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and Aziz Ansari.)
Stand-up comedy is a form created in public.
A comedian builds an act by trying and failing in front of a live audience.
But that contracthas become increasingly complicatedin the era of comedy reviews, gossip blogs, and social media.
Its understandable, then, that comedians would seek ways to protect their gestating work.
The question is how far theyre going to take it and whether they evencankeep audiences from leaking their material.
Is it too extreme, or is it reasonable?
Just like an author wouldnt want people reading a book in the middle of her writing it.
Kathryn VanArendonk:I wasnt surprised when I first read about phones being put in locked pouches.
Thats a form of audience control Iunderstand.
For one, the wording of this particular NDA is an absurd overreach.
These are not film critics who are agreeing to an embargo that they will later be released from.
Its not a legal agreement that prevents people from filming or recording and then posting those files later.
I think he was off his game!
JDF:Do I think an NDA is weird and extreme?
But, again, Pete is an extreme situation.
That said, am I surprised no one has done it before?
Just seems like something this control-freak-leaning breed of people wouldve tried.
I imagine people have avoided it because its creepy and fascist.
Should Pete have had his audience, an audience who paid $35, sign NDAs?
But we are at an impasse.
Stand-up has functioned a certain way for decades.
This audience doesnt pay and they do sign NDAs.
Comedians charge for them because the audience will pay for it.
You cant only do these, however, because the audience is too forgiving.
Again, not all comedians operate as described but, you know, a lot do.
I ultimately dont think its a big deal and will have any noticeable impact on comedy.
Comedians will just have to figure it out.
JDF:Its a bit of what perspective you decide to focus on.
KV:Which is a real concern, it absolutely is.
But its another place where what were talking about is actually something separate and much bigger than comedy.
JDF:Kathryn, I will not touch the YA-literature issue.
KV:Must get rid of toxic in the community.
JDF:The truth is that stand-up is a very annoying art form to pursue.
Arguably its the most annoying because it mostdirectlyinvolves other people.
So, when these creative partners break that trust, it hurts.
(Yes, I know this sounds romantic.)
But the tradeoff is that theyre rightthereduring the creation.
What is good about being a stand-up is what is bad about a stand-up.
But and I am sure we agree on this you know what else feels like a betrayal of trust?
JDF:Yeah, comedians are masochists.
