Ken Jones
3 HN recommenders · recommended in 7 months, 2014–2022
49:33 · 13M views · Dec 30, 2012
An HBO special in which Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais and Louis CK discuss the craft of stand-up comedy. They talk about writing jokes, technique and how they handle old material.
HN points to it as a rare look at how top comedians think about craft, motivation and process.
7 comments from Hacker News
One of the best things I've ever watched. Another very compelling thing to watch in this vein is that HBO special where Carlin, Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Ricky Gervais discuss their craft: this video
Yeah, and the two are linked. Seinfeld's focus on the process and craft meant he got exceptionally good at it. The money was a byproduct, not the goal. The motivation was intrinsic and about improving his craft. To which there is no end. So he continues. This discussion with Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Louis CK and Ricky Gervais is worth watching for anyone interested in that aspect of comedy: this video
You don't have to go that far. Consider this insight from Chris Rock, who said: Joke about what people do, not what they are. That came up in this discussion where he, Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Gervais and Louis CK talk about comedy and their techniques, etc. It's really interesting. this video
In "Talking Funny"[0] Seinfeld tells a Louis CK joke and its an amazing example of how the two comedians differ. I feel like, at least for me, comedy isn't something I consciously analyze. To see its differences and techniques dissected is amazing. [0] this video
I know you're specifying amateur comedy, but it's not so clear what's up or down. A lot of people think Dave Chappelle punches down, but is he really?[1] "Comedy is subjective, and it's offensive, it really is. And people are making these imaginary rules, like, 'Comedy can punch up, but it can't punch down.' No, comedy punches down too sometimes, sorry. You don't make up the rules for my business without consulting a few of us. This is just people deciding these random rules about my business, and they're not even the funny people at their office, probably." - Jerry Seinfeld "Who decides what’s punching up and punching down? I have a routine about these comedians writing articles in the Guardian, trying to set the rules of comedy, insisting that we should never punch down. And I say sometimes you’ve got to punch down." - Ricky Gervais Also, it's important to understand what the actual target of the joke is. Chris Rock sums it up as, "Talk about what they do, not what they are"[2]. I think that's a useful rule of thumb. 1. [LINK] 2. this video