Have my first gig on Monday 23rd, have been working on my material for weeks, have it condensed down to 7 mins now. At the start of the week I thought it was very funny but as Monday get closer its starting to sound less funny. I plan on getting the gig recorded, so I can look back and see what worked. Have two gigs set up for March so hopefully this goes well.

This is the first part of my act, what do people think. Any feedback would be great.

Hello Everyone
My name it Leigh Stirrup and this is a sick world we live in...
How come grooming kids is bad but grooming dogs is ok ...
whats that about
Not only that people actively encourage you to join.. its like a cult...
you need to start grooming that dog
take it too Johns garage,, only charge you 20 quid
what hes going to molest my dog..... and charge me ...........for his pleasure.. whats wrong with these people...get online with the other pervs

How would you even go about starting to groom a dog
What just poke them on facebook
do you watch them coming out of puppy school
hi little doggy what nice ears you have, you want to see my bone
These people are animals. takes the meaning of animal lover to a new level.

I'm not so sure about starting on a paedo joke. Sorry but not every audience is up for it. Especially if it's followed by a bestiality joke. What amuses you, what makes you smile? Start with something softish, something that gets the audience on side. Especially if it gets the audience sympathetic and on side.

Put 5 decent gags in your back pocket, even if you don't use them you know they're there.

I agree that it may not be the best way to open with a paedo do but I don't thonk your pushing peoples boundaries too far with this particular joke, I also think it was funny as hell, nice work

I didnt think it was really a paedo joke, more of the set up for the dog grooming. Its quite a good crowd a real comedy crowd. They seam to give new comics a good chance.

It follows on with a few mins about walking the dogs, somalian pirates and finishes with a short song/rap. Will find out soon enough if it works , if not will take it out for next one. The first part is linked back to twice later on, so if it was taken out would need quite a bit of re-writing.

I say definitely keep it in its really funny n clever

Please don't say "what's that all about", you are not Jerry Seinfeld and this is not 1991.

I'd also echo sooty's point that this might not be the best subject to open with due to the subject nature, give the audience a chance to like you before hitting them with anything dark or possibly controversial.

Good luck though and let us know how you get on.

Quote: Tony Cowards @ January 22 2012, 9:26 AM GMT

Please don't say "what's that all about", you are not Jerry Seinfeld and this is not 1991.

View original

Seriously though, how about that airplane food?

You have to be high to eat it, like 60 000 feet up.

Also Lee warm 'em up, start on a nice gag that lets everyone know youre a good egg and gets them on side.

Just imagine it from the audience's point of view. A shaky, sweaty guy takes to the stage and the first thing that comes out of his mouth is about f**king kids. When that happens (and it happens an awful lot with new acts) I always think "I wonder if he actually likes f**king kids", which rather sours anything else the person might have to say.

The joke isn't saying it's okay to have sex with children, it's saying it's wrong to have sex with dogs. I don't see what the problem is. Did the rest of you actually read it?

I agree with Tony about losing the "what's that all about?"

No it's about normalising abnormal sexual relationships.

I sentence you to 500mml of intravenous The Guardian.

Is it bollocks. It's a pun. A play on words. And quite a good one I think. Maybe the introduction could be better to show which side of the line he's on and avoid confusing you, e.g. we all know grooming kids is evil, so why is it... etc.

Quote: Badge @ January 22 2012, 12:34 PM GMT

The joke isn't saying it's okay to have sex with children, it's saying it's wrong to have sex with dogs. I don't see what the problem is. Did the rest of you actually read it?

View original

Okay, so technically it's not about f**king kids, and it certainly doesn't endorse the practice, but the fact remains that without the reference of paedophilia there is no joke.

It just baffles me why brand new comics so often feel the need to come out of the gate with a paedo joke. Of all the subjects why is that the go to? Imagine if every new comic did an opening joke about grapefruit. It would be weird, right?

Ok this is standup comedy not an academic debate,

"How come grooming kids is bad...."

instantly implies that grooming kids is viewed as bad, but this is not neccasairly a reasonable view point.

Followed by "...what hes going to molest my dog."

Now on some level your audience are associating bestiality with child abuse. For a weakish pun, that cost is way, way to high. Part of the audience will now only be looking for you to say something else to offend them.

Intent is worth sweet f**k all. It's effect that counts and in this case you'd have blown intent for giving the audience a hook to dislike and judge you.

You could maybe do this by firmly tying your colours to the mast;
e.g.

"Grooming kids disgusts me. But you know what's worse dog grooming.
Those sickos not only advertise in the paper, but they make you pay!"

But well even then you'll be f**king lucky not to turn the audience against you.

Perhaps we're all missing the biggest point - he says he's going to end with a comedy rap.