If you’re a young person in your early 20’s and you’re funny and want to go into comedy somehow, what current direction would you like to go in?
Would you like to write for sitcoms? Late night shows? Do stand up? Do improv hoping to get on SNL? Podcasts? Feature writing? Playwriting? Essays on websites like The Onion? Acting? Radio? Comic novels? Comic strips? Animation? Cartoons for the New Yorker? Directing? Producing? Talk show host? Game show host? Or something else?
Usually one enters a particular field because they’re inspired by the work being done in that field. They want to be like Bob Newhart or Mel Brooks or Norman Lear.
When I was starting out I was inspired by everything. It was a matter of choosing. TV sitcoms were enjoying a golden age. You had MASH, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, ALL IN THE FAMILY, in features you had Mel Brooks and Woody Allen, radio was filled with master funnymen like Dan Ingram, Robert W. Morgan, Lohman & Barkley, Bob & Ray, Klavin & Finch, Dick Whittington, Larry Lujack, Dale Dorman, Gary Burbank, Gary Owens. The Comedy Store was starting to take off. Every night you’d see Richard Pryor or David Letterman or Robin Williams. SNL premiered and was a revelation. Neil Simon was writing hilarious plays. The National Lampoon was writing brilliant satire.
I don’t mean this to sound like “back in the good old days” but I’m curious, based on what is considered comedy today, what inspires you? What makes you say, “Yes, I know it’s hard to break in but I HAVE TO write for sitcoms/late night/the theatre, etc.”
Obviously some of today’s comedy doesn’t resonate with me — and that’s okay, it’s not meant to — but I seriously wonder, if I were 21 today, what area of comedy would I gravitate towards?
So if you are in that situation, I sincerely would love to know what your objectives are and why? And what inspires you? Thanks.
from By Ken Levine
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