Last Comic Standing

People have asked me for years why I don't try out for "Last Comic Standing". I hated the show in the early years because the comics had to live together in the same house while they competed in weird 'challenges' and then had the 'head to head' showdown between only two comics per week. It was awful and I stopped watching. I would never be a part of something like that. Now the format has apparently changed (or so it seems from the show I saw last night) and hopefully that means no more living together like one big, funny dysfunctional family.

I'll tell you a secret...shh, don't tell anyone I told you this...but a lot of comics are not nice people. Many comics, especially those that are just trying to break into the business, are mean, evil people who wouldn't help their own mothers unless it furthered their career in some way. Now not everyone is that way. I know some wonderful, supportive, helpful comics who aren't motivated by jealousy and fear. My comedy 'fairy godmother', Joni Grassey, is a lovely and incredibly funny and talented woman who has helped my career more than I can ever thank her for. If she couldn't do a gig, she recommended me for the job. She introduced me to producers who booked me in shows. She helped me when we performed in 'Funniest Females' for nine months and let me tell you, those six nights a week, two shows a night meant more to my career than anything. And when I needed help with my film, she was right there for me, helping me with the fundraising and taking on one of the parts. She is awesome, and an example of how to be, so I've always tried to emulate her. There are some other terrific comedians who always were supportive and nice, like Bob Saget and Lenny Clark and Richard Jeni and Rob Sherwood and many more I could name. But here were even more than were mean or rude or spiteful or crazy. (Remind me to tell you my Margaret Cho story sometime.)

I never realized what awful human beings some comics really were until I started making films. I met a lot of really great, supportive, friendly and helpful people before, during and after production on Supermodels. It was so refreshing to see a group of people working towards the same goal who actually supported one another. Maybe it's because film making is a group effort while comedy is a solo enterprise.

Anyway, that's one of the reasons I never tried out for the show. The idea of living with other comics (especially ones who wanted to see you lose so they could succeed) was akin to voluntarily going to prison. Uck. But the biggest reason is that comedy is subjective. It's hard to compare comedians. What I like, you may hate. Like I dislike prop acts but Carrot Top is one of the most successful comics in the business. I love Lenny Clark (if you don't know who that is, see the film "When Standup Stood Out", about the Boston comics, and you will get a peek at the beginnings of this genius comic. I mean it, he's brilliant. And I still have all of the episodes of his TV show "Lenny" on tape. Lenny teased me that even HE doesn't have all of the episodes of Lenny!) But most people don't even know who he is. The reason most comedy shows have multiple performers is for that reason, because not everybody thinks the same thing is funny. Some people like dark humor, others like it raunchy, others like topical humor. So how do you say someone is a winner and someone is a loser?

'Last Comic Standing' has never had a female winner. Comedy is still a man's game. That's just the way it is. Look at the lineup at any comedy club and you will see a majority of males. It's generally considered that women and men will laugh at a male comic but it's hard to get guys to laugh at a female comic. I know it's not true, there are a lot of guys who can appreciate females doing comedy but tell that to the bookers of some clubs. Thank goodness for some of the great producers I have worked with who like women comics.

So that's why I've never tried out for the show. Look, I'd love national TV exposure. I've won comedy competitions before. Am I funnier than some of the comics on the show? Well, I'd like to think so. Watching some of the acts last night was painful (and my family laughs at me when I finish the joke before the comic on TV does.) But I miss comedy, I really do. I love writing and making films. But there is something about standing on a stage, microphone in hand, telling jokes and hearing the audience laugh...well, it's a feeling that is hard to describe. It's an amazing ego boost (unless you bomb, then it's a gut wrenching experience) and for me, it's a giving feeling. To know, that even if just for a few minutes, you took someone who had a bad day or a bad week, and you made them laugh and forget their problems, well, that's just a really cool thing. So I hope the people on the show appreciate the opportunity to make so many people laugh. And I wish them luck. But I'm glad it's not me.