50 - the new 40?

Anyone who says that 50 is the new 40 is definitely not 50.

I'm 57 years old and feel every bit of it. I've had just about everything removed that can be. Let's see, a kidney, appendix, tonsils, adenoids, 12" of intestine and, most recently, how can I put this mildly... One of the twins decided to run away from home.

No kidding. I woke up on a  Saturday morning, around 4, in excruciating pain. My first response was, "Awe, nuts!" We went to the emergency room and right into surgery, but they couldn't save it. It was terrible, but I ended up having a ball.

This is one of my comedy bits that always gets big laughs. Some of the best comedy comes from truth. Other great bits come from unusual twists - misdirection. The audience thinks your going one way, but you pleasantly surprise them by going the opposite direction. Even more bits appear to be random, convincing the audience that the comedian is a little whacko, which is a very good thing.

Last night, I did a guest set at a club where we had eight comedians. Five of them are alumni of my comedy classes. It really was a great feeling, seeing the hard work they have done since they left the workshops. Two are now headliners and the others are content with doing funny guest sets.

There are a lot of my former students headlining clubs, some are doing major network television, as well, and I'm very proud of them all. They did the work, I provided the tools.

It caused me to reflect back on my very first class, a very long time ago, in Southern California. My very first student has been headlining for years now. I feel very good about that. Some were on ABC's "America's Funniest People", shot in the back yard of my condo.

I think I get more of a rush seeing former students perform to the delight of an audience, than performing myself. Last night, my wife headlined and killed. It was awesome to watch.

It never hurts to have a little help getting started. I know some that don't believe that taking a class or reading a book can be helpful. Their opinion is that you can't make someone funny. I agree, but helping the comedian learn the skills necessary to succeed much quicker, is extremely valuable.

Bengt Washburn, who has performed on The Craig Ferguson Show and last  month on The Conan Obrien Show, had this to say:

"Jerry Mabbot's standup class saved me from having to learn from basic standup comedy mistakes the hard way- live and on stage. Jerry offered excellent advice and insight for a green standup comic."

If you want to check out the instructional books, with practical application for almost any situation, click on this link

I'll see you tomorrow.