's where you forgot your act... maybe you should try to perform somewhere else."
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After telling my mom one of my new jokes...
"Which is the funny part?"
After shows:
"Dude, I thought you were hilarious?" My friend greeted me.
"Then why didn't you laugh?"
"I didn't wanna be the only one."
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After getting home I told my girlfriend a joke that did particularly well.
With a confused look on her face, she questioned, "Really?"
My number one fan, indeed.
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