Comedian Matteo Lane joins WIRED to answers the internet's burning questions about stand-up comedy. How do you learn to write funny jokes? Do you think a joke can go too far? Is there a secret to telling jokes well? How do you prepare for your first open mic? Why are some people just naturally funnier than others? Matteo covers all these topics and plenty more on Stand-Up Comedy support.Matteo Lane's comedy cookbook Your Pasta Sucks is now available: https://matteolanecomedy.com/cookbook/His upcoming comedy special The Al Dente Special premieres May 16th on Hulu.Director: Justin WolfsonDirector of Photography: Charlie JordanEditor: Richard TrammellTalent: Matteo LaneLine Producer: Joseph BuscemiAssociate Producer: Brandon WhiteProduction Manager: Peter BrunetteProduction Coordinator: Rhyan LarkTalent Booker: Paige GarbariniCamera Operator: Caleb WeissSound Mixer: Michael GugginoProduction Assistant: Ryan CoppolaPost Production Supervisor: Christian OlguinPost Production Coordinator: Rachel KimSupervising Editor: Rob LombardiAdditional Editor: Jason MaliziaAssistant Editor: Billy Ward
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00:00Can you tell I've watched this channel,
00:01but I'm not like an archeologist?
00:03Do you know what I mean?
00:04Sorry, I wish I really had something to give to the world.
00:07I'm comedian Matteo Lane,
00:08and I'm here to answer your questions from the internet.
00:10This is Stand-Up Comedy Support.
00:12["Stand-Up Comedy Support"]
00:17This is from Celebrity Guacho,
00:20and the picture is the Mona Lisa.
00:21How long do I have to keep writing jokes
00:23before they start getting funny?
00:26Find another job.
00:27No, I will say that stand-up takes a really long time.
00:31I've been doing this now for 17 years,
00:33and when you start stand-up,
00:34usually what they tell you,
00:36and by they, other open micers, is say,
00:37hey, it takes 10 years to find your voice,
00:40to really bring all of your experiences on stage together.
00:43So in other words, it's not just about,
00:45yes, the jokes are important.
00:46Jokes are important.
00:47How do I stand on stage?
00:49How do I walk on stage?
00:50How do I hold a mic on stage?
00:51How long do I wait for the laughter,
00:52if there is any laughter?
00:53How do I deal with hecklers?
00:54How do I deal with other comics?
00:55How do I deal with the booker?
00:56How do I deal with drunks?
00:58You know, so many small things.
01:00I mean, comedy at some point almost turns musical,
01:02where I say something,
01:03and I know if I wait too long after the laughter,
01:06if I don't jump in with the tagline,
01:08it's not gonna get as big of a laugh.
01:09And that kind of thing only comes
01:11from doing it every single night,
01:13after years, and years, and years, and years,
01:15with no social life, and no sex life,
01:17and wow, my 20s were really rough.
01:20This is from Reddit user FragrantRepair9337.
01:24Bombed so hard, how to get used to the uncomfortable?
01:28I would say bombing is fundamentally
01:30the most important thing that you can learn
01:33when you're starting stand-up comedy,
01:34and I sort of liken it to learning a new language.
01:37If you try and be perfect,
01:39you will never speak that language or remember anything.
01:41The second you make a mistake and someone corrects you,
01:44you never forget it.
01:45So you have to have some kind of humility.
01:47Bombing is great,
01:48because when you're learning how to do stand-up,
01:50you need to know what is and isn't working.
01:52And if it's, you're bombing a lot
01:54when you're starting in stand-up,
01:55that means you're not connecting with the audience
01:57in the way that you should.
01:58So you have to go back on stage every single night,
02:00record yourself on your phone, go back and listen,
02:03and say, okay, this went well, and this didn't go so well,
02:06and make your edits that way.
02:08One thing that really helps is if you're writing jokes,
02:10you don't have to write jokes and then perform the script.
02:12Give yourself a kind of an outline,
02:14so that way when you're on stage,
02:15you're also consciously working on being authentic
02:18with the audience.
02:19And also lean into your vulnerability.
02:21People don't like people on stage
02:22who are trying to hide something.
