People laughed at me

I did stand-up! I really did it. My college, Augsburg, held an open mic night on Friday, Dec. 6, and I did about five minutes of stand-up. It felt great to finally get up in front of people actually perform the jokes I have written.

I was incredibly nervous; even more so when I showed up and found it was a poetry and spoken word open mic night. Sensitive girls with guitars and passionate spoken word artists surrounded me, and I had to make a decision: do I give up or go through with it?

I decided to do it. A couple of poets went before me, and when my name was called I went up to the mic expecting to bomb. After all, why would a bunch of soft-hearted, lovesick poets laugh at my jokes?

Me, trying to make poets laugh. Photo by Joe Vokracka.

Something weird happened, though. I killed. I mean I got a lot of laughs, way more than I expected. One joke in particular, which I won't repeat here because of it's vulgarity, made one woman laugh so hard she actually had to leave the room. That was the highlight of the night. No matter how long I do stand-up, I will always remember that moment.

The crowd was pretty small, and the cleaning staff kept coming by with loud machines, so the environment was not the best. But I did not care, and the crowd did not seem to either. I went up and announced I was not a poet, but a comedian, and I expected derision and rejection. Instead, I got applause and acceptance. Sure, some of this applause was friends I invited to watch me, but some was also from the other performers and audience members.

Me, actually making poets laugh. Photo by Joe Vokracka.

I opened with a pregnancy joke I am really proud of, and then just worked through my limited repertoire. There were some jokes I thought about not telling, because I felt it was not the right crowd for them. Knowing and adapting to your audience is a key skill in stand-up, after all. But in the end I decided to go for it, and told every joke I wrote down in my little notebook.

Only one was met with disgust, a particularly crass joke about Chuck E. Cheese. I knew it was not going to go over well though, so I was not disappointed.

This was good practice for when I go to a real comedy club, but ultimately the most valuable thing I received from this experience was a confidence boost. I had done stand-up once before, and it went alright, but this time was completely different. I really felt like a comedian. I went up in front of an audience and got genuine, loud laughter. It was an incredible feeling, and now I am itching to do it again. I have heard about this feeling from other comedians, but did not feel it after my first performance.

Now, though, I cannot wait to get back on stage. Next time, however, I will probably go to a real comedy night rather than a poetry reading.

Here's proof that I'm a comedian. Photo by Joe Vokracka.

Bill Cosby is truly "Far From Finished"

Legendary comedian Bill Cosby's newest special, "Far From Finished," premiered this past weekend, and it was everything I hoped it would be.

This is going to be the least subjective review ever, so bear with me.

Cosby hasn't released a special in three decades, so this is a big deal. I was worried that Cosby's age and his safe, classical comedy would negatively affect his new special, but boy was I wrong. While "Far From Finished," doesn't quite hit the heights of Cosby's other works, it is still hilarious and shows that Cosby isn't ready to give up yet.

Let's get the negatives out of the way first so I can gush about seeing one of my favorite comedians return to the stage. Cosby has always had a particular brand of humor, one predicated on family-friendly, but still funny, material. Though most of it still works, some of it feels a little dated in this special, particularly a bit about finding a girl who will "drink beer" and "watch sports" with you. It's still a funny bit because of Cosby's delivery, but coming from any other comedian I think it would've failed.

OK, on to the good stuff. The best bit in the special is an extended story about Cosby trying to sneak some chocolate chip cookies while out to dinner with his wife. It showcases all of Cosby's trademark talents: his facial expressions, his impeccable timing, and his ability to make the mundane funny. Cosby is the only comedian who could pull off a bit like this and he does it marvelously. Every Cosby fan knows that he's at his best when talking about snacks, and this is yet another addition to his pantheon of cake and cookie based comedy.

Here's a short preview of the cookie bit, but you really need to see the whole thing. It's a thing of beauty.


 Side note: this cookie bit is also one of the few in the special that feature a lot of movement from Cosby. For the most part, he is seated in the middle of the stage. It doesn't really negatively impact the special though, because Cosby is so naturally funny.

"Far From Finished" also features quite a bit of crowd work, which is rare for a special of this size and ceremony. Cosby asks the audience to finish punchlines regularly, and it works very well.

Most of the material is about Cosby and his wife, and though this is well-trodden territory for Cosby, it's all fresh and new. Cosby is a true master of stand-up, and "Far From Finished" is no exception.

In the end, you're probably going to enjoy this special more if you are a fan of Cosby like I am. But then again, who isn't a fan of Cosby?

"My Girlfriend's Boyfriend"

I have never seen a special with more serious, dramatic moments than Mike Birbiglia's "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend." These moments, however, are almost always punctuated by Birbiglia's unique and hilarious punchlines. Birbiglia's newest special is an honest, heartbreaking, and hilarious journey through his personal relationships.

"My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" was released through Netflix Comedy, much like Marc Maron's special, 'Thinky Pain." The two specials actually have a lot in common. Both are intensely personal and feature long stories rather than short, punchy jokes. Both comedians display their insecurities by spilling their guts on stage. But Birbiglia's special is much more energetic and has a greater focus on the audience than Maron's.

Birbiglia has always been less of a traditional stand-up and more of long-form storyteller with a penchant for hilarious phrasing. His last special, "What I Should Have Said Was Nothing," was a hilarious collection of stories about Birbiglia's childhood and early stand-up career.

There are moments in this special where you are not going to be laughing. Some of Birbiglia's stories border on depressing, and there were times where I was shocked he was able to pull this off in a comedy special. I know that sounds weird, and you're probably wondering why you would ever want to watch this, but Birbiglia does pull it off and it's wonderful. He has a unique talent to punctuate dramatic, sometimes uncomfortably honest stories with a hilariously phrased, perfectly timed punchline.

This is much more like a one-man stage show than a comedy special. Birbiglia jumps back and forth between stories of his formative romantic experiences (first kiss, dating a "bad girl") and stories of his relationship with his wife, Jenny. Birbiglia always uses big transitional moments, sometimes dour and slowly delivered, sometimes funny and yelled out, to signal a shift between stories.

The comedic highlight of the special is Birbiglia's story about taking a girl on a carnival ride called The Scrambler. It's a pretty predictable bit (we all know what happens when you combine greasy carnival food with high-powered machinery) but Birbiglia tells it in an exciting, engaging way.

The great strength of this special is Birbiglia's use of the stage. He has a ton of energy, using the whole stage to act out his stories (and not in a hackish way like Dane Cook). He even leaves the stage at one point to draw attention to an audience member in his bare feet, which has to be one of the strangest audience interactions I have ever seen. Later, the lights dim as Birbiglia is spotlit during one of the special's most dramatic moments. He's not just performing on the stage- he's using it as another tool in his storytelling arsenal.

"My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" is more than a comedy special, but it is funny enough that I can recommend to fans of stand-up. Really though, I think Birbiglia's latest show has some important things to say about love and relationships that most people will enjoy.


Check out this preview of the special, which is available on Netflix or for pre-order here.