Look at our president and tell me we don't have a great sense of humour.

It's settled then, Americans are funny!

Hooray!


Corona

Vandy you have a responsablity to the person who signed the check!

That really is the bottom line. IF you have been paid to be "blue" then you had better be blue.

If they wanted this and then the audience didn't enjoy it, well not really your fault. Many people book the wrong act for the wrong venue. A good agent will not let this happen.

Hey our Vice President actually shot a guy and the guy he shot APPOLOGISED!!!
THAT is funny. You shoot a guy and he says "sorry my bad". You can't write funnier comedy.

HAHAH I love this. take a look at ANY of Lewis Black's comedy and you will see that Americans have a sense of humor due to political views. If anyone likes to watch someone poke fun and Democrats AND Republicans pick up the DVD Lewis Black Unleashed



Well said Magicalaurie, if people can laugh without dirty material I don't see why there needs to be it. Maybe its culture and the way you are viewed by others watching you laugh at certain things.

True that.

Well even though I hope the discussion continues so far weve at least learned three things:

First: Its not just Americans who can be vulgar.

Secondly: There are plenty of good American clean artists out there.

And Finally and most importantly : NEVER go hunting with a Vice President!!!

How long do you have to wait after a famous magician dies to include them in a version of The Aristocrats?

Quote:

Well said Magicalaurie, if people can laugh without dirty material I don't see why there needs to be it. Maybe its culture and the way you are viewed by others watching you laugh at certain things.



I think it has a lot to do with culture and how you are raised. Also social circles you run around in.
cheers chris

Christian,

People can eat without meat but not everybody wants to be a vegetarian. People can live without beer but not everybody wants to be a teetotaller etc For those that want those options that's fine but it doesn't mean that everybody wants them! There are people that like clean humor and I have no problem with that either! Why they have a problem with those of us that like bawdy humor is a bit strange to me. I'm not trying to force my ideals onto them so why should they feel the need to censor in any way those of us that do enjoy it seems odd to me. Hey, why can't we all just get along? Those who like clean stuff go to the clean comics, those who like it uncensored go to those comics!

It's nothing to do with social circles either. I once once told one of the rudest (and I may add funniest) jokes I've ever heard by a high ranking member of the British Royal family. Liking of clean humor crosses all social boundaries ... hmmm ... but then again so does raunchy humor.

By the way I was raised as a Roman Catholic, went to very posh schools and university and still love a good bawdy joke. To repeat myself, we are all different!

Just another 10 cents worth!

Simon

Well here's my 2 penneth worth.... (I'm still in the UK)

I saw Simon at a recent IBM convention over here in the UK. I had missed him when he lived in the UK years ago as I wasn't big into magic then. I had heard stories that he could be close to the mark etc so I was interested to see how he went. Well I was pleasantly surprised at how funny and charming he was. Later in the week he performed at a late night 'Fringe' event where he was slightly more 'blue' but still charming and funny, and it suited both the venue and occassion. He went down very well that night.... we both did ;-).
I perform without swearing (unless things go wrong), but I don't condemn it, it can be a great tool if used correctly and in the right place. English humour can be more aggressive towards spectators that's for sure, the secret is to make sure that the audience warm to you and are aware that it's an act.

'Horses for courses' as we say

John

Depends on the venue?

Archini,

Good to see you here ... sorry we didn't get to spend more time together to hang out at the IBM. Let me know any time you'll be in NYC!

By the way there's a typo in my last message "once once" should of course read as "was once" ... sorry for any confusion!

Simon

I'm not interested in censoring anyone. Not a vegetarian, either. Here we go.

Laurie,

I wasn't suggesting that anybody here was trying to censor anything ... just pointing out that there are those in life who do try to censor us in many aspects of life, not just comedy!

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough!

Simon

Two things:

I was at the Fringe IBM show in Southport...and laughed and loved both Simon and John Archer.

Second:
Your clean comedian list left out Brian Regan....one of the best.
http://www.brianregan.com
Go see his live show--you won't be sorry!

So, the difference between the British and American sense of humor is that Americans LIKE Benny Hill?

Kidding.....

Doing blue or not, as has been pointed out by those wiser than I, seems to be determined by a few seemingly simple things - the performer's preferences, the performer's personal style (which is different), the performer's skill, the audience and the person who does the hiring of the performer.

SO, Magicial Comedian, Know Thyself, Thine Audience and Thine Client!

Then make up your own mind!

But without that self-knowledge - knowledge about what you are good at doing, good at delivering and good at booking, you are going to make mistakes - some of which can be VERY costly, especially in the USA, where sex is far more of a taboo than it appears to be in Europe or much of the rest of the world (the Islamic countries being a notable exception, of course, for obvious reasons).

"I can remember when the air was clean and the sex was dirty." - George Burns

Which doevtails nicely with another quote - "Dying is easy. Comedy is HARD."

Lee Darrow, C.H.

Very true, Simon. Thanks. I didn't see your post as a personal accusation, necessarily. No worries. Just clarifying my own position on censorship. And the meat- eating thing.

Laurie,

Next time you are in NYC I'll buy you a nice salad and discuss comedy ... with no swearing or bad topics of course!

Simon

But you will have to discuss it nude

Me nude, at my advanced age, would be far more offensive to anybody than anything I could say!

Not a pretty sight!

Simon