The term “comedy touring” in 2018 is a misnomer, said Josh Pollack, vice president of comedy, spoken word and podcasts for APA. “Non-music touring is now taking all shapes, and some of it is not funny at all, but instead a brutal look at the world around us.”
“The conversation around ‘What is comedy?’ comes up often these days,” said Mike Goldsmith, senior programming director for Nederlander Productions. “Not everything is comedy these days. We’re dealing with YouTube stars and other digital stars. Their shows are often on the edge of what we’d traditionally call comedy.”
“‘My Favorite Murder,’ a podcast, is the fastest-selling show we’ve ever had,” he said. “I wouldn’t call it comedy.”
“Since the election it’s all become very political,” Pollack said. “We’ve seen that with all the political podcasts that have turned into live shows.
“There’s a new wave of ‘comedians’ who don’t want to be funny. In the times we are now living, comedy is often not funny at all. The number of comedians that have taken to the message, as opposed to crafting punch lines, has increased dramatically in the past few years.”
Podcasts have led the way to the serious comedy trend, he said. Pollack mentioned Pod Saves America, Neal Brennan, The Dollop, and Tom Papa as prime examples of serious comedians and pointed out that serious comedy dates back to nonconformists such as Lenny Bruce and George Carlin.
The biggest star in the new serious-comedy world is Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby, according to Pollack. “Hannah is hitting everyone in the face. She does a show called ‘Nanette’ that has spun the head off what is a ‘comedy show.’”
“Hannah goes from light comedy to talking about her serious gender issues and her own sexual violence and how the traditional stand-up conceit has potentially exacerbated her condition,” he said.
Another serious property that Pollack represents is Snap Judgment. “It’s urban-oriented and their aim is to provide great storytelling, and many of the topics are really serious.”
“This is what’s happening, and it’s exceptionally important to note,” Pollack said.
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