02:24This is from TheBaconBits.
02:26These names are really, TheBaconBits,
02:29like, of all the names you could pick on the internet,
02:31you're going for dog food treats?
02:32I don't, whatever, okay.
02:33Question for comedians.
02:34What is too far with comedy, or are there no limits?
02:37This sounds also like an anal question.
02:39I really don't know.
02:41I feel like whatever your life experiences are,
02:43and how much the audience can take,
02:45you know what, poppers, lube, that usually helps.
02:48Alcohol, that's why there's a two-drink minimum.
02:50But I mean, if you're telling jokes
02:51at a basement at two o'clock in the morning
02:52to a bunch of adults in New York City
02:54and everyone's wasted, you can't go up there
02:55and be like, how now, brown cow?
02:58Just don't be too mean.
02:59This Reddit user asks,
03:00is there a tutorial that teaches joke delivery?
03:03No, unfortunately with stand-up comedy,
03:05at least in my point of view,
03:06I don't really think you need to take classes,
03:08and I don't think that you need to,
03:09I mean, they can be helpful for some people, for sure,
03:12but really the best way to do it
03:13is throw yourself into the water.
03:15You are gonna learn so much
03:16by signing up at a local open mic,
03:18and it's not so much about how you are on stage,
03:20but so much as watching other people
03:22in their creative process,
03:24seeing things that you would have never known you could do.
03:26I remember in Chicago in 2023,
03:28I was so concerned about the joke writing.
03:30Then I saw comedian Kandi Lawrence and Natalie Jost,
03:33and they were so expressive and loud on stage
03:35and using their body, it dawned on me,
03:38I didn't know that I was able to do that.
03:40So watching comedy is just as important
03:42as performing comedy.
03:44This is from Reddit user resskv, resskv.
03:48What's the etiquette for audience members
03:49who get picked on?
03:51Don't try and be funnier than the comic.
03:52You're not really being picked on.
03:54The comic is using you
03:55to sort of uplift the energy in the room.
03:58So maybe one of their jokes didn't work,
03:59and they're like, fuck, I gotta get out of this.
04:01You, what do you do for work?
04:02Whatever answer you think of
04:03that you're trying to think you're gonna be funnier,
04:05you actually look worse.
04:06If you just go along and answer seriously,
04:08it kind of makes it a better show for everyone,
04:10and then the comic will be less likely to pick on you
04:12because you're being honest and you're helping them.
04:14Oh my God, Mike Falzone.
04:16You wanna know why stand-up comedy
04:17is my favorite thing in the world?
04:19I do, Mike.
04:19I wanna know why.
04:20Because it's solely based in authenticity.
04:22It's just you and the microphone,
04:24and either you make people laugh or you don't.
04:26No games, no gaming the system.
04:28You're funny or you're not, that's it.
04:31The interesting thing about stand-up comedy
04:33is that it's pretty raw in the sense of
04:36it's a person with a microphone.
04:37There's no dancing, there's no singing,
04:40there's no back, there's no nothing.
04:41It's nice to just go into a basement
04:43and watch someone think at you
04:45and make you laugh and you relate to them.
04:47It's probably one of the most
04:48connective art forms, I would say.
04:50Or is the ballet better?
04:52The ballet.
04:53From another Reddit user,
04:55have you guys ever dealt with an audience member
04:57with a weird, distracting laugh?
04:59Yes.
05:00I actually like it.
05:01You know, every time you hear the laughter
05:03and it kind of lingers,
05:04you can just always kind of point back to that person.
05:06I actually just had this.
05:07I was in Philly.
05:09You know, you can't see anything on stage.
05:10The lights are so bright.
05:11You can maybe see like a few people in front of you,
05:14but then the rest is just, you know, total darkness.
05:16And there was a woman in the upper left
05:18and every time we would finish a joke,
05:19everyone would laugh and then you would just hear,
05:21ah-ha-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha-ha.
05:23And I'm like, you know what?
05:24This woman's really enjoying her time
05:26and this is the point of it.
05:27This is from J-S-L-E-I-1.
05:29Yes, the two drink minimum is a scam.
05:31It's actually not a scam.
05:33They're providing you a service, which is laughter.
