Southern Discomfort

This past week I did my first shows in the real South in Destin, Florida.  A nice vacation spot on the panhandle where the temperature varied from disgustingly humid to just shoot me to put me out of my misery.  But the most sweating I did during the weekend was on stage.  Now the club is located on a resort so I thought I would end up being the comedic equivalent of Johnny in Dirty Dancing.

Not quite.

Here are the highlights:

• “I do not care for the cussing.”  One woman who was enjoying my set for the first 6 or 7 minutes then frowned at me for the next 20 because I said a few curses (about 6 in 25 minutes).  I looked at her after a joke that worked and said, what’s wrong?  And she responded with the above quote.  So I mocked her for the rest of the show whenever a natural moment for a curse would come up I would shout something like darn tootin’ or its equivalent, which delighted the nine or ten audience members who understood that I was being sarcastic.

• An innocent joke comparing myself and Obama to Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen was greeted with 2 silences and 2 rounds of boos.  So on the last show I finally snapped and asked the crowd, “what is it with you people and New Jersey rockers?  Is it because they vote Democratic?  is it because Springsteen sings about selfish things like Vietnam vets and working class struggles?  Sorry – from now I will just talk about Toby Keith putting boots in people’s asses.”  That got a big laugh.

• One of the biggest laughs I got all week was on an anal sex joke.

• On only 1 of 5 shows Obama references got booed.  They started shouting things like “I wish I could print money,”and “I don’t want to pay all my money in taxes.”  Then I realized this is what went for comedy on the Glen Beck/Fox News Comedy Tour.

It became clear to me that these shows were like some other shows I’ve done and it took me too long to realize it.  Some comedy shows (the majority, most taking place at clubs) are the type where people arrive to laugh at someone’s routine or act.  I prefer those because I actually write jokes to perform them, not for exercises in penmanship and typing.  Other shows tend to be those where the crowd wants a clown.  Someone that will take them and tweak their nose and make them verbal balloon animals.  Except for my anal sex joke and Obama impression, the biggest laughs I got were when I ripped on people because they wanted to be the show.

Oh well, next time I head down there (which may be unlikely if only because my tiny plane departing Florida Sunday was a top 3 unnerving flight of my life) I will just bring a suitcase of Don Rickles’ material.  “Look at this guy!  I tell ya…”