My New 4 Rules of Comedy

4 years ago when I decided to be a full time entertainer, I developed what I called my “4 Rules of Comedy”. These rules became the mantra that kept me going in my 24/7 entertainment journey, and they also led me to create some very unhealthy habits.

Long story short, my 4 rules USED to be.
1. Comedy Comes First
2. Don’t Be a Jerk
3. Nobody will Outwork Me
4. There is no Plan B

I wrote a whole article on how those really took me to a bad place, and you can read it here.

I’ve been thinking about it lately as I am preparing to teach another standup comedy class, and I think I’ve developed a new mantra to define Standup Comedy and Entertainment for myself. For right now, they seem like a healthier way to look at everything…but ask me again in 4 years!

So for all comedians, these are the 4 rules I would suggest to hold yourself to that will lead to a successful and good career/experience in Standup Comedy.

Rule #1: Have Fun

The week before I tried standup comedy for the first time, I received some absolutely amazing advice. I decided to go check out the venue I’d be doing the open mic at, to get a lay of the land, by seeing a comedy show and afterwards I met the comedian.

It was Ian Bagg, who is still doing comedy today. He likely has no idea who I am, and we’ve never worked together officially, but he told me something that has shaped everything I do in comedy, and it’s the first thing I’ll tell comedy students any time I teach.

I went up to him after the show and said, “Hey man, I’m trying an open mic for the first time next week, do you have any tips?”

And Ian told me,

“Just have Fun. If you’re having fun, then the audience will have fun. And even if they’re not having fun, F*** em, you’re still having fun!”

“Just have fun” has been something I have told myself and others for over a decade, and I’m realizing that advice is so much deeper good “greeting card” advice that is very sappy and not very deep.

First of all, if you’re having fun then likely your performance will be better.

Comedy should always come from a place of joy and positivity…even if you’re joking about dark stuff, bad stuff, or whatever…the goal is to create laughter from pain (Which, by the way, is very healing) . Your joke delivery will come across better if you’re enjoying yourself.

So having fun is a good performance tactic.

Secondly, Having Fun will give you the endurance needed to get past all the difficult areas of standup comedy.

There is so much hard stuff involved in pursuing comedy. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows!

To name a few: There’s bombing. There’s not getting the spots you feel you deserve. There’s the BS that is involved in working with clubs and venues. There’s the weeks when you aren’t booked as much. There’s the time when you absolutely hate all your material and are dealing with burnout…And just wait, there’s more!

If you’re having fun, you’ll be able to endure the stuff in comedy that nobody likes. And if you’re not having fun, you’ll quickly come to the conclusion that everything in comedy is meaningless.

It simply isn’t worth the trouble if you’re not enjoying yourself.

So at the end of the day, make sure you’re having fun! Otherwise “all of this” isn’t worth it. Thanks Ian for sharing that with me, and now I am sharing it with all (three) of you.

Speaking of the “not fun stuff” in comedy…

Rule #2: Comedy Isn’t Fair

The sooner you realize that Comedy Isn’t Fair, the quicker you can get back to enjoying it

(Which remember, is Rule #1).

When I say “Comedy Isn’t Fair” this is what I mean.

People less funny then you will get booked because the booker likes them better.

Fame, fortune, and good luck will fall on others and not you because they got lucky.

People will get bumped ahead of you at open mics, and randomized bucket spots are mostly a myth.

The game is rigged, and there is a song and dance you have to learn if you want to get into certain rooms. And guess what? For there other rooms, there is a different song and dance.

You’ll get frustrated sometimes and start a complaint with, “Why did…” and the answer is almost always, “Because Comedy Isn’t Fair.”

And we always hate this, until it works in our favor.

I hate getting passed in rooms, until I am doing a room that I get instantly a good spot on the lineup because the producer knows and likes me…then suddenly my attitude will change from, “That’s unfair!” to “Well yeah, I deserve this!”

And I promise you’ll judge me, until this same thing happens to you.

Comedy isn’t fair…and that’s okay.

Here’s why:

Comedy is subjective. What is funny to me might be different then what is funny to you. And who’s actually right?

Sometimes it’s not that you aren’t funny, it’s just the booker knows their room well enough to know you’re not a great fit for it.

For example, Some folks are fantastic for a Gen Z audience, but would bomb in a room full of senior citizens.

Life isn’t fair, we know that. And in lots of parts of life we should strive for it to be more fair. It’s important for us to *try* to make the justice system fair, so everyone gets equal opportunities and representation. It’s important for us to look at privilege and who isn’t eating or getting the basic human rights, and strive to make that more fair.