05:35And so when you go in, they say,
05:37look, order something on the menu.
05:39Come on, it's a business.
05:40I mean, there's servers,
05:42there's the comedians who've got to get paid.
05:43Come on now.
05:44This is from Intelligent Floor.
05:46Discussion, do new comics have to have an online presence?
05:49No, they don't have to do anything.
05:52Comedy is not about being a huge star
05:55and having millions of dollars
05:56and doing these giant stadiums.
05:58Comedy is about your connection with an audience
06:00and how you're growing in your craft.
06:01Going online is definitely a route that can get you there
06:04to expose yourself to try and sell tickets, et cetera.
06:07However, I know a lot of comedians that aren't online
06:09and they have successful careers
06:11and they're the funniest comics I've ever met.
06:13Whatever feels natural to you
06:14should be the route that you go.
06:16And you shouldn't feel the pressure
06:17to do things that other people are doing
06:19just because it's the way that things have moved now.
06:21This is from Chelsea Young 568.
06:23How many gigs did it take you
06:25to stop feeling absolutely terrified
06:26every time you're about to go on stage?
06:28Or does that not really go away?
06:29Similar to grief, it never goes away.
06:31Life just builds around you.
06:32You know, the first few times I went on stage,
06:34I was petrified.
06:35I was 23 years old.
06:37I would drink.
06:37I was just so scared because it's so horrifying.
06:42But as time went on, I completely stopped drinking
06:45because I needed to get used to the feeling of anxiety
06:49and dealing with the adrenaline to control it.
06:51That, for me, is the attitude I feel I have to have
06:53because I need it to be so natural
06:56that the audience is immediately comfortable.
06:58Because if I go out and I'm nervous,
07:00they can feel it and it will ruin the show.
07:02But I'm used to the adrenaline now,
07:04so I can kind of hide it.
07:06Usually I slow my pace down
07:08so that way they don't think I'm that scared.
07:09This is from Reddit user Orange Pijama.
07:12Do you guys say pajama or pajama?
07:15You say pajama?
07:16Where are you from?
07:17Florida.
07:18So from Orange Pajama.
07:20What is the definition of craft?
07:22It's a great movie in the 90s
07:23about four girls who thought that they were witches
07:26and then they realized that their fourth person
07:27is a powerful witch
07:28and then there's controversy in the end.
07:30People say he knows craft.
07:31I know something about the craft.
07:32I think when you're talking about the definition of craft,
07:34you're just talking about the medium
07:35and the medium, what I use for that word,
07:37is similar to an artist.
07:39Your craft is your paintings
07:41and your expression and your studio.
07:43I guess craft really is similar to witches.
07:45It's like your witch's lair with all your ingredients
07:47and you throw it into a thing except it's jokes and words
07:50because everyone has a different way of expressing them.
07:52So I guess it's a means of expression.
07:53I guess I don't know what craft is.
07:55Okay, you got me.
07:56I don't know what craft is.
07:58It's a great movie in the 90s
07:59and please, for God's sakes, don't remake it.
08:01It's enough of these remakes.
08:03Saroflex.
08:04Question for stand-up comedians.
08:06How do you control your own laughter
08:07when you think of and or say something funny,
08:09either in normal conversation or when you're performing?
08:12Well, when you're in normal conversation,
08:13I mean, you usually, you laugh.
08:15But I would also say on stage,
08:17sometimes you've said the joke so many times.
08:19I mean, it takes months for a joke to fully develop itself.
08:22You've worked on it and now you're showcasing
08:24whether you're doing clubs or theaters.
08:25You're so just thinking about the rhythm of the joke.
08:28But every once in a while, you do giggle at yourself
08:30or I'll see someone in the front row laughing really hard
08:32and I remind myself, oh yeah, this was funny one time.
08:36That's so strange.
08:37This is from Reddit user PointlessStory.
08:39Have you ever done stand-up
08:41where the audience liked the wrong part of the joke
08:43or laughed too early?
08:44Yes.
08:45That has happened a lot.
08:46And sometimes I get mad at them in my head
08:49because I'm like, why are you laughing at the premise?
