Subtlety

 
 
 
 

Transcript:

Subtle in comedy, is… difficult.


It’s worth it.  It’s better.  But it’s a challenge.


Subtle is hard, cuz, …they might not listen.


They might completely ignore you.


Not easy to be soft spoken, chill… when you’re being blatantly ignored or talked over.


But it is better, …if you can pull it off.


You have to be completely unafraid of the crowd, but also, non-chalant about it.


There’s this rock climber, Alex Honnold, he free climbs without any gear, so if he falls, he dies.  100% chance of splat.


An’ Alex, his amygdala, the part of your brain that produces fear and anxiety - his amygdala doesn’t function properly, so he doesn’t experience anxiety and fear the way normal people do.


…You gotta be like that.  That’s how you can pull off subtle in comedy.


I was listening to Andy Richter talk to Conan after Norm MacDonald died, and they were reminiscing about how Andy had put it this way: “Norm Macdonald doesn’t care in a way that scares me.  He’s gonna do what he’s gonna do, no matter what happens.”


If you’re gonna go subtle, you have to be able to do that.  You gotta do your thing even when the crowd is peeling away.


Subtle can’t get riled up and go grab the crowd and pull them back.  Subtle has to maintain its energy through force of will and the crowd can either decide to come back and listen, or, they can miss out on the show.


But either way, you’re still doin’ the show.  The show is gonna happen whether they like it or not.  Whether they’re present or not.  You’re present.  You’re doing the thing.


Why are they being lame sitting on the sidelines chit-chatting about nothing?  The thing is happening over here.


Subtle is often the best way to talk about dicey subjects.  The subject matter is already gonna get people riled up.  You don’t have to turn up the temperature more with the way you present it.  You can present it casually.  You don’t have to announce it to the group.  It can be a side conversation.


I do this incorrectly all the time.  Other comics mess it up the same way.  You jump into the big or shocking line.  Typically a mistake.  When the big “kapow!” line fails, figure out the understated line.  Go in the complete opposite direction.  Say less.  Do less.  Make the audience work for it.  Don’t hit ‘em over the head with a frying pan or pie ‘em in the face.  Make them help you cook the pie in the frying pan.


Understatement is sort of like sarcasm or irony, but without the negative bent.  It doesn’t have to be snarky or contemptuous.  You can just do your thing in a sort of whimsical, aloof way.  That’s the power of understated comedy.  You don’t have to bother anyone so long as they don’t bother you.  And if they wanna join in and play, all the better.


Subtlety and understatement are an invitation.  You’re setting up the rules of the game.  You’re showing how the game is played.  You’re sending out invitations to the game.  Whether other people show up to play the game or not, you’re still gonna play the game.  You’re gonna have fun either way.


Being deadpan and dry and detached and calm and subtle – that’s it’s own lane of confidence.  It’s unbothered.


It’s an interesting line to walk, because it does sort of completely disregard the emotional connection that is required for stand up comedy.  It severs emotional ties with the audience in some ways.  If you do it, you sort of just need to hope the audience eventually comes around and sees things your way enough to join the fun.


Or maybe you don’ care.  Maybe your amygdala doesn’t work right, and, you’re unbothered either way.  You’re gonna be funny either way, so, whatever man.

Michael Franke