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Pandora Now Has Comedy

By Jerry Corley

pandoraFor those who thought comedy was dead, think again. Comedy is becoming more popular by the megabit, as Pandora, the online programmable radio station which is now in it’s fifth year, has added several new comedy stations. Their reason? Comedy has been one of their top requests from users.

Want to hear the latest, hottest comedian or the old classics? Tune in Pandora. They’ve just announced that they have loaded over 10, 000 comedy clips, and just like with their music, users can listen or skip tracks, vote thumbs up or thumbs down on a comedian and personalize their comedy.

One of the attractions of Pandora is that they do a good job categorizing their music. You can search by title, artist, genre, etc. So when Pandora made the decision to add comedy, they did the right thing; they teamed up with comedians who assisted in categorizing the comedy tracks, so users can really search comedy by comedian, subject, style and even structure! Want to look up a joke that has a unique juxtaposition? You might come up with a joke that starts out, “So a horse trots into a brothel…” Or if you like horse and brothel jokes, you could type that in and maybe come up with a quip that has a “Katherine The Great” twist to it. (Google it…).

From a pure business perspective Pandora has their ear to the rail, so to speak, as the popularity of comedy has been picking up globally. According the Google Keyword Tool, a handy online app, there are over a million global searches for the keyword “comedian, ” and over nine million searches for the keyword, “comedy.”

So go check out Pandora’s new comedy channels, there’s something for everyone.

Jerry Corley is the founder of the Stand Up Comedy Clinic. He teaches from his studio in Burbank, CA

Leave a comment   Comedians, Stand Up Comedy, Stand Up Comedy Class

Writing Jokes About Osama Bin Ladin

By Jerry Corley

By Jerry Corley – Founder of  The Stand Up Comedy Clinic

The Joke Doctor teaching at his studioWhen something big happens in the news, my first instinct is to write jokes. Whether it’s a stressful situation or a happy situation, I want to try to find the funny in it. Many times I’ll Tweet the jokes or put them on Facebook. It’s a challenge to myself to see, not only how many jokes I can write in a short period of time, but see how many I can write that are less than 140 characters.

Comedians or humorists should alway try to take a humorous approach to almost every situation. It doesn’t make us less human, it makes us more able to see things in a different light. Sometimes it can alleviate stress. Sometimes it can ease pain, but ultimately the writing makes us better.

So if you want to become comedian, or you want to become better at writing comedy, or you just want to be funny in your life, write jokes. It feels good.

Here are some of the jokes I put together the moment they announced that U.S. forces found and killed Public Enemy number one, Osama Bin Ladin. Most of these jokes were already Tweeted or posted to Facebook. They helped me take the edge off. I hope they help you too! Enjoy! And if you feel like it, post your own jokes and see how good it feels.

CNN announced that Osama bin Ladin was found and killed. How were they able to track him? Turns out he was using an iPhone.

When I heard the news last night the first thing I thought was: this is the best thing politically to happen to Obama since John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Obama is dead: Neighbors are shooting fireworks, NYPD is riding lights and sirens. Rush Limbaugh is shitting a live mongoose.

You can tell Bin Ladin is dead because The “War on Terror” is now just a new name for Charlie Sheen’s road show.

Former President Bush was notified that Osama Bin Ladin was found and killed. Bush responded by saying, “I’m sorry…who?”

President Obama is planning to announce success in finding and killing Osama Bin Ladin. Republicans have already said, “our plan is better.”

The Arab world learned a lesson by President Obama giving the order to kill Bin Ladin: Don’t piss off a brotha!

I know the election’s far away, but the campaign goes something like this: Obama: “I got Bin Ladin, what do you got?”

One of the mob cheering Bin Ladin’s death in NYC said, I’m just happy the U.S. finally got Justic—shit, somebody just stole my wallet!

President Obama is going to announce that Bin Ladin is dead. Donald Trump is already stating that he believes the death certificate is a fake.

I know the presidential election is still far off, but I think the campaign will go like this: OBAMA: I got Bin Ladin. What do you got?

The mission to kill Osama Bin Ladin was pulled off and not a single American Life was lost. Sadly that claim can never be made by Kaiser.

Reports coming in say that Bin Ladin being buried at sea is “unusual.” But what’s really weird is the Eulogy was performed by Captain Jack Sparrow.

U.S. military says they have several pieces of evidence to confirm Bin Ladin’s identity. They have facial recognition, DNA samples and evidently they stowed his heart in the “Dead Man’s Chest.”

The military operation to get Osama Bin Ladin was done with precision. Helicopters landed in his compound, they got into a firefight, killed Bin Ladin, took his body. The only thing that would’ve made it better is if there was a soundtrack playing The Black Eyed Peas’, “Boom-Boom-Pow.”

2 comments   Comedians, Comedy Writing, Joke Writing, Stand Up Comedy

Don’t Miss Hindsight News!

By jokedoctor

by Jerry Corley – Founder of The Stand Up Comedy Clinic

There’s been so much online content created by people lately that it’s hard to find the good stuff. Whether it’s dancing kittens or smoking Indonesian toddlers, the stuff isn’t usually anything that warrants a click of your mouse, much less a minute of your viewing time…until now! Welcome to Hindsight News! A new online program created and developed by Producer-Directors Robert Narholz and David Conolly…who happen to be students at The Stand Up Comedy Clinic, Jerry Corley’s comedy class based in the Los Angeles area.

