Stand-up comedy is one art form that I believe is greatly underappreciated since many people do not view it as art. Others may view stand-up comedy as merely amusement, but when you read between the lines of clever and insightful acts, you might begin to recognise the art and value it for what it is. Stand-up comedy is the most observant type of humour and a very insightful look at life that many people may share.
Other times, stand-up comedians are skilled at dissecting the most routine events that you encounter or witness every day and offer a wholly original perspective on those events that you could never have thought of, altering your entire perspective on that incident or, in some cases, your outlook on life. Despite how adept some comedians are at observation, it is a very refined art form that has fallen seriously short of recognition.
Bill Burr is one of my favourite stand-up comedians, and I truly like seeing him. Even if it’s something smaller, like just listening to the way he talks about relationships, you can tell that he has experienced the same things you have in the past but he has picked apart a few things that you haven’t seen yourself. He has a really perceptive view on so many things in life that are very common for anyone to see. In spite of the fact that many people, including myself, find the most banal topics to be pointless like an inflatable bath pillow, he is able to make you see things from his point of view once he starts talking about them.
Another comedian who is funny and is close to the same as Bill Burr is Louis CK. You can see so many of his jokes or things that he has written online so if you are ever bored one day or you would like to see what I am talking about, I would advise you to check out some of the jokes he has made. Some of them are good and while a lot of people can find some of the jokes that he makes vile and offensive like the joke about child molesters, they come from a place that is clearly only humorous but there is a sense of being able to understand exactly what he means by what he says.
By the time you read this blog post, a comedian who was sadly underestimated will have passed away. One of the funniest people I have ever encountered in my life—and possibly the funniest person to ever set foot on Earth—was Patrice O’neal. While you might not enjoy his stand-up comedy special, you can listen to thousands of hours of his audio on radio broadcasts, which really highlights how brilliant this man was. He was primarily interested in relationships, and his serious approach to comedy is evident in every single one of his jokes. He based his work primarily on personal experiences, and it shows.