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Rules like: A comic must make every audience laugh.
Or, a stand-up must perform every night or they arent a real comic.
Recently, however, comedians have been more likely to question these conventions.
And right now, Emily and stand-up are on a break.
Read a short excerpt from the conversation or listen below.
Download the episode fromApple Podcasts,Spotify,Stitcher,Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
I was no longer working on stand-up unconsciously, so I had to really consciously focus on it.
What were they like?I started doing these writing retreats.
Ive done three so far.
Me and like four or five other comedians go off and Airbnb a house for a weekend.
It was all really structured.
The day was totally full.
The joke I have about kids on leashes came out of someone writing it down.
It sort of justifies why youre listening to that person talk for an hour.
I got two other jokes from this.
You dont have to stick to the assignment.
That turned into the joke that opened that section.
Its surprising that those jokes come before the story of you and the personal trainer.
I dont usually write jokes about things that really upset me.
[And then] to be met with this very weird obstacle?
But I gave myself permission to just say, Im taking a break.
At the same time, TV stuff is going really well, to be perfectly honest.
I really like my work, and its the thing thats really getting me going creatively right now.
Stand-up never felt like anything I was settling for.
I know how to write a TV script now.
I still truly love being onstage.
But I dont feel as utterly dependent on stand-up as I used to.
