Before I start this article, my social media guru told me that I need to add key words – so if you are looking for a funny clean comedian, a corporate comedian, a motivational speaker, or one of the best team building activities for your next event, please check out my homepage.

by Harry Freedman

What makes someone truly funny? Mostly, it’s our childhood. It turns out that having warm, caring and emotionally present parents, goes a long way to avoiding the comedy circuit.

Because we comedians are more likely to have had some form of emotional neglect. So, thinking up funny things is a way to for us to cope with what seems to be an unfair crazy world.

That doesn’t mean that you won’t find ever find any truly happy or well-balanced individuals who somehow also manage to be great at comedy. There are some. His name is Tom Hanks. But overall, confident handsome leading men never needed the extra protective emotional armor of humor to get through life.

That’s why the funniest people don’t come from happy. Robin Williams was an extremely lonely child. Woody Allen was the ultimate nebbish. And Richard Pryor grew up in a brothel. These pressures create comedians. And personally, if I had had some more hugs and positive reinforcement as a kid, I’d probably be a lot less funny.

I could make a list of great comedians and almost every one of them had something missing. But once they discovered the power of getting a laugh, comedy became their great equalizer.

And that’s why most truly funny comedians don’t just “do comedy” as a job. We live it all the time. We crawl out of bed at 2 am to write down an idea. We record our thoughts 24/7 case there’s a premise for a joke. And when we find a good premise, we might work on it for years to get it to work onstage.

We also do thousands of shows to get our delivery, timing, and performing skills to the highest possible level.

For us, the shows are a form of drug. There are few feelings in life as great as having a crowd in the palm of your hand laughing hysterically. During the pandemic, every comic I know was depressed. We were all writing jokes but had no one to tell them to. And while virtual shows were better than nothing, they were not close to the real thing.

And we get better with experience. I’ve been through every imaginable situation. The sound has gone off, the lights have gone down, loud talking tables, and hotel conference rooms with blasting disco music from the next room over. I’ve entertained crowds of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, religious backgrounds, and political backgrounds. One time I even had a guy have a heart attack in the front row during my show while I was pretending to be a doctor.

Sorry to interrupt myself again, but my social media guru again insists that I again mention that I am a funny clean comedian who performs for business team building activities, and that I am one of the best inspirational speakers in the corporate market. I am seriously thinking of firing my guru. His ideas are tedious at best and quite annoying.

WHAT MAKES COMEDIANS IMPORTANT IN TODAY’S SOCIETY?

I believe we are here for a good reason. We make sense of the world. We take the bad stuff and the weird stuff and turn it into laughter. Not a lot of people can do that well. I’ve taught comedy classes. And, while I can help maximize someone’s sense of humor, there’s a limit based on everyone’s personal makeup.

Because another part of what makes someone a good comic is the ability to take risks on stage. That only comes from the afore-mentioned childhood emotional need for approval. They say it takes a combination of time and pressure to create diamonds. The same thing is true of a good comedian.

And all the comedians I’ve known for years have gone through similar trials by fire. So, I know when I hire them for one of my shows, they’re ready for anything.

Comedy has changed a lot over the years since I started. When I first stepped on stage in 1979, there were a few clubs around the country and some showcase clubs in New York City and LA. If you could go back in time with me, you’d have seen the beginnings for comics like Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Maher, Eddie Murphy, Paul Reiser, Joy Behar and many more. As a regular at Catch a Rising Star, The Improvisation, and the Comic Strip, I got to not only study, but also to know some of the future greats. For the record, early in my career, Seinfeld gave me a great complement about my comedy writing. After I thanked him, he then added, that he didn’t just say to anyone. And Bill Maher used to put me on at Catch where he was a regular emcee. I don’t usually like to name drop but my social media guru suggested I mention…oh never mind. I just fired him.

I also got see some of not so greats like the guy who pretended to play the chair as a bongo drum. I’d like to say it could’ve been a funny concept but in this guy’s hands it was mainly an exercise in narcissistic self-indulgence, with an even worse execution.

But we all paid our dues. Once you passed your audition for a club, you were thrown on late at night literally as most of the crowd was walking out. This was very tough love. But after we did it enough, we began to figure out how to win over the remnants of a burnt-out late crowd. And once we got that, we knew we could win anyone. That’s what you’re hiring, when you bring in someone with experience.

I must stop one last time because my new social media guru told me my last guru was actually right. So, with him in mind, I’m adding more key words for my google rankings.  I’m sure a lot of you who are #eventproducers, #meetingplanners, #lectureagents, or #partyplanners will hopefully understand.

So, if you want to hire a motivational speaker, a humorous motivational speaker, a humorous inspirational speaker, or a corporate comedian, please contact me. And, if you want all those things, but with someone who is also one of the best keynote conference speakers, again, look no further. Remember, my funny fake expert is also considered one of the best team building activities in corporate America.

But that’s not all. If you act now, you can also hire me as a standup comedian for private events. Or as a funny toast or roaster for a birthday, anniversary or retirement event.

I also produce some of the best comedy shows in New York, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut for commerce chambers, Temples, Rotaries, and homeowners associations.

Lastly, if by chance you are a social media guru, please contact me. I just fired my second guy and I’m looking for someone that won’t make me keep repeating these stupid phrases anymore.

So, in conclusion, if you’re looking for a great standup comedian, healthcare keynote speaker, funny clean comedian, funny business speaker, or any other keyword phrase that I left out, I’ve got you covered.

PS. I also offer….oh, never mind. I’m done pitching. I hate google.

For more information: www.HarryFreedman.com