But comedy is different. Because it’s subjective and there are different comics and rooms for everyone, it’s okay that it’s not fair. That’s how variety is created and thus more people are entertained. So even though I hate it when it’s not fair to me, I kind of understand that this is the way it needs to be.

And to be frank, even if I wanted comedy to be fair, there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.

Speaking of things we all CAN control…

Rule #3: Work Hard and Don’t Be a Jerk

Observant readers will recognize that these two phrases have been carried over (kind of) from my previous set of 4 Comedy Rules. I decided to put them together in one rule because how you treat people and your work ethic, as far as I can figure, are the only two things you have control over in standup comedy.

We only have as much raw talent as we have. You’ll never be more talented then you are today. But, you can learn. you can build your skills, train your brain, reshape how you think, go the extra mile, put in the work, and do that one thing that other comedians aren’t doing because it’s hard and they don’t want to.

I’ll never tell you I am the most talented comedian out there, because I’ve met other comedians. But I do think I work harder then a lot of them, and that’s a big chunk of how I’ve achieved the success that I have achieved.

Some stars may shine brighter on stage, but I’ll be the guy remembering to send the avails emails on Monday, create a network of comedians, produce shows, hit every open mic until I get that joke right, and be willing to travel and literally drive those extra miles for the opportunities or experiences other comics might be like “Nah, it’s not worth it.”

I’m okay also with the fact that this might also be called insanity…but in my brain it seems worth it!

And treating people kindly, with basic human decency, and appreciating their value with get you further then anything else.

Being easy to work with and saying thank you. In a business that seems full of arrogant and entitled folks, being the opposite can set you apart which 100% will lead to more gigs and respect among the comedy community.

Bookers love the phrase “He’s easy to work with” and “He’s professional.”

When you’re new comedian, professionalism will separate you from the rest of the pack of open micers. And being a chill, good, and NICE hang with comedians that are further along then you can very likely lead you to getting to work with them more.

So again, it’s very important to note that there is a lot of things in building one’s comedy career that are outside of our control. You could send the perfect video of your set that absolute kills, in 4k with an amazing backdrop at the most well known comedy club in the world…and the booker could take one look at your video, your face reminds them of their recent ex, and they turn it off in an instant. And you don’t get the gig.

That’s life. That’s comedy, and it’s unfair. And it’s out of your control.

But the two things you do have control over is how you react to those kind of circumstances, and how you keep going afterwards. Brush it off, smile, and send that same video to a different booker!

Rule #4: There is No Exact Science to how to become a Successful Comedian

It might sound weird to say basically, “Rule #4 is that there is no rules!” but the longer I do this, the more I see it to be true.

If achieving fame and success had a foolproof plan of happening, everybody would be doing it! And likely someone (hopefully you or me) would be selling this plan for lots of money.

But as far as I know, no such plan exists.

As I’ve been studying the career of standup comedy, and developing my own, I have noticed a trend.

When comedians start, there are “beginning things that everyone does.” How to write a joke, steps you can take to build your career, where you need to go, etc. But then, at a certain point, you and I both have to figure out what makes us unique. What is our brand, and how is does it make us stand apart from the rest of the herd?

The better you get at comedy the more you want to be seen as the best and most uniquely fit comedian for the job. We often call this “Finding your audience.”

So at a certain point as a comedian, you’ll stop wanting to do “What works for everybody” and start figuring out what works for YOU.

You might be wondering, “Is this important enough to be in Drew’s 4 rules? I mean, couldn’t it just be a little side thought.”

My answer…YES it’s absolutely important enough to make the big four, and here’s why.

I spent YEARS thinking something was wrong with how I did comedy and if I just tweaked something, I’d find my way to success. If I just changed how I dressed, posted on social media more, came up with different jokes, changed who I am, etc….then surely I’d find success. Surely “people” would like and accept me. Surely I’d be someone that matter.

And with each change I made, I was pushing myself further down a darker and unhappier path. And now, as I’ve taken a step back, I’ve taken note of all the most successful comics that I have met.

They have leaned into what makes them unique, and found the folks that appreciate it.

And yes, they also got lucky. They were in the right place in the right time, and it was simply good fortune. That being said, when luck struck and they were where they needed to be, they absolutely were ready to deliver…and in that way, they earned the success they now enjoy.

So there is no fool proof plan. There is no one size fits all. Each comedian is on a separate journey and sometimes their is overlap, but at other times, your story is unique to just you.

So at the end of the day, when it comes to building your career as a standup comic…Do what works, an don’t do what doesn’t work.

It’s that simple, and it’s also way harder then it sounds!

What are your thoughts regarding my new 4 rules of comedy? Do you have any rules of your own? Please comment below and share them for the collective good of anyone that reads this article. And as always, thanks for reading!