08:52Like, I'm not even at the punchline yet.
08:54I find this happening sometimes
08:56when I'm in other countries performing in English
08:58because sometimes the response from different audiences
09:01that aren't American or Anglophone that I'm used to
09:03have a different comprehension, different co-localisms,
09:07different reaction to jokes.
09:08When I ask an American audience a question
09:11and I'm looking for a yes answer,
09:12they always go, woo!
09:13That is like the universal, very white girl.
09:16And when I was in Paris, I asked the question
09:18thinking that they're all gonna go, woo!
09:20And at the same time, a thousand people go, yes.
09:23But you know what?
09:24Any laughter is good laughter.
09:25This is from Reddit user DBZ253.
09:29Is it generally accepted that most stand-up comedians
09:31make up stories about things that happen to them
09:33just because it would make a good joke?
09:34I think that there are some comics who do do that.
09:36For myself, what I like to do is talk about my real life
09:40so my jokes feel more evergreen
09:41and then I get the chance to work on them
09:43for months and months and really develop them.
09:45But look, some comics are all about the fantasy.
09:48To them, it's more about the medium of the joke
09:50as opposed to the experience of the joke.
09:52The setup punchline is far more important
09:54than the actual truth behind it
09:56because they're really focused on how do I wordplay?
09:59If I put this word in front of that word
10:00or I pause this or I put this person in that situation,
10:03and this, you know, you're trying to solicit
10:04a response to the audience.
10:05This one is, what are your roast tips?
10:08Nikki Glaser is like the queen of roasts.
10:10Go watch her Golden Globe set.
10:11I mean, that's the perfect blend of being likable
10:14and being able to poke fun at somebody
10:16while poking fun at yourself.
10:18So basically, it's like holding the hand
10:20of the person you're roasting saying,
10:21I feel this too, have some humility,
10:24let's move through this together.
10:25Smoke and oak.
10:27What should I know before I go to my first open mic?
10:30I would say don't have any expectations,
10:31be open-minded and get there early and be respectful
10:35and I hope you do well on stage.
10:36Maybe you won't, it's fine.
10:38It's really just about getting yourself
10:39accustomed to the life of open mic comedy
10:42and meeting other comedians and watching other people
10:45and seeing what they do and just do it every night.
10:48Comics really respect people who work hard,
10:50show up and are funny and if you do those three things,
10:52then eventually one day you're gonna walk in
10:54and they're gonna be like, yo, what's up?
10:56And you're like, oh my God, I thought you hated me,
10:57but then they, you know, they're just sniffing you out.
10:59This is from Metacomedy1.
11:01Questions for comedians, what do you wear
11:03while on stage, what shoes and why?
11:04I really just like to be as comfortable as possible,
11:07which is a nice way of saying I don't look great
11:09on stage all the time.
11:10Whatever you're wearing, if you're the most comfortable
11:11in that thing, that's how you should perform.
11:13So there's people who wear jeans,
11:15there's people who wear Chanel suits.
11:16It's just whatever makes you feel good on stage.
11:19This is from another Reddit user.
11:21Why do most comedians eventually end up sucking?
11:24Some comics become larger than themselves
11:27and they become a company.
11:29They become larger than life and it can take you away
11:32from the relatability in a lot of ways
11:34and relatability is the most important thing
11:37for stand-up and so I think it's really important
11:39as you keep going up in stand-up comedy
11:41to keep yourself surrounded by people
11:42who are going to keep you honest.
11:44I think if you just stick to your craft
11:46and keep going with it and don't change your routine
11:49in that craft, you will stay good for the rest of your life.
11:51Bill Burr is probably the biggest comic
11:54I can think of right now and I can't think of anyone
11:56funnier, more relatable, more honest,
11:59more vulnerable, smarter.
12:00This is from Yelliab.
12:03How many one-liners do you have to have in your arsenal?
12:06Some comics really are one-liner comics,
12:08like a machine gun, like ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
12:11and some comics sort of bring punchlines in and out
12:13of stories that feel quite natural.
12:15There is no right or wrong way.
12:16Comedy is similar to walking into a museum.
12:19Not every painting is the same.
