Starting standup comedy: Edge Lords
Starting out as a new standup comedian can be brutal. So, if you read about my second set, you might understand why I’m addressing this topic at this time. But, I’ve come across a few edge-lords in my short time in comedy and this will be about that.
Photo: Warner Bros.
An Edge Lord is someone who says offensive shit for the sake of saying it and has little to no remorse for who it might offend. First of all, Edge Lords can be looked at in one of two ways:
1) Edge Lords are not humans but a sub-species of primate who live in the woods and/or dive bars and feed off bad will and Keystone.
2) Edge Lords are victims of trauma and probably cannot help that they’re being assholes. They need love and validation and sometimes confuse one for the other.
I think most people lean towards #1 when experiencing an Edge Lord and toward 2 when just talking about nonspecific ones. Either way, it can be an awful experience, and don’t be that guy.
To be clear, 95% of comedians tell a joke that would make someone feel uncomfortable. My second mic, a guy talked about mass shootings and how they shouldn’t qualify as “mass.” My father was killed in the 1986 Edmond Post Office Massacre. It probably offended zero other people, but might also rub some people the wrong way. Not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about when that’s your entire set, you’re yelling, “white lives matter” and people walk out of your set. Or, you’re purposefully antagonistic, and not only does it not work, there was no conceivable universe in which it would work.
On a recent mic, a guy had a joke about liberals getting so woke that we’ve come full circle and are back to hating Jews. There was a joke in there somewhere, but he didn’t have ahold of it and people got up and left. He got his set cut short because of it. Edge Lord.
To be “edgy,” and I’d put Mark Normand down as an example, you need to be a surgeon. I also believe you need to write and kill at jokes that are not egdy first. If you can’t be not edgy, odds are you’ll flop at edgy. Another way to be edgy is being Louis C.K. where you’re most blunt but you’re just so good, the guy who complains about it is way more of an asshole. If you’re reading this, you probably aren’t approaching that level yet. Get good first.
I consider myself an artist as a comedian. I know that sounds dickish, but what I mean is I think the writing matters and the audience will respond in kind if the writing is good. I hate limiting my set if the setup is good longer, yada yada, etc.
But, I also want to turn this hobby into a profession someday. YOU CANNOT MAKE PEOPLE LEAVE THE SHOW. If you learn nothing else from this post or this blog, learn that it is always bad and horrible to do that. The mics you have an opportunity to do only survive as long as the manager of the club or pizza place thinks their overhead is benefited by its existence. That means asses in seats. That means don’t make the asses in seats move toward the door.
Photo: Greg Williams
Another Edge Lord I had the privilege to run across was Philbert. Did I change his name? Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway, Philbert was waiting outside the Comedy Fort on open mic night. I introduced myself and he told me he was from out of town looking for one last mic before he left. I let him know the odds were pretty good– whoops, and how the mic worked. When I told him he would probably only get two minutes, he lost his shit. He said he needed 10 minimum. I was like… good luck, bud! Anyhow, he gets inside and another comic walks by, recognizes him and tells him to “tone down the racial stuff.” Apparently, he did a mic the night before and was a raging penis of Edge Lordiness. He yelled, “white power” and “White lives matter,” type garbage his whole set.
Needless to say, this got to the showrunner, who kept him off the list. He said, “If you can’t play nice in the local sandbox…” I let him know about the 10-minute expectation too and the guy laughed and asked if I wanted to host five minutes later. Thanks, Philbert!
A lot of this is common sense. But there are also steps to take:
Work on less edgy material first. Make sure you have a feel for what people respond to before subjecting them to something overly dark or offensive.
Have a sounding board. I have two bits I wasn’t sure about. I called a trusted family member who would identify in the groups I might offend. I read the bits and asked, offensive or funny. She let me know right away, I’m hilarious.
Run it by a community first. Fort Collins comedians have a private discord. A really good local guy ran a bit by the group, then tried it out when people didn’t rip it apart. It’s working pretty well for him.
Don’t attack audience members or comedians. I’m clearly not talking about roast battles.
A non Edge Lord can Edge Lord all of a sudden. Don’t be that guy.
Helpful? Not helpful? Are you an Edge Lord who wants to rant about the first amendment? Leave it in the comments. Be sure to subscribe and like all my stuff on YouTube and follow me on Instagram, so I can pay off my winnebago.