BEING FUNNY IS SERIOUS BUSINESS

Tony Walker

So...... The Lovely Barbara of The Lovely Lounge asked me if I'd be interested in writing something about the serious side of being funny.

What an interesting idea!

I admit, at first I thought I could write about how putting together comedy shows for a living is serious business. You need to write something that's funny not stupid. You may have the restrictions of not being dirty... being dirty is easy. You have to deal with performers-who can rehearse on what night, who committed to something but now can't commit to half the shit they committed to, making sure we have all the props & materials needed for the show, making sure the sound system works, etc. Believe me, I could write about all that & I will in other posts.... especially with the year I've had!!

But I'm not going to write about the funny business now. I'm going to write about how hard it is to be funny in life. How hard it is to keep smiling during tough times.  Sickness. Marriage crumbling. Financial issues. The list goes on & on. We all have several reasons not to smile.

I'm there too. 2012 was one of the worst years of my life!

But we can't let these catastrophes bring us down. If they bring us down they win! Then we're defined by it. The first few years that followed after my cancer, I saw the look on certain people's faces when I walked into a room. "There's the cancer guy" was written all over many people's faces. There was no f*cking way I was going to let cancer define me. Here we are, almost 10 years since I've been cancer free, & no one looks at me as the cancer guy anymore.

How did that happen? By smiling & being funny. I made a conscious & serious decision to be funny all the time. Everywhere I go I am smiling & making jokes. At meetings, at my kids' school, walking down the street, etc. Everywhere.

Let me tell you... it's hard work to be funny. It's serious shit. But the payoff is incredible. So many people are more willing to help me if I need something because I made them laugh. So many people are more friendly to me. So many people remember me. So many people will be my friend. 

As Heath Ledger said.... "Why so serious???" It just doesn't make sense to me. Smile damnit! Be pleasant & people will be pleasant to you! What a difference that makes in your day & in your all around mood when you have a pleasant atmosphere!! And it's contagious! You're fun & pleasant, soon everyone else around you is, & life doesn't seem so bad.

About a year ago I knew this serious work of being funny paid off. I was at a school function. I had to introduce myself to someone. When I did her response was, "Oh I know you." Immediately I thought she was going to say, "You're the one with cancer" or "You're the one legged guy." But no.... she said, "You're the comedy guy." WOO HOO!!!! Why yes! Yes I am!!!! Take that cancer!!! Take that & your serious shit!!

So you heard it from me. Start smiling & make a serious effort to be funny at all times. Stop being so stuffy! Be human!! Be fun!! I said so.

Eventually I'll share with you all the seriousness it takes to run a comedy business!!! There will be funny and not so funny stories to tell.  Being funny is serious business!