“Hindsight News!” is a spoof news program that premiered today online at www.hindsightnews.com and on YouTube. It really deserves a look. Like I said, it’s not often you come across something like this that is fresh, intelligent and funny. The production quality is better than good, the acting is terrific and the graphics, editing and score really help to move the presentation along. It views like a ”Tosh 2.0″ meets “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” Maybe that feel comes from comedian and host, David Conolly, an English ex-pat, who has all the likeability and zany comic appeal of a Michael Palin or Eric Idle from the Monty Python troupe. 

The sketches are funny and play out in a “news-story” way, which is what helps carry the comedy. “Hindsight News!” runs contrary to most of these programs designed for the web in that it’s not so much “in your face,” but delivered in a fun, fresh way. The acting is not bad either. All the actors came from The Stand Up Comedy Clinic and I am happy to report that they did a fantastic job. A lot of young comedians mug or seem drastically uncomfortable in front of the camera. But not these guys…they did and exellent job with the material and the sketches. The actors included clinic students Patrick Kanehann, Brian Zuanich, John Hamm, David Conolly Robert Narholz and the lovely and always funny, Annie Girard.

I think these guys are on to something! If you want to kill 8 minutes and really enjoy it. Check out Hindsight News! It’s really a great time!

Leave a comment   Online Video, Stand Up Comedy, Uncategorized   , , , , , , , , , ,  

Comedy Clinic Students Produce a Comedy Show in Pamona

By jokedoctor

Fox Comedy Showcase in PamonaAttention all comics and comedy lovers in the 909: Fox Sports Bar and Lounge in Pamona is now doing a comedy show. Stand Up Comedy Clinic Students Christian Zaragoza and Ernie Ordonez, put their money where their mouth is (what money? the show is FREE!) and they organized and are producing a comedy show in Pamona. The Inland Empire needs a good room where comedians can work and they followed through by getting this started. One of the things I encourage my students to do is to perform whenever and wherever possible. Walt Whitman said: “Actors must act. Writers must write. Painters must paint.” Well comedians have double duty in that they must write and perform as much as possible. Christian and Ernie saw this as an opportunity to start a show.

What a great idea! As a comedian, you begin to understand the importance of networking, meeting as many other comedians as possible, because it’s not only your continued work ethic that will help you succeed, but it is in your relationships where your career thrives. Starting a successful comedy room is a great way to meet other comedians and help to nurture those relationships.

For more information or to get in touch with Chris or Ernie about future comedy shows in Pamona, Click the show flyer and ”friend” Chris on Facebook. If you develop that relationship, maybe you can make an appearance at the next comedy showcase in Pamona. Eventually, it may turn into a paid gig. And while you’re at it Tweet this article or post on your Facebook page and help these guys really develop this gig into something successful! 

Good Luck you guys! I hope you have me on the next  show, because I couldn’t do it this round.

Leave a comment   Comedy Class, Comedy Show, Education, Humor, Stand Up Comedy, Uncategorized   , , , , , , ,  

Even Pros Get Hecklers

By jokedoctor

It never fails when you’re doing comedy; you’re trying to get the audience warmed up and you get heckled. How do you handle them? First of all, most hecklers aren’t there to hurt your show. Believe it or not, they usually think they are trying to “help you.”

Each heckle is a new opportunity to hone your ad-lib skills and work in some formula so that a surprise appears in your response and results in a laugh from the audience. The last thing you want to do is spend too much time with a heckler this ensures that the heckler won that battle, because a main portion of your act was focused on giving him the attention that he was seeking in the first place.

I was at the M-Bar in Hollywood last night watching one of my students, Josh Weinstock, do a show. The M-Bar is a lovely lounge with great lighting and sound. The M.C. was working hard to get the audience warmed up. He was doing his set, not getting great laughs and at one point, got frustrated. He looked at a guy sitting in the front and said ”what are you doing here?”

The guy said,  ”Pretending to watch comedy.”

Well, the M.C. was stung, but he riffed it away the best he could in that moment. But you could tell that the comment wounded him. He spent too much time trying to respond to the heckle and didn’t get much laughter from it. The best way to respond to a heckler–well besides hitting them with a sledge hammer–is to give them the equivalent of that in a funny response. The more experience you have the better you master the art of heckle-responses. But there is a process that you can use too:

  1. Listen to what was said. In this case it was “I’m pretending to watch comedy…”
  2. Process the information. Repeat what the heckler said so you can be assured the audience heard it.
  3. Use your knowledge and skill in creating surprise to get laughs and respond.

I heard the heckler that night. “I’m pretending to watch comedy…” If I was the comedian I would’ve said, “You’re pretending to watch comedy? (Look at him.) That’s ironic, because at that exact same time I was pretending to watch an asshole…I’m just kidding, dude…I wasn’t pretending.”

That’s going to get a laugh from the audience. It’s simple. It’s a reverse so it creates surprise. And it reaffirms to the audience that you are in control.

2 comments   Comedy Class, Humor, Open Mics, Stand Up Comedy, Stand Up Comedy Class
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