Stand-up comedy as rhetorical argument: An investigation of comic culture* ANDREA GREENBAUM Abstract Stand-up comedy isan inhere torical discourse; it strivesnot only to entertain, but to persunde, and ‘comics can only be successful in their craft when they can convince an audience: Jon. Stephen A, Smith, in "Humor as Rhetoric andl C part of popular culture, xrgument to challenge the dominant view of the social order. premise that stand-up comedy is rhetorical function 2s (to use Bakhtin's (1968) words) a “Lord of Misrule, hare 2-1 (1999), 93-46 0933-1719'99}0012-0033, : © Waker de Groyter340A. Greenbaum ceultur reaction tosome (Bakhtin 1968: 12). and is asso- ciated with the language ote ig classe. This i, perhaps, what most year (July 1993 through May 1994) study’ stand-up comedians ata comedy club, The Comedy Works, trea. As part professional and amateur com way comedians hone their comedy craft in front ofai a stage persona and employing the standard narrat rical strategies discourse establish this — particularly, opment of character, a construct of exios. Further, pos- Standup comedy as rhetorical argument 35 theoria, and they employ these discourse strategies to close the narrative space between themselves and the audience they hope to persuade. ‘The six comedians profiled in this investigation, with the exception of professional and nominations for around the co Ford, and Ft regarding their craft. Bthos: Comic authority ced result — laughter. An audience is likely to be and maintain their comic positions because as women they have bes socially indoctrinated not {o engage in verbal roughhousing. Deborah Cameron anc her coauthors, summing up Robin Lakoff 's view of women's, speech pattems, argue and forcefulnes as mas- ‘Women are broucht up to think of assection, autho celine qualities which they should avoid. They are tau36 A. Greenbaum ‘Teminine* qualities of weakness, passivity and deferens dictable, and given the pressures towards social conform his psychological study into a clown, joke-teller or the cultural expectation that females should a Comedy Award) acknowledges na of stand-upcomedy, and employ the: mma by encasing, s traditionally considered to ‘Stand-up comedy as rhetorical argument 31 thetorical style, which is linear, sexvally explicit, and aggressively “The means by which comedians develop their ethas is by esta voice.” Margaret Smit xd-up comedian in her -orrelation between authority and ability, manifested by the cr tivo Wi oe who you are up there, And that continues to grow over the yes She describes her first experiences asa stand-up as “horrible,” primarily jt have the con! 10 carry il of and thea I wrote them down, and then I realized that to pull ead tha the overriding factor nay oy e point: “I know ing their pants, is who are going up on open id they ask me for advice and it, uspeakeris lethim stand up before thecrowd and and he would not be able to utter a eight-year-old comedian David Gray sponse toa heckler. .¢ about gays in the things I say on stage are not nocessa The audience exploded in laughter and applauded his verbal acuity. Gray had managed to mati38 A. Greenbaum his comie authority by subtly turning the joke back on the worran — something he claimsis very dificult fora comedian todo. since, “even while you put theaudience down, you need to maintain your lik Dialogte style: Constructing ethos A primary way in which comedians establish and maintain their comic their discourse to conform to the dialogic (is paper; that authority, and embr Anothe Jy May connects herself with the audience iy by using self-deprecat nor. Her costume to draw attention to her ratherlargeligure, St an audience at ease, and the way o put an audience ul exseis togive them authority, and make yourself oss “them.” Ett May, moresothan theothercomedians | observed, playfully cajoles heraudience wher they don't respond as enthusistially as she would like: “That was piss-poos, Ladies, Is this your nig out or what? Goddamn Stand-up comedy as rhetorical argument 39 Waitresses tell me that whet “good ole Southern boy,” siting on his