Alternative comedy
Jan 13
I was watching some old TV footage of ‘alternative’ comedy in the late 1980s. The comedy was seen as alternative at the time (although it is mainstream now). The comedy was based on simple observation and finding the stuff that is funny and unusual about our everday routines. It was groundbreaking as it wasn’t telling jokes or finding a victim – the victim in this humour was us – we were being encouraged to laugh at ourselves rather than at a minority.
I know some very funny people and their ability is not based upon their ability to tell jokes but rather to just observe and make witty comments in any given situation. I could not help but think that the Entrepreneur has a similar ability.
They look at everyday situations and see opportunity. They see that things could be done better and that there is value to be provided in making things better. All of us are ideapreneurs – but some of us have an additional ability to take things beyond an observation and do something about what we observe.
Again, like comedians, it is about recognising the skills you have. Many comedians have a team of script writers providing the jokes and they practice the ability to deliver a performance. The script writers create the content – but perhaps lack the ability to perform (or more importantly, perhaps don’t want to) on a stage.
I always thought that Angus Deaton (former presenter of Have I got news for you) was hilarious and then I saw him in other programs and realised he was fantastic at reading scripts (a skill not to dismissed). In a similar vein, I was disappointed to learn that Elvis did not write any of his ‘songs’. Neither did most of the Motown legends. Does this diminish the power of some of their music? (It was actually The Beatles that were one of the first music acts to write and perform their own material). Scarily, you could argue therefore that Simon Cowell is taking music back to where it was pre-Beatles!
Back to the main point, we need to recognise that not everyone is a John Lennon and that the best businesses are all about a team effort and approach. I tend to have a good business idea at least once a week, but there is very little if any value in that. An idea is not a business. As one entrepreneur said to me – “until you have a customer, all you are is an idea”. But making the idea ‘happen’ is for another blog and is a course in its own right. (Cheeky plug here – I do run a three day course called “From Mind to Market” – if you are interested, please contact me for more information).
If you are looking for ideas – just be an observational comedian for a week or two. You will be surprised at the wealth of opportunities that are just waiting for you to make them happen.
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