The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'- Isaac Asimov
We all grew up as scientists. When we were young, we would see something new, we thought it looked funny, and then we mistakenly put it in our mouths (Who else knows what Play-Doh tastes like?) There is nothing more stupidly scientific than that. Science isn't textbook knowledge as much as it's a way of thinking. Science is confusion, curiosity, exploration, trial and error. Science is our way of describing, as best we can, how the world works. Science is honest. And I have never felt more like a scientist than when I started doing stand up comedy.
Exploration: It's Funny Cause It's True...A scientist's goal is to find the truth in all things.The funny is a byproduct of that goal.
My goal, as a comedian, is to find the funny in all things. The truth is a byproduct of that goal.
When I think of scientists, I picture the explorers like Charles Darwin, who literally explored the world for his theories.With comedy I get to explore the world with an honest lens and then tag a punchline to it. Which is a funny thing for me to claim because my best bit is a "Nice, Dick" joke.
But it takes a lot of exploration/discernment to look at the mundane, such as a homeless man limping around by his usual intersection, and think: It's interesting that every homeless man has a bum leg.
Grants
A scientist is granted freedom to experiment with grants. They have to prove their experiments have a purpose.
A comedian is granted freedom with laughs.There is a freedom and independence to stand up. There is nothing more rewarding than doing something yourself. You say what you want and do what you want (as long as it gets laughs). So when you do well, it's all on you! But when you do bad, it's all on the audience! No, I'm kidding, it's all on you. Something I found early on is that you should never blame the audience for your results. If you do, you won't get better. But to be fair, in order to be a comedian you have to be a little delusional.Delusion is a huge part of my life. If it weren’t for delusion, I wouldn’t have become a comedian. At all. Because, particularly starting out there’s so much failure, and amidst that failure you have to tell yourself, “It’s going quite nicely.” Because if you didn’t, you’d never get onstage again, you’d just be like, “I guess human beings don’t like me.”
-Mike Birbiglia, Author of Sleepwalk With Me
Trial and Error
Scientist see something funny and make an experiment. Comedians see something funny and make a joke. If a scientist's experiment fails, then there is something wrong with the hypothesis or experiment. If a joke fails, then there is something wrong with the premise or the joke.The funny thing is neither a scientist nor a comedian could get better without constant failure. They couldn't make a better experiment/joke without results.When I perform my material, I soon learn what's funny and what's not funny (...yet.)
Stand up makes sense. Sometimes painful, but always rational. If people feel that a bit is funny, then they'll laugh. If they don't, they won't. Or they'll give you a pity laugh... Which I don't care for. Might as well throw me a surprise pity party. That's like faking the results of an experiment to make me feel good. Then I run around thinking that I cured cancer but really I'm just a nut with a thoughtful assistant.
Describing How the World Works
It must have taken a lot of courage for Copernicus to say the earth is not the center of the universe. Just like it must have taken a lot of courage for Carlin to talk about the "seven words you can never say on television." Copernicus' discovery began the Copernican Revolution and contributed importantly to the rise of the ensuing Scientific Revolution. Carlin's bit helped revolutionize stand up. Carlin's intention was not just to shock; it was to question our irrational fear of language.
I understand if people think this comparison is a stretch. But they were both honest with their work, and as a result, people started thinking.
