20 Jun
Posted by: Rukhsana Khan in: cultures, presentations, writing
So I actually took the plunge and went to Yuk Yuk’s tonight to scope out the joint, so to speak.
From 7:30 till about 11:30 pm, my ears were assaulted with a barrage of, ahem, very colourful language.
There were some genuinely funny jokes in there.
Three to be exact.
Three jokes in the whole evening that really made me laugh and think, wow, that was clever! The only one I can remember involves the man mimicking a baby’s cry.
The women were uniformly unfunny.
I wonder why.
Maybe it’s because they were trying to be both sexy and funny, and it just doesn’t work. Instead they came across insecure and awkward. And worst of all…raunchy.
Not funny raunchy–kind of a pathetic raunchy.
I can’t recall even one woman’s joke.
Apparently it was a ‘special’ night. They were actually filming some of the acts for some kind of T.V. special or something.
Maybe this is my naivete speaking but I actually think the comics did themselves a disservice by all going blue.
They were practically indistinguishible from each other.
And maybe it’s just me but I couldn’t help wondering how they’d feel at the end of the night, using bawdy jokes to elicit a laugh out of people?
I actually think it would depress the heck out of me.
I felt really really weird sitting there through all that nonsense.
And so much of the humour, that wasn’t bawdy was about getting intoxicated in one form or another.
Wow. Just wow!
Is that what this generation is all about?
Honestly, I can’t see any of the comics I saw getting past a rudimentary level of notoriety.
If someone like me can’t remember what I just laughed at, even as I’m walking out the door…it’s not a good sign.
Lots to think about!
4 Responses
Margaret Ullrich
20|Jun|2012 1Was it a theme night at Yuk Yuk’s or is it always like that?
Rukhsana Khan
21|Jun|2012 2I’m not sure.
From the audience response it seemed that I was the only one disturbed by the raunchiness of the subject material.
There was a family in the first row with a sixteen year old girl among them and the host kept making suggestive comments to the mother.
I’m thinking that at least in Toronto, the stand ups are very raunchy indeed.
I’d have to go back again on other nights to be certain though and I’m not sure if it’s worth it.
Also found out that there’s an incredible amount of competition for the open mic spots.
I still want to see if I can do it, but it might take me a few months to get on the open mic program.
All the best,
Rukhsana
Margaret Ullrich
22|Jun|2012 3Sounds very unpleasant. I’m surprised that the family didn’t leave.
Do they have open mic nights in Toronto book stores or small coffee shops? We have a few in Winnipeg – a way to bring folks into the building – and they’re more family oriented.
Heard about the weather / heat back east. Hope you are okay.
Stay well,
Margaret
Rukhsana Khan
22|Jun|2012 4Hi Margaret,
Omigosh! It was excruciatingly unpleasant!
The family stuck around for most of the set. I’m surprised they didn’t leave either.
I think they might have open mics at bookstores and coffee shops. That might be a much better venue for me to practice.
Today I went to juma, Friday prayers, and the imam giving the sermon said to be careful where you go, if you die in a place of ill repute, it will be noted that’s where you died. And I thought, “Oh dear, I wouldn’t want to die in a Yuk Yuks! Imagine that being the last place you frequented on earth?!
Shudder!
The heat broke yesterday, thank goodness!
Today is much more comfortable!
You stay well too!
Rukhsana
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