alright mom and dad, you win

i think i'm about to try stand-up comedy. not because i make a few people laugh though, or because i have an interesting story or two, but because i think it may really be an alright gig.

i did my research and found out the way to tap into the NY circuit. i would have to show up to a comedy clubs "open mike night" every night for about 5 weeks. and then, if i'm consistently good during those nights, they'll offer (or give me after i ask for it) a spot in their lineup on the weekend. on a lineup, i'll get paid for my contribution to a number of performances that lead up to the main attraction. the main attraction though, isn't like eddie griffin or john leguizamo here. no, these entrees are more like the guys that have appeared on "tough crowd" a few times, or had a 30-minute spot on late-night comedy central in 2001. not to say their not good. it's just that, most people don't know the readl stand-up comedians. the real stand-up comedians stay in stand-up comedy. they don't move to tv, or radio, or movies, or talkshows. no, the real ones just stay in the curcuit for the love of the mike.

i'm not that comedian.

if the right one comes across with the check for the fox sitcom - i'm there. i wouldn't dare limit myself to the stage. why? i applaud the likes of leguizamo and griffin that take it from the stage, to the small screen, to the big screen, back to the small screen and then back on the stage. everywhere. and getting paid for each one.

but i digress. my mom and dad used to tell people that i wanted to be a comedian. not that anyone was asking what i wanted to be, they just told people that for their own sake. "either a preacher or a comedian, either way, he has to have a stage." and i suppose that's true. over the last few years (from 10th grade on), i've come to find that i appreciate an audience. hell, don't think for one second that a classroom full of 6th graders isn't an audience. don't think for one second that i don't have to perform in that classroom every single day. as a matter of fact, i was using my racial mix as an example of fractions last week. i try to give the kids some applications and real-life examples of math and whatnot. so i told em, "i'm black, white, native american, puerto rican, and bahimian, so because there are five races in all, i would say that i am 1/5 of each race. are there any questions so far?" hector raises his hand. "yes hector..." "mista, your mother was a hoe huh?!" and so, where that didn't really happen, i would use that as a stand-up joke, after rehearsing my delivery a few times.

stand-up is an art though. it's serious. but i have to believe that if one is smart and humorous, then somebody has to laugh. i mean, worst case scenario, nobody will laugh. there are worse things than embarassment. not too many things. but there are worse things.

it might be an alright gig.