Shayne-Michael.COMedy

You Must Give to Get Back - by Shayne Michael

April 2004 marked the departure of Joe Braza from the LAugh Support/ heylady team. In many senses Joe was the voice of reason within the team. I'm quietly outspoken. And, Rob will speak his mind an hour before anyone asks.

So what's this article about? Common sense.

Since heylady began {and later merged into a partnership between Rob and myself and finally divided again due to the lack of support from comics looking out for nobody but themselves}, I've listened to comics complain about a lot of different things. I've heard about the unfair conditions within the world of comedy. I've heard open mic'ers complain about the cost of resources, especially at heylady. And, as a struggling artist I understand.

But the philosophy behind heylady & shayne-michael.com is rooted in a truth that lies deeper than those complaints. The philosophy behind heylady, since we began charging, is a comic must give back in order to receive. Whether it's membership fees, contributing articles or providing open mic reviews, it didn't matter.

I'm not interested in helping those comics out who find that notion offensive, they'll never succeed anyway. But I am strongly concerned about the number of comics who do feel that way, or sympathize.

Like many comics, I dream about turning my talents into best selling novels, sold-out marquee signs or top-revenue-generating movies at the box office. So I started building a business through the website, to educate comics while I simultaneously educated myself.

Do you honestly think that out of the 78 articles I wrote for heylady the money mattered or is it possible that how much I learned from writing them and how to build a business around my copy written work that mattered {while circumventing major publishers who take on average 80% royalties if you're lucky}?

When I took Judy Carter's quiz and broke it down into my own article about "Are You Funny", I learned 100 times more than I learned by reading any book or taking any class. I was forced to teach myself my theories well enough that I could teach someone else. How much did I get back from what I learned?

This is my only article for heylady that boiled down to what I call common sense. But as a book on marketing has taught me, common sense isn't always as common as you would expect. And here's the unfortunate generalization of many of my comrades in comedy, most of those who whine about the selfish behavior of those who have climbed up the "Comedy Ladder", are the most selfish comics in the industry.

None of those comics who make those complaints give a second thought to the time the instructor gives up, the risk the publisher made in publishing that book to make the comic's life easier or the sacrifice the author made giving up performance time to get it published; what that comic wants is a free handout at the expense of somebody else's time.

I'm stunned by the level of arrogance amongst comics that comes to two common generalizations, I have nothing to learn and I have nothing to teach. We all have something to learn; we all have something to teach. And, if you've ever taught yourself, you're obligated to give that information back.

The reason this industry is in the shape it is, is simply this comics look out for themselves not the industry and or their fellow comics. If you truly look deep inside most of their complaints, you will hear the words, what about me not what about us.

Want proof? When heylady started charging so it could pay writers and focus more time on developing more tools for comedians to grow and promote themselves, what were the complaints about? The premise let's all sacrifice a little so we can make a good thing better, or were they a comic saying, "Wait that's inconvenient for me"?

These are the same people who argue, "This is wrong information should be free."

Excuse me. Were they taking about all information, or were they selectively targeting the information they need? If someone walked into one of their shows after ten years of paying dues, should the jokes be free too? The nature of the copyright law is that information is not free. That international law is how artists become successful within their craft.

When Chucklemonkey started offering prizes to people for open mic reviews and one user responded with "Is there any way I can get those prizes for nothing because that's more my style?" We should be ashamed and embarrassed that's how our industry represents itself.

Information costs time. Time costs money. It's the time we take to hone our craft. It's the time we take to teach ourself. It's the time we take to pay our dues and educate those comics who come after us while we promote ourselves.

When I argue that path heylady has created is worth far more than the time I've given up, the money Rob and I have gotten back or the gratitude we have received in return, I am teaching a basic philosophy: you must give to get back. And if you're not willing to give, in any industry, you don't deserve to get back.

I worry about comics who argue information should be free. The copyright law is how every artist who has ever came to success has gotten there. It is as wrong to pirate music as it is to expect Greg Dean to give a free lesson in comedy. It is also foolish to expect you can learn everything you need to know about comedy without the guidance of mentors. And if you believe the antithesis of both, you are doomed to failure.

When we ran San Genarro the comic took 50% of the door. Some comics labeled this as bilking their friends out of $8. What about bilking your friends out of two hours if you weren't worth the cover charge in the first place?

When you are giving of yourself you have a right to get back. That's why you have a right to expect your audience to pay to watch a good show. And, if the show will suck, you have no right to invite your friends who became fans the minute you became a comic.

There will never be a union for comedians; not even in million years until we've accepted our rolls as givers and receivers both.