Can you please stop asking questions?
Comics love to ask the audience questions, but it’s usually a crutch, and a bad idea unless you are the host working the crowd.
For example, you have a joke about the movie Ferris Bueller.
You ask the audience, “Anyone here remember the movie, Ferris Bueller?”
Half the audience is too young to remember the movie; the other half is wary that you’re going to call on them and do cringy crowd work. So, everyone’s silent.
Now, you are boxed into the corner of saying, “Really? No one has heard of Ferris Bueller? It has Matthew Broderick and What’s-Her-Name in it?”
And then you limp into the Ferris Bueller joke with your confidence shot.
Wait a minute, Creig. Are you talking about all questions? What about when I get to the mic and say, “How’s everyone doing tonight?”
Please stop asking that question. It’s awkward and no one responds. Think of a better way to seem like you care about the audience.
Do you ask questions, Creig?
Yes, sometimes I do and usually regret it. Usually as an awkward segue into my dog jokes. “Is this a dog crowd?” There are better ways to transition.
Aren’t there good uses of questions?
Sure, but don’t ask, “Anyone here remember what happened on Season 2, Episode 3 of Star Trek: Next Generation? No one will respond. Will that keep you from doing your Star Trek joke? No. Then stop asking and just do the joke.
What is a good example of a question?
You could be really absurd, like asking if people have ever heard of cats. Or asking if people know something very esoteric. Basically, if the question itself is part of the joke and you can riff off a response or no response.
And if you do crowd work you pretty much have to ask questions, but you better be ready with answers.
What’s the bottom line?
Don’t set up your bits by asking if the audience is familiar with whatever subject you are about to tell a joke about. It will not get a reaction 99% of the time and drains all the momentum you’ve built up. You have built up momentum, haven’t you?
Got it? How’s everyone doing tonight? Good luck.
