Writing Jokes with Adam Newman (Letterman, Comedy Central)
Any comedian’s best bet is to write and perform what makes them laugh the most.
[@Adam_Newman on Twitter]
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Bow, New Hampshire, but in the middle of high school my family moved to Marietta, Georgia. True story: My first day at my new high school, I had to stand up and introduce myself. I said, “Hi, my name is Adam, I just moved here from New England,” and a girl raised her hand and said, “Then why don’t you have a British accent?”
When did you realize you had to be a comedian?
I wanted to be a comedian for as long as I can remember, but after about a year of having a boring office job fresh out of college is when I decided I was actually going to go for it.
Can you walk me through your joke-writing process? (finding premises, forming punchlines, etc.)
I don’t really have any consistent process for either of those two things. If something strikes me as funny, I write it down and try to talk it out it as soon as I can get on stage.
How has that process evolved over time?
I definitely used to write things out a lot more before trying them on stage when I first started. Over time, I’ve gotten more comfortable figuring it out in front of an audience.
How much material had you accumulated by the time you booked your TV-debut on Letterman?
Letterman actually wasn’t my TV debut! I did John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up Show on Comedy Central about a year earlier. IRREGARDLESSLY, I had already done an album and was headlining occasionally by the time I got Letterman, so I was pretty comfortable doing an hour at that point.
Is there anything that’s especially difficult about putting together a special that people might not realize?
Nope. Easy as shit.
How does the comedy scene in New York compare with that in Los Angeles?
I’ve found both scenes to be great! There’s no competing with the quantity of stage time available in New York, but in LA you might just find yourself performing for 300 people in someone’s backyard with kiddie pools full of beer and a taco truck in the front yard.
How do you think a comic should find his or her particular style?
I think any comedian’s best bet is to write and perform what makes them laugh the most, and figure out what of that they can make relatable to their audience.
Why doesn’t Claire’s do genital piercings?
My guess is either because they do their piercings in the window where the whole mall can see or the gun just can’t handle it.
Any thoughts on LeBron winning the title last week?
If my Boston Celtics aren’t going to win it, I root for my favorite players and/or stories. I like the LeBron story. I like that he came back and won one for Cleveland.
Why do you think comedians become comedians?
Because we’re stupid.
What makes a joke funny?
One or more of a lot of things! Surprise, relatability, structure, timing, silliness, truth, un-truth, irony, inappropriateness, DICKS, PUSSIES, etc.
Adam is a New Hampshire-born, Georgia-schooled, ex-Brooklyn and now LA-based comedian. His album, Killed, is out now.
For more, follow @jokewriting on Twitter
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