Tiktok Skits to StandUp Comedy

Tiktok has become a different avenue for creators to integrate themselves into stand up comedy. Before Tiktok, the main way to do stand up was to go to comedy clubs and put yourself out there. Because of the pandemic, Tiktok became another medium that involves everyone from all over and allowed comedians to reach a different, larger audience. Content creators and comedians have a wide range of people to reach, but how they do it is calculative and creative. It also opens the doors for individuals to branch into either path: stand up and/or Tiktok.

Kayla Cephus

History of Stand Up Comedy

Before the media became prevalent, aspiring comedians would have to throw themselves out there to be discovered. They did not have the luxury of curating a fan base online, being discovered, then immediately selling out shows.

Late 1800s: In the early stages of comedy, performance was not cared for as much. The amount of laughter produced through amusing anecdotes were the most important. At this time, comedians were only men who spoke about their poverty. The authenticity is what drew their crowds.

Early 1900s: Comedians during this time were taking their talents to film and radio. These two forms of media were prevalent. Although, stand up comedy still had a stigma of lacking seriousness, as well as exhibiting bias against female comedians. Nore Bayes played a role in the increase of women seen in stand up.

1930s to Today: The 1930s showed a decline in live shows because the film industry gained more traction. Although, with the help of radio, people could learn of these new comedians without waiting for their arrival in town. The 1940s and 60s had floursihed into an art form, as well as a cultural staple. As we see now as well, politics and social issues were used in stand up shows. The digital age has allowed comedians to reach the masses without the hassle as before. Tiktok, Youtube, and Instagram allow for comedians to share clips of their acts to potentially reach millions. Especially with the pandemic, everything had been shifted online, so comedians were having to adjust to having a virtual crowd.

Featured Interviews

William Gibbs, Stand Up Comedian/Content Creator

"For me, I feel very lucky that I started performing before making videos. I think they're definitely is a stereotype on the online persona who sells out a big room and doesn't know how to put on a show. Tiktok has only helped me market my image more, and sell out shows. I do a lot of improv as well, so acting out skits on camera are very natural for me. As for my jokes, they are centered around universial experiences that we have all encountered at some point in our life. "

Tony Statovci, Content Creator

"I originally wanted to be a writer, still do. But in saying this, a lot of my skits are written pieces that I could turn into stand-up if I wanted. I like to think of my skit idea's as "that's so raven" moments. Trends and world occurrences are okay but I try to stay away from them since they are almost like time capsules. Those jokes are only funny for that specific moment in time. I made a joke about two guys loading muskets but talking **** in the process, so that's funny anytime. I also made a joke about how Mexico showed off those alien bodies. That's a joke that was only funny for the moment, so I couldn't make that joke a year from now."

Daniel Ross,
Content Creator

"Skits certainly are hugely helpful in terms of promoting stand up. I'd also say that both artforms go hand in hand, people who are good at one aspect, can certainly have an advantage to do well in the other aspect. For my skits, I look at what's trending, who's trending and why. Sometimes I do skits about famous people, such as Gordon Ramsay. Everyone knows who he is and how he acts, so it's a quick skit to grab people."

What Has Tiktok Skits Become For Comedians and Creators

Tiktok became a popular app during the 2020 pandemic. People were bored in the home, so they were making dancing routines, singing videos, and skits. Stand up comedians saw a big hit in their career as the pandemic shut down businesses. Comedy clubs were closed due to the restrictions that were placed on non essential businesses. With this being said, comedians had to turn to the media to share their jokes. As a result, this made room for the development of skits that we see today. A perfect example is David Fein. He has worked on countless web series and screenplays, yet stand up comedy is more his speed. The pandemic put a halt to his stand up career path, but as many did, he turned to Tiktok. "TikTok was the closest thing I could find to stand-up comedy in this tumultuous time. I could reach audiences live through streaming and make short videos and jokes." David turned his rough patch into an opportunity to continue expounding upon his stand up skills, as well as reaching thousands with his new idea: 'tiktok on your coffee table.' Stand Up comedians are not the only ones utilizing Tiktok to start brand movement.
Content creator, Bernice Ye, began her Tiktok account out of boredom. For her, this boredom turned into her starting a movement: "It's not Tiktok, it's thank you for your information." She uses this slogan as she describes Tiktok's usage of our personal data, all in a comedic manner.

The misperception that stand-up comedy is not as difficult comes from the influence of media. It’s so easy to have a viral video on TikTok or any major platform, and it’s easy to be deemed as funny. This does not mean the quality of joke told is good enough to translate into stand up, which is why experienced comedians say it takes a lot of practice and time. People become majorly famous online, then attempt to translate that into other forms such as movies or, in this case, stand-up, and they end up doing poorly. Being vastly under-prepared for a different medium stumps many creators who try to transition between the two.

Tiktok Skits to StandUp Comedy

History of Stand Up Comedy

Featured Interviews

What Has Tiktok Skits Become For Comedians and Creators

Tiktok versus Stand-Up Comedy

References