Laugh Lines - Comedy Podcasts
December 8th, 2006 by 
adminEveryone needs a good laugh. And comedy podcasts—consistently one of the favorite downloads in major podcast directories—are one way of getting that laugh whenever you need it, wherever you are.
Most podcasts are taped segments of stand up comedy acts. Stand up comedy consists of an informal performance done by a comic, who usually does away wit the proverbial “fourth wall” and interacts with the audience. There are stand up comedy routines in almost every conceivable venue, from theatres to bars to street corners. The podcasts are the most recent in the list of “performance mediums” and usually highlight the best performances of some of the most promising comics.
Most routines consist of short anecdotes, jokes, and fast one-liners. It’s not uncommon for comics to incorporate props or music into their acts; some are masters at sound effects and will add (literally) bells and whistles into their routine.
The point of stand up acts is to deliver a succession of laughs, and keep the audience on their toes (thus the phrase, “laugh a minute”). While it’s very funny, it’s a serious business and takes a lot of skills to master. The comic is under pressure to come up with fresh jokes, with perfect timing. Some of the masters of this very difficult craft says that it takes decades of experience and practice to deliver 45 minutes of brilliant performance.
Unlike theatrical comedy, there is no plot. The comic must create the context, or say the joke in such a fashion that the audience “gets” it in a minimum amount of time. No wonder Will Ferrell, a well known stand up comedian, has called the art of stand up comedy as “hard, lonely and vicious.”
Stand up comedy first emerged in the late nineteenth century, through vaudeville and humorist monologues. One of the first great masters was Mark Twain. They often entertained audiences during intermissions. During the golden age of broadcasting, comedians became famous for their monologues. Some famous names include Jack Benny, Fred Allen, and Bob Hope. Some of the most famous stand up comedians include Eddie Murphy,Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Ray Romano, Woody Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Martin Lawrence, and more recently Dane Cook.
There are some cities that have become famous for their stand up comedy circuits. This include Los Angeles, home to Hollywood and the entertainment industry, where many comics hope to eventually penetrate television and film. Los Angeles has several major comedy venues such as The Comedy Stors, Hollywood Improv, and The Laugh Factory. Big names include Dane Cook, Kathy Griffin, Dom Irrera, Jim Carrey, Jay Leno.
Boston also has a very popular comedy strip, and many of the great comics got their start there: Denis Leary, Louis CK, Dane Cook, Doug Stanhope, Robert Kelly, Patrice Oneal, Bill Burr, and Gary Gulman.
There are also many podcasts made by up and coming talents who see these medium as a chance of developing a name for themselves. They often perform in smaller clubs, or “open” for other acts.
Related Podcasts in the Podcast Directory: Comedy : Comedy & Humor