rant · moment 13 of 20
What Happened to Comedy? Open Mics vs. the Tonight Show
from King of the Restaurant with Ray Kump · #145
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
4 minTim laments that he can no longer distinguish open mic material from Tonight Show or HBO special material, arguing modern comedy has become safe "Mad Libs" style joke construction rather than risk-taking.
- 42:35Tim watched a Tonight Show set and couldn't tell the difference between open mic material and late-night TV comedy.
- 43:25The idea that the city is full of overlooked amazing comedy worth discovering probably isn't true.
- 43:41Comedy has become safer over the years, and comedians aren't taking risks or making audiences uncomfortable anymore.
- 44:00Modern comedians are doing mad libs, building little castles of words and puzzles instead of actual comedy.
- 44:29Younger people describe comics they like as 'chill,' revealing this generation doesn't enjoy conflict at all.
- 45:05Nobody wants to be in awe of performers anymore, unlike the reverence audiences had for Carlin, Rolling Stones, or Tina Turner.
- 45:29There hasn't been consensus popular rock music in 10 to 15 years, with acts like White Reaper or Black Keys being the last examples.
- 46:00Everyone wants to discover new music themselves in a bar; that personal discovery has become what matters more than the quality of the art.
George CarlinTina TurnerThe Rolling StonesThe Tonight ShowThe Black KeysHBO