It seems going to the clubs a comedian that speaks without saying @#$%#$ or !#$%# and the occasional @$#* is a rarity. Must we listen to latest one night stand or best sex position you have while doing a visual demonstration on the stool. Many comedians once given the mic feel that it is there duty to have the most awkward conversation with the people at the show.

I am all for free speech but it seems that once you get to a certain point in your career you are going to have to censor yourself for many television channels anyway. Why not start now…..... I guess I just don’t get it…

Are there.

Brian Regan

Kenrahn - 06 August 2009 11:14 AM

Are there.

Lol was thinking the same thing.. But i know what you mean a lot of comedians like to use bad language.

I agree. seems like 85% of all the stand up comedians are blue. I think here and there is fine, but how many times do I have to hear about masturbating or she was sucking my c%#k…..Comedy is about creative joke writing with a clever punches, and not about cheap laughs. I think a lot of swearing and sex jokes are turning hack, and easy way to get laughs. I would rather watch a Bob Hope act than a David Attell act sometimes.

Brian Regan is completely clean, and Jim Gaffigan is pretty clean too.  Demetri Martin is rarely too dirty, though he does use profanity and sex jokes occasionally.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ComedyTimeDir

Always clean. Always funny.
Check out the Channel
New Videos Daily

Jerry Seinfeld is pretty clean but Brian Regan is definitely the cleanest (and my personal favorite).

I actually have a clean humor blog: http://cleanlifeobservations.wordpress.com/  Sort. of Jerry Seinfeld type stuff.

In my opinion, there’s two ways to use language like that.  Many of your comments are right on.  If I have to hear another masturbation joke I’ll scream.  That sort of TMI comedy gets old quick.

But when the language is used creatively either as an integral part of the joke or as spices and flavoring (as Carlin said) then I see no problem with it.  One thing we’re always told is to be ourselves and be real on stage.  If I speak that way in real life, why can’t I do so on stage?

And yeah, you do have to clean it up for TV and such, but that’s five minutes.  They also won’t let you discuss religion, gay rights, or any other number of topics.  So you can’t base your whole act just on what you can do on Leno. 

From the comments here, it seems the argument is more against simple, surface, shock humor than the actual use of the language.

I keep swearing to a minimum and use it when it fits…. There are ways to make swearing funny and it’s not using it in every sentence that’s for sure.

Yeah I agree with everyone here. Most of the people I know wouldn’t want to come to open mic nights to watch me because all the other “comedians” just got sloppy drunk and talked about banging fat chicks and other stuff that only drunk people could even laugh at. I only curse when it emphasizes a point and the comedians who do nothing but curse and talk about nothing but whacking off have come to admire me, even though I’m only 18. People notice a true comic who comes up with great material, and not the run of the mill perverted drunkard.

Jeff Dunham is pretty clean..he makes a few innuendoes here and there..but nothing too bad…Frank Caliendo does impressions if u like that..and Gary Gulman is rly funny and doesn’t talk about dirty things

-Chief

To aarontherol and other like-minded individuals

Your last sentence shows a misunderstanding of the new media phenomenon first off, and secondly it shows that you are getting what you want on the back end either way. Most big media will not produce any blue comedy making it a rare commodity to find something professional and Blue. This means the only sanctuary a dirty joke loving scoundrel like me can see this stuff uncut or unedited is via live show or low quality production stand-up videos. All I am saying is your words make me turn in my grave… This will all change as new media comes about though, many production companies are beginning to fill this niche such as http://www.BlueComedy.com and others of the sort. This means you may be right about the comedians having to learn control of their tongue now if they want to be big in the future. But with today’s new media pushing out the network and movie giants, I say If you can be funny while dropin’ some F bombs and C bombs, then bless you

It goes both ways though. That’s what people have to realize.

Comics who only talk about jerking off and dick jokes may get tiring… because they are limiting themselves, and it stops being clever.

However, comics who refuse to do blue material are also limiting themselves.

A true artist is open minded and doesn’t use restrictions when it comes to what he does. Don’t get stuck on a one way path, but don’t close your mind off to other possibilities either. Even Hicks, Carlin, Stanhope, Louie CK, Seinfeld, etc… do/did some stuff about sex and masturbation. They just work it in at the right time.

I agree that there is too much “dirty” comedy out there.  I think a large percentage of this is due to the ease of a cheap laugh.  Especially those comedians who are just starting out, some cheap laughs can be a crutch to lean on.  It’s normal, everyone wants to get laughs, but I don’t think it improves your art.

I haven’t done any stand-up in many years, but recently haven been trying to get back into it.  I take pride in coming up with original material that doesn’t have to be dirty to be funny.

There is another side to the coin though.  I do think that there are exceptions.  Louie CK is a perfect example.  He is often very vulgar and dirty, but I don’t think his material is cheap.

I try not to judge others, but my opinion is that it is harder to make people laugh without talking about sex, drugs or something controversial.  I think challenging yourself to make normal things funny makes you a stronger comedian.

-Damien