DC Comedy Scene, This Blog, Declares Recession

And just like our country's own economy, the comedy scene, along with this very blog, has been mired in the recession for over a year before anything was ever declared. The chief difference between this comedic recession and the one taking place in the economy is that the Commander-in-Chief of our country takes blame in one (monetary) while helping reduce the other recession (comedic). Top analysts point to the perpetual outsourcing of talent and jobs to New York and Los Angeles, while Chicago with its storied improv scene has been gobbling up the young delusional college graduates for years. Experts too point to places like Austin, Texas and Seattle, Washington as places where much of the comedy is being outsourced--Austin, Texas is to comedy as to what Bombay, India was to the tech industry a few years back. While DC has not been able to hold onto its product, the little product they do have, is divvied up between Baltimore, Maryland and Northern, Virginia, two markets themselves that are struggling to keep their own comedic identities afloat.

There is perhaps a larger comedic recession underway throughout the nation in television, film and on stage, D.C. is perhaps a microcosm of what is going on nationally. Some artists and analysts will point to the increasing amount of humor that is available online and as a result comedy has become more about grabbing the attention rather than anything of substance. Ironic sound-bites have become the contemporary humor staple. "List" shows that started around the turn of the century, found their way into "Best Week Ever" which has now produced a yapping litter of offspring on "The Animal Planet", "Tru-Tv", "E", "Bravo" and even some local programming. The explosion of different vehicles for media in recent years certainly watered down the overall landscape. When cavemen for car insurance are garnering the highest hopes for the first decent sitcom in years, audience should have raised their middle-fingers rather than their hopes.

With an so many outlets to choose from, some say the comedic artist has become desperate in order to stand apart from the crowd, i.e. trying to be the next "Andy Kauffman", "Bill Hicks" or "Jon Belushi" but as a result, only end-up recycling old material into more often than not, a lame excuse for a comedic product. Chief comedic economists say that trying to provoke the audience has become the most misunderstood concept in the entire genre and is sadly over-used by the unknown and underused by those whose audience could benefit from being challenged.
Back here in the District, critics in the community point out that there is a strong constituency of talent and desire but comedy in the nation's capital just finds a way to Plaxico Burress itself, whether it be the lackluster supply or the apathetic demand (see: DC Comedy Festival '08, current open-mic community, palpitating improv, and erratic sketch community).

Still the community can take solace in that tired line the local media always "DC is funny--really!" or that its "funny but just not intentionally", the fact being, that this city is not supposed to cultivate any of its own comedic product. So if that’s the case, there is no recession, there is actually a budding community because there are those living in the District who are working everyday at it. And most likely they can rest knowing that just like the economy; DC comedy lives in cycles as well. There is ebb and a flow and whether were in “ebb" or a "flow", that one is going to go back to the other in a matter of time--when would that be? Comedic analysts are not sure but say hindsight will be the key.

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