12:20They're all different, all different expression,
12:22all different medium, but they're all using paint.
12:24You have to have at least one, though.
12:25Let me just say this.
12:26You gotta have one punchline, for Christ's sake.
12:29Reddit user named JSJXJSJASJHS
12:32J-S-J-A-S-J-H-S, J-S-J-A-S-J-H-S.
12:38I sound like a white woman on Duolingo
12:39trying to learn Spanish for two weeks
12:40before she goes on a Mexican vacation
12:42and just walks up to everyone,
12:43go on, just, just, just.
12:44What is the difference between having a dark sense of humor
12:47and being a downright
12:49lack of punchlines and humility?
12:52This is from Mind Fixer.
12:53How do you deal with hecklers?
12:55I'm trying to look for different styles
12:57of how to deal with different types of hecklers.
12:58I don't get many hecklers, but when I do,
13:00the best thing that you can do is don't get too angry.
13:03Yes, you're angry because people have bought tickets,
13:06people have got babys,
13:07well, not really me, there's a lot of gays,
13:08but people got babysitters,
13:09people came from other states,
13:11and really, a heckler is a very obvious form of a narcissist,
13:14someone who doesn't notice that they're in an environment
13:16where other people are trying to enjoy themselves
13:18and they're making it about themselves.
13:19You really don't wanna scream at them.
13:21We all lose our temper, we are human.
13:23It happens, and I hate when comics are seen
13:26getting angry at audience members,
13:28and then people think, oh, that's,
13:29they just don't know how to handle themselves.
13:30So the first thing you have to do, you have to act calm,
13:33and you have to get everybody on your side.
13:35I say, is everybody bothered by this?
13:37And then there's a sense of like,
13:38okay, he's addressing that we're uncomfortable,
13:40now everybody's on your side, and then just say to them,
13:43hey, right now you're kind of behaving narcissistic behavior
13:47because no one else has behaved this way,
13:48and there's 2,000 people in this room, aren't you embarrassed?
13:51And also, don't you have friends around you
13:53that are holding you accountable,
13:54or do you have bad friends too?
13:55And then you ask security to make them leave.
13:58And then after that, move on with the show.
14:00This is from ItsDanDMan, hmm.
14:03How do you open your set?
14:04I've been doing stand-up for 17 years,
14:06and a joke that I used to do, obviously I'm gay,
14:09you don't need me to tell you,
14:10unless you don't know and you just think I'm foreign,
14:12but one of the jokes that I used to do,
14:14because audiences, if you don't tell them that you're gay,
14:16even though I look and sound gay,
14:18they would be so uncomfortable, like,
14:20why isn't he talking about it?
14:21So I would just go up and not say anything,
14:23and I would sing in like a high falsetto.
14:25Oh, mio babino caro!
14:28And then people would clap uncomfortably, and I would go,
14:30that's a true story of how I came out to my dad.
14:33But I don't know, I think just be casual.
14:34If you're getting into comedy,
14:36you don't have to think of anything funny right off the bat.
14:38You put the audience at ease,
14:39and then you guys can start whatever your flow is.
14:42This is from FaithInStrangers92, FaithInStrangers.
14:46What a Craigslist post.
14:48My faith in strangers has always brought me closer to,
14:52okay, this is, why do you think some people
14:54are naturally so much funnier than others?
14:56Sometimes it's environmental,
14:58sometimes it's just intrinsically
14:59how you are made up genetically,
15:01how you interpret the world, how you express yourself,
15:04how you see things, how you interact with people.
15:07You know, I come from a large family.
15:08My mom's family's all Mexican and Italian,
15:10and I have about 6,000 cousins,
15:12and we all grew up on the same block
15:14and all next to each other.
15:15You have to go to battle every night at dinner
15:17because there's so many people,
15:18and so many people are funny.
15:19You really don't speak up at the table
15:21unless you also have something funny to add.
15:23You come with a pretty quick sense of humor pretty quickly
15:26because it was defending yourself every single night.
15:29But I don't know, I think my Aunt Cindy
15:30is probably the funniest person that I know.
