Humor over Music? [NYT]

February 21st, 2012

The last time I paid to see a music show (that wasn’t of a co-worker or friend) was over ten years ago. I don’t know when I will see another music show. Who would I pay to see right now? Nobody. Not even my favorite artists. However, over the past 10 years I’ve paid to see countless comedy shows and have crossed state lines to see them. I’ve seen Louis CK 13 times. He lost his hair, had kids, and got divorced in front of my eyes. For someone who grew up heavy in the music scene, I’ve sure been more invested in the comedy scene lately.

Comedy Central recently did a study on the importance of humor in young males.

Eighty-eight percent of respondents said their sense of humor was crucial to their self-definition

The study went on to say that humor was more important than music, sports, and “personal style”, when it came to how young men view themselves. I mentioned comedy shows but there’s far more forms of comedy out there. YouTube and the internet have helped make them more accessible.

Is being a comedian more difficult than being a musician? In today’s world where everyone makes music I think that’s an interesting question. If you put the best musician and a mediocre comedian in front of a random crowd, I think the comedian would command a better experience. Recently, world renown violinist Joshua Bell, went incognito as a street performer in the DC subway system. No one noticed. One of the main reasons I stopped buying music, listening to music, and going to music shows was because I said “Wait a minute…I can do that“. With comedy it’s different. It’s very difficult to do well and is an art-form that can be as current as right now. In our technology-driven world, we seem to value “right now”. Where do you want to be?

Related posts:

1. Moment of Zen – 3.7.11 [Humor]
2. Richard T. Jones Bombs [Humor]
3. MP3 is to Music as MP4 is to Video
4. Little Young [Music Video]
5. Emilio Rojas – Ex-Girl [Music Video] *NSFW*
6. “No Racking Focus While Music is Being Played or…Made”
7. Cinnamon Chasers – Luv Deluxe [Official Music Video]
8. Emilio Rojas – Right To Stay [Music Video]
9. Das It [Humor]
10. I’m a Wall-E [Humor]
11. Drake Meme [Humor]
12. Screen Hacking Antidote [Humor]
13. Give It Up For Greg Giraldo [TV Special]
14. Bilal – Levels [Music Video]
15. Stark The Dutchmaster
16. Aziz Ansari – Buried Alive Tour [Review]
17. Conan @ Radio City Music Hall
18. Elle Varner – Only Wanna Give It To You [featuring J. Cole] [Music Video] @ElleVarner
19. Louis CK – Q&A at IFC Film Center
20. What I Will Be For Halloween [Humor]
21. Jon Benjamin Has A Van: You Can’t Shoot Here [Humor]
22. NatGeo Photographer Job [Humor]
23. Chris Rock on WTF [Humor]
24. Dice Raw – Brick by Brick [Music Video]
25. Anchor Banter [Humor]

Entry Filed under: Hip-Hop,Humor,Technology