The famous British writer Charles Dickens wrote back in 1867 that Americans definitely cannot be called cheerful people, and their temperament amazes him every time with gloom and dullness of character. It would probably be all the more surprising for him to find out that it was in America that a new genre in the art of comedy made its way, the real heyday of which we are witnessing right now, whether lying on the couch in front of the TV, commenting on YouTube videos, or sitting in front of a comedian in anticipation of the sparkling show and topical jokes – stand-up.
How It Started
Believe it or not, many historians associate the appearance of the first humorous public appearances with another writer, American Mark Twain, who wrote “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.” So, Twain was one of the first to come up with the idea of touring the country with the so-called “humorous lectures,” which were built mainly around long anecdotes and various jokes.
This form of humor presentation was unique until the beginning of the 20th century, when vaudeville, variety shows, and burlesque burst into small street clubs in New York – a show where everything was “on the verge” – good taste, madness, and “crazy” fun. The word “crazy” is taken here in quotation marks for a reason – despite the fact that it was at this time that the foundations of stand-up, as we know it today, began to be laid, the humor was quite specific.
The main audience of comedians at the beginning of the last century was the working class, consisting of both Native Americans and immigrants, who, like no one else, “boiled” in the real, unsightly everyday life of the city. Therefore, provocative and bright, often frankly farcical shows were an attempt to forget about hard work for a while and really have fun. So, people did not demand their money back and considered the performance hilarious if there were pie throws in the face, jokes about women hunters for someone else’s fortune, evil mother-in-law, and denial and ridicule of all existing authorities – authorities, administrations of city institutions, and just bosses at work.
Particularly popular were performances by comedians from the so-called Borscht Belt, one of the Jewish quarters of New York; from here came the canonical “cult” images of the Jewish mother-in-law, the grumpy wife, and the obedient henpecked husband, who later became canonical, with his pleading “Take my wife.”
Changing the Jokes
The structure of the construction of jokes also changed and soon began to acquire forms familiar to the modern listener and viewer: anecdotes and a simple play of rhymed words were replaced by “instant,” sharp and fast delivery, designed for an immediate reaction, the so-called “punchlines” and “one-line” jokes ( they were especially famous for Groucho Marx: “Behind every successful man is a woman. Behind her is his wife”), and the program was designed in such a way that the audience would laugh constantly, and not, as it was before, in fits and starts, after many minutes of monologues by the comedian.
The connection with the audience changed too, as Frank Fey, who often worked as a presenter and entertainer, developed a conversational, impromptu style of interaction with the crowd between acts – something that had never been done before in live shows. Fey called it “crowd work” because the “crowd,” he said, did all the work for him.
The theme of jokes also underwent changes, and here Mort Sal made a real revolution. He gained popularity as a “club” comedian, and a hallmark of his style was social orientation. To the detached and impersonal manner of the “senior” comedians, he preferred a friendly, relaxed, and simple companionable atmosphere. On stage, he traditionally sat on a high stool with a permanent, rolled-up newspaper, which he periodically read to the audience, wearing his permanent cardigan. They say that the cardigan was his “thing”: he never took it off, even in the summer. He commented on the actions of political leaders, talked about pop culture and the peculiarities of American society in a way that no one else had done before – amusing, witty, and enthusiastic.
Influence of Television
And although the number of open stand-up clubs grew by leaps and bounds, the genre reached a completely new level at the time of the transformation of the TV into the main provider of entertainment. Especially it is necessary to highlight the gaining popularity of the evening shows, which have become a permanent working platform for comedians and a road to fame for new young talents. The show and subsequently the sitcom was opened by the famous Bill Cosby, who regularly appeared in the series dressed in a Christmas sweater, who turned his wearer into a walking meme and raised sales of knitwear to the skies. Jimmy Carson’s “Tonight Show” launched the careers of stars like David Letterman, Steven Wright, Ellen DeGeneres, and Roseanne Barr.
And the evening show on SNL brought just phenomenal success and world fame to the then television screenwriter Steve Martin, who created a parody image of a typical representative of old school show business: a smug, ridiculous, but unaware of this clown who regularly sprinkles ashes on his head and explains to everyone around how wild and crazy he is. By the late 1970s, Martin was selling 20,000-seat arenas and the best-selling comedy albums and was arguably the most popular stand-up comedian in history.
New Generation
The beginning of the next decade was marked by the debut of a new generation of comedians, many of whom are known to us in other roles but who also started “behind the microphone stand”: Robin Williams, Steven Wright, Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Sarah Silverman, and many others.
Late-night TV shows directed by David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon have cemented the stand-up role as the main vehicle for commenting on the agenda, discussing the main political news and gossip about the life of Hollywood stars, who often try on the role of comedians and actively participate in costumed humorous sketches.
Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld pioneered and created a new trend – comedians not only developed their programs but created their own popular television shows. In the early 90s, a cable channel entirely dedicated to sitcoms and stand-up shows, Comedy Central, opened, which presented many comedy talents to viewers, in particular, Dave Chappell and, of course, Amy Schumer who gained insane popularity in the States.
