Saturday, December 20, 2008

Comedy's Tragic Case of The Clap

The irony of comedy is that the very manifestation of its appreciation -- applause -- is also its downfall.

In his NBC days, David Letterman exploded the borscht trappings of late night joke shows. His arch humor was entirely different than anything we'd seen before ("I don't mind the swelling, but I can't stand the itching") and the show let it breathe, never feeling the need to clog the proceedings with audience "energy." Indeed, my favorite recurring moment on "Late Night" was Letterman's reaction when a joke failed. His smile would broaden, his head would bob, and, often, a small, tenor-pitched "hee heeee" would escape his lips. It was almost as if he was honoring the proud comic history of failure. That wistful discomfort was its own joke and it was a great one.

Now the problem is not that the material isn't as fresh as it used to be (although it isn't), but that every joke, every bit, every utterance is quickly showered with lengthy, dutiful applause. When everything is sanctified, the genuinely good comic material, and, worse, the rhythm of a full routine, loses out.

But even the best late night comedy show on television -- "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" -- isn't immunized from the applause curse. Go ahead. Count how long the sycophantic clapping and whoo-whooing lasts after Stewart is introduced or after he introduces one of his correspondents. 45 seconds? A minute? Listen to the extra loud laughter and clapping ("I have to prove that I get it!") that follows, or even cuts into, a joke.

I'm not asking for silence. Just for the entertainees to allow the entertainers to earn their adulation once in awhile.