Tjaz

Stand-up comedy turns one person, one microphone and a room full of strangers into one of the most daring art forms there is.

Before stand-up took off, comedians honed solo acts in vaudeville in the US. What was its British counterpart?

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Right! British music halls, like American vaudeville, featured comic monologists between other variety acts, paving the way for stand-up.

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It was the music hall. These British variety theatres, popular from the mid-1800s, gave solo comics a stage alongside singers and acrobats.

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In which city was Lenny Bruce convicted of obscenity in 1964 after a nightclub performance?

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Correct! Bruce was convicted in New York after his Café Au Go Go shows, and he received a posthumous pardon from Governor George Pataki in 2003.

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It was New York City, after shows at the Café Au Go Go. Bruce died in 1966 before his appeal ended, and New York pardoned him posthumously in 2003.

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George Carlin's "Seven Words" routine led to a 1978 Supreme Court case. Who was the defendant?

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Exactly! FCC v. Pacifica Foundation arose after a Pacifica radio station aired the routine, and the Court upheld the FCC's power to regulate indecent broadcasts.

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It was the Pacifica Foundation, whose New York station WBAI broadcast the bit in 1973. The ruling let the FCC restrict indecent content on air.

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Scratch the card to reveal a fact about stand-up comedy

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On Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, what was the ultimate sign a young comic had made it?

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Yes! If Carson waved a comic over to sit and chat after their set, careers like those of Roseanne Barr and Ellen DeGeneres could take off overnight.

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It was being called over to the couch. Carson's invitation to sit beside him was a rare honor that could launch a career, as it did for Ellen DeGeneres in 1986.

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Which Richard Pryor album, released in 1974, won the Grammy for Best Comedy Recording?

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Spot on! "That N****r's Crazy" won the Grammy and went gold, establishing Pryor's raw, autobiographical style that shaped generations of comics.

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It was "That N****r's Crazy" (1974), the first of several Pryor Grammy winners. His honest, personal storytelling influenced comics like Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle.

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Steve Martin quit stand-up in 1981 at the height of his fame, filling arenas, because he felt the act had run its course.

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At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which award is widely seen as the top prize for comedy?

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Spot on! The Edinburgh Comedy Award, once sponsored by Perrier and nicknamed "the Perriers", is the Fringe's most coveted comedy prize. Past winners include Steve Coogan and Hannah Gadsby.

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The answer is the Edinburgh Comedy Award, which began life as the Perrier Award in 1981. Winning it can turn an unknown comic into a star overnight.

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What is a "callback" in stand-up comedy?

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Exactly! A callback brings back an earlier joke or detail, often getting a bigger laugh the second time because the audience feels in on it.

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A callback is a reference to an earlier joke in the set. Comics use them to tie a performance together and reward attentive audiences.

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The Comedy Store, a legendary club that launched many careers, is on which famous street?

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Correct! The Comedy Store has stood on the Sunset Strip since 1972, and stars like Robin Williams and David Letterman honed their acts there.

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It's the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Opened in 1972 and run for decades by Mitzi Shore, it became a launchpad for comedy legends.

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Why do comedians love the 'rule of three'?

Two items set up a pattern and the third breaks it, so audiences expect one thing and get a surprise, which sparks laughter.

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In 2016, Netflix reportedly paid about $40 million for two specials from which comedian?

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Right! Chris Rock's reported $40 million deal signalled Netflix's big push into stand-up, leading to his 2018 special "Tamborine".

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It was Chris Rock, whose reported $40 million deal kicked off a wave of huge Netflix comedy contracts, including Dave Chappelle's soon after.

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Who was the first person to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, in 1998?

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Well done! Richard Pryor was the first honoree in 1998. George Carlin received the prize in 2008, just days after his death.

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The first recipient was Richard Pryor in 1998. The Kennedy Center prize has since honoured comics like Carol Burnett, Steve Martin and Dave Chappelle.

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