What was YOUR worst job ever?

I just posted a great story by guest author &  comedian Ron Tite about his worst gig ever. The pain of the situation just cracked me up, and made me want to give the guy a hug. I’ve been there. Comedians suffer like … well, if you’ve never been in front of 400 people who hate you, you just won’t understand.

Ron also makes a good point that, like music, there are many different types of comedy.

Even if a stand-up is the right choice, there are countless kinds of stand-ups just like there are countless styles of music. Choosing the wrong type of stand up is like selecting a Marilyn Manson tune for a wedding procession (although I’m sure there are Goth brides out there who would like nothing more than to walk down the aisle to “This is the Sh*t”).

I haven’t met Ron in person, and I’ve never seen his stand up comedy. But I can tell you that, after reading this article, I felt like we were brothers.

What do you think? What is your worst gig ever? Comment baby!

(Need a comedian for your event? Go to the contact page and let’s talk!)

Cheers,

Brad Montgomery
Comedian, Fan of Ron Tite, Lover of Good Comedian Stories

Tim Conway has to be one of the best sketch comedians ever. I grew up watching him, Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman make each other laugh.

What impresses me about this clip is that it holds up. It is still funny today. (And how many shows from the 70s can we say that about? Happy Days? No way, Fonzy!

As a professional speaker and comedian, I love watching how he cracks the other actors up, and how their laughter makes the sketch even funnier.  He’s funny on his own, but with the his team members busting up he is hilarious.  The other folks laughter turns the sketch from good to great.

This fact is relevant to us in our search for a fun business culture.  Laughter begets laughter. 

 If you want to ramp up the fun in your office and the humor in your workplace, you can start by laughing more yourself.  And if you are a leader or manager, make sure that you make certain others feel safe laughing around you.  Employees are often nervous about letting loose in front of their boss:  don’t let your people fall into this trap around you.  If you are laughing the hardest, your employees will follow.  Trust me on this.

Back to Conway:   The fact that Conway was so “in the moment” and authentic makes me think he’d be a

 killer professional speaker.  Can you imagine having him as your motivational keynote speaker?  Heck yeah!  Imagine him (and his team of comedians) do one of these killer sketches and then connect the learning points to corporate America.  I know he would have the convention or meeting on the edge of their seats because he is so funny.  But I bet when he connects his communication skills, timing, teamwork and ability to deal with constant change to the business and corporate culture, he’d hit it out of the park.   I know I would pay to see it. 

The bad news is that Conway isn’t a pro speaker.  The good news is that I know a motivational speaker that would love to fill in for him. : )  (“Hey mom!  Pick me!”)

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When I coach others about how to be funny, I teach saver lines. Basically, these are jokes that you tell after a joke goes bad to “save” the situation.

Johnny Carson was the king of savers. I just found this video….check out the master.

If you are a comedian or speaker and are looking for presentation and humor tips, this is a guy to learn from. Looking for more tips? Try BradMart.

Comedian magician (and pal) Michael C. Anthony just did something very cool. As he was on the road working for a college in Mississippi where after the show he went to visit three different shelters for those who lost everything during the hurricane.

Michael took it upon himself to do some magic for the folks in the shelter. I loved it! Not only did he go visit, but he shared the skill he has taken years to hone and shared it with those needing it most. He told me that the folks were bored stiff and probably would have reacted to nearly anything. But I know Michael, and he is a one of the nations most professional magicians… and so I know that he shared something really special.

Way to go dude! Way to share the laughter, the humor… and the magic!

click out my work as a corporate comedian magician