porch, spinnit _most of Bea2’s humor is relatively * ‘most comedians recognize will . “Twas oa Oprah Winfrey. She those ribbed condoms. They. David Gray employs his dialogie style by working with mat rated with pop-cultural references — television shows, media eve ‘commercials, and rock music: ‘wt do you think about Hilary Todban Chat we never een if she could cut com throu) suy anything bad about » woman, Whaat?40. A, Greenbaum er fora boyfriend? “No sx tonight, Mt ‘That's okuy.Ihavea Dixiecup and some ju recognize the cleverness of his inversions, ordinary which elev: Kairos: Adapting the narrative [Bu the creation of etias through dialogic styling is not enough to sustain ‘and they must be prepared to aday Stand-up comedy as rhetorical argument 41 1e5 the gifted professional comic from the amateur (Plato taby, lovin" me is worse ‘Skeeter. you gol yourselt ite Burbie with you, don'tyow Git, Ljus. want {to pop of your head, Do you see stand up fora minute. (The young woman hesitates, but "Wherever sheis performing, she personalizes the routine by maki references. For Tampa, she refers to Lutz as a place where stupid pes live, and Hyde Park as.a metaphor for Tumps’s lite, During our interview, ‘May explained that before she gets on stage she asks the club managers, 6 tich people ise? Thut'slower peoplehitiing ‘hen you smash the rich people. My show: as you ste, 1 vthan ie Oe they se is woman suy somethings iting. That'sseveaty: ‘whojus got thei of them some! ef down on myself becat dated. That’s a joke I can only do for everywhere.” This reali- cffective, must also Natural taleat, praxis, and theoria: Crafting com Isocrates believed that in order for students to excel in oratory skill, they must: {list ofall, havea natural aptitude for thatwhich they havec! they must submit to training and master the knowledge of ey Must become versed and men whoare less generously endowed by practice. not onl comedy as rhetorical argument 43 On the wi of Clark's performanee, ‘even laborious, commented to me: so keenly aware of the need to keep revising and ‘molding his jokes until the verbal rhythm is law- ‘pray paiating his scalp ‘old peopse can join gangs? i. Now the only t red and blue s0 old people cou join gangs.” Which i. i Teneeds more. be put together 1 idle nor extremities. all composed both cach other and the whole” (PIMA. Greenbaum amateur comedians from professionals is the lack of structure e. i often view themselves as story! back is “Save upt” —a phrase he uses atthe beginning yroughout his routine, and then closes with: tionally ambiguous call back, used repeat- * onthe joke, and shout the IL My wifechad herself waxed for swirnsuit season, they put wax on their pabesand smash ‘em out Ladies, what kind of candles are ya'll makin"? Honey, that back was funny, and it stuck. For of his persons, ini the herd” as his call-back phrase, a Standsup comedy as argument 45 basic. Youeitherkeptup,or you wer left behind The greatherbivore onthe pains of Africa, The stupid ones, who didnt know, they were just pushed totheedge of the herd to be eaten bylions, and tigers, and bears. Oh my! Thereby ensuring tha the supa genes died ont. Theechy ensuring ‘Conclusion ‘Comic narratives rhetorical in nature itis inherently designed tops aan audience to adapt a particular world view, and by working wi clussicaly chetorical framework based on the principles of oping and mainta meet theexigen \ning themselves as the authorative voice onet social mores, ané political agendas.Comespoadenee addres greentuugchu All nterviews were conducted between “Tampa, Floris, References, 1992 On Rivteric. Kennedy, Georg (ed) Oxford: Oxford Univesity Press ki, Mikal 168 Rabelais and His Wort, Tens. Hekne Iswolshy, Cambridge: The MALT, Press of tg questions. in Pasclines= he Viens of Amerson Hhauor. New York: Paragon. 1990 Hamer: ts gin and Development, San Franciwo: WH. Freeman & Phocdras, Trans. W. bbe Sipior, Phi 90 raumop Jouraal of Ameria Culture 2, 0 deparimest and social uss: Mesling whiting. in Lunsford, felowe Molen, and Jams Slavin (xe.) The Righi to Literacy. New Yorke MLA.