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Gary Gulman Doesn't Like Crowd Work

By Andrew Sanford | TV | December 21, 2023 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | December 21, 2023 |


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Crowd work is on the rise in comedy clubs. If you aren’t familiar with the term, crowd work is when a comedian takes time out of their set to interact with the people in attendance. You’ll get different answers if you ask comedians why this method is seeing a moment.

Some say it’s because crowds want interaction whether the comedians do or not. They’ve spent years at home under lockdown and now assume every venue should be treated like their home. So, to avoid issues, comedians cut out the middleman and talk to the crowds before they talk to them. Others will say that it’s comedians getting lazy. Comedian Gary Gulman likely falls in the latter.

If you aren’t familiar, I’m excited for you to learn about him! He’s funny, personable, and has a truly unique presentation. He feels genuine, even at his most ridiculous. He also has one of my favorite bits of all time. If you haven’t seen it, take a moment. You won’t regret it.

Gulman recently stopped by Late Night with Seth Meyers to talk about his new book. There, he spoke for a moment about crowd work, giving an earnest assessment of the type of jokes. It revolves around being a kid who loved going to comedy clubs and reciting jokes for friends the next day. That’s not easy if the jokes are primarily about some dude’s shirt in the front row.

I find myself falling in the middle in terms of crowd work. Sometimes, it can be really funny and allow for discovery interestingly. It can also fall flat or turn a comedy show into something else entirely. What I am certain of is that Gary Gulman is a fantastic comedian. Let me know if you think so!