15:32She's not a comedian, she's not a performer,
15:34she's not even in show business,
15:36but when I watch her tell stories,
15:38I'm literally watching someone do a setup,
15:40a premise, a punchline, a story,
15:42tags, impressions, performance,
15:44and I see myself on stage almost performing
15:47the exact same way because that's just how I grew up.
15:50This is from Jasmine CarterTheComedian.
15:53First rule of comedy, don't steal jokes.
15:55That's the deadliest sin, and that's weak.
15:57I agree with you.
15:58Now, sometimes when you're in comedy,
16:00you do see people saying very similar jokes
16:03and similar material because someone sees
16:05the new Batman movie and someone else sees it,
16:07they both have their opinion on it,
16:08they're both on stage, they're both talking about it.
16:10It just kind of happens.
16:11But then there are comics who have stolen jokes
16:14and pretend they didn't,
16:15and I find that incredibly uncomfortable.
16:17This is from another Reddit user
16:19named OfficialWalmartInc.
16:21Something tells me this isn't the official Walmart.
16:23Experienced comedians, do you ever do 100% improv sets?
16:28I think that there are comics who go out
16:29and improvise 100%, usually that involves crowd work.
16:33I don't think standup comedy usually is something
16:36that comics want to go on stage
16:38and do something new every single night.
16:39But, you know, comics are really acting in a way
16:42because we're trying to act like it is the first time
16:45we're thinking of these things,
16:46the first times we're saying these things,
16:48the first time we're reacting to these things.
16:49A lot of times it seems so natural
16:52that audiences think we're just saying it
16:53off the top of our heads.
16:54Meanwhile, we've said it 800 times.
16:57This is from Brandon Quichon.
17:00Quick question for comedians, not comics.
17:03First of all, it's all caps.
17:04Why are you yelling at me?
17:06I am being abused right now.
17:09Quick question for comedians, not comics.
17:10Do you think open mics are still necessary
17:12if needed at times, or is just when they want to?
17:14I would say comedy is always changing.
17:17Look, when I started comedy in 2009,
17:20open mics was the way to engage with your community,
17:23to learn how to write jokes, to practice your material.
17:26Your currency was the respect from the better comics
17:28in the back of the room, or they said that you were funny.
17:30Now everyone's putting clips online,
17:32and I think that that can be really helpful.
17:35It obviously helped me,
17:36but I also have 17 years worth of material
17:38to be able to share online while I develop new material.
17:41I think if you're a new comic and you're three years in
17:43and you're trying to put stuff online,
17:45you're keeping up with the game.
17:46However, when do you get the chance
17:48to really develop that material into full hour?
17:50Because if one joke hits and you get a billion views
17:52and they want to book you, that's three minutes on stage.
17:55What's the other 57 minutes?
17:57I remember in school, my teacher Dan Gustin said to me,
18:01you are not working on the masterpiece,
18:03you are working towards it.
18:04And I've kept that in the back of my head
18:06for my entire life.
18:08God, it got so serious.
18:10Stats feed.
18:11Who, in your opinion,
18:12is the greatest stand-up comedian of all time?
18:15I go in between Richard Pryor and Joan Rivers.
18:17Richard Pryor, I think,
18:18he made it sound like you were just coming up with it
18:20all at the top of your head.
18:22He didn't play the same games as everybody else
18:24and he was so prolific in his storytelling.
18:26I can still see comics today that's like,
18:28oh, that's the result of Richard Pryor.
18:30And Joan Rivers, I mean,
18:31Joan Rivers took comedy to another level
18:34and she wasn't afraid of going the extra mile.
18:36You know, she couldn't say she was pregnant on TV
18:38when she was this big.
18:39She couldn't say abortion.
18:41She couldn't say, she couldn't say anything.
18:42She couldn't say gay.
18:43She always held onto it.
18:44That's what made me wanna do comedy.
18:45I was 22 when I saw a special of Joan Rivers,
18:47ironically called Before Melissa Pulls the Plug,
18:49and there's this 71-year-old woman in heels
18:51with giant fur coat walking around stage
18:53screaming at the audience.
18:55You know, she still had the fight in her.
18:56Well, that's it.
18:57That's all the questions.
18:59I hope you learned something
19:00and we'll see you next time.