What Makes Someone 'Legit'?
When I tell people I’m a comedian, I usually get a skeptical look that says, “Yeah, right. I’venever heard of you or seen you on TV. Are you still living at home with your parents?” For the record—no, I’m not.
People often equate being on TV with being famous and successful. But
fame is tough to come by, and success doesn’t always mean having your name in lights. A friend of mine once spotted a comedian—someone who had actually done a late-night TV set—working at Target, pushing credit card applications. He had more TV credits than me, but I’m not sure he was more “successful”… unless TV appearances are your personal measure of achievement.
They never were mine.
My goal was always to make a great living doing comedy (and now keynote speaking) while having the freedom to live life on my own terms—and I’ve achieved that. I even had a TV appearance once… in Canada. There were about 100 people in the audience, but they’d lined the room with mirrors so it looked like a thousand! I guess that was my five minutes of stardom!
Not being a household name hasn’t really hurt me, but
I’ve had a few run-ins with the fame-obsessed mindset. About three years into my comedy career, I was booked to perform at an Irish pub—it was a two-person show: I’d do 30 minutes, and the headliner would do 45. The other comic was a well-known name on the comedy circuit, with at least 15 years under his belt. When he found out he was working with an unknown comic who’d only been doing comedy for three years, he said with a sneer, “Three years? You really think you’ve got 30 minutes of good material?”
I looked at him and said,
“Yeah, I’ve been doing this three years. You’ve been doing it fifteen. And look—we’re both at the same Irish pub.”
That shut him up. Not in a good way—but still.
Fortunately, I went on stage and crushed it. When I got off stage, he actually apologized for being a jerk. We ended up working several other gigs together after that and we always got along.
Only a couple times has the lack of TV credits worked against me.
Like the time I was booked at a Vegas casino. The agent who hired me loved my act—she even saw me perform live and said, “You’re great. I just don’t know why you’ve never been on TV.” I thought that was an odd thing to say… until she booked me at another casino of hers but wouldn’t let me headline because I didn’t have TV credits.
Instead, she gave the headlining spot to
a New York comic who’d done a late-night show with his polished five minutes. I went up first and had a fantastic set. He followed—and bombed. Not only was his material weak, but he didn’t even have enough of it. He resorted to half-hearted audience work, asking random questions that completely flopped. The crowd was not impressed.
That night, I’ll admit—I was a little insulted to be the opener.
TV appearances and credentials can be nice, sure. But they’re not the only markers of talent or success. And this applies to all professions. Sometimes the people who truly fit the bill are the ones who’ve been working hard, honing their craft, and crushing it... whether they’re a big name in your industry or not.
Jan McInnis is a Keynote Speaker, Comedian, Comedy Writer, and Master of Ceremonies. She has written for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue as well as many other people, places, and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For 20+ years she’s traveled country as a keynote speaker and comedian sharing her unique and practical tips on what business leaders can learn from comedians (no, it’s not all about telling jokes). She can be reached at www.TheWorkLady.com, or Jan@TheWorkLady.com She’s also a GREAT Master of Ceremonies. Click here for her emcee site
Some of the stories in this newsletter are taken from Jan’s popular book:
Convention Comedian: Stories and Wisdom From Two Decades of Chicken Dinners and Comedy Clubs.