Hmm...Why Don't I Go to Comedy Clubs?

I love watching comedies, but I never consider going to comedy clubs the same way I think about going to the movies. I watch comedy sketches on television all the time, and when I happen to come across them on television I always tune in. I especially enjoy hearing the comedians featured on the Just For Laughs (JFL) programs. Seeing Toronto comedian Zabrina Chevannes perform last year, and recently seeing Scottish comedian, Danny Bhoy at Toronto JFL made me question why I don't often venture into this realm of the arts.

Maybe I don't consider it part of the arts? Hmm...no. I've had Zabrina on my arts focussed radio show, and, lately, Rob Salerno and Debra Di Giovanni.

Do I consider comedy a "lesser" art form? Hmm...no. I have a high level of appreciation for the skills involved in joke writing.

I'll go see a play in pokiest of places that barely qualify as a "theatre", so why then do I not include comedy in my entertainment routine?

I've had a few days since Danny Bhoy's well-timed comic annecdotes at Toronto Just For Laughs made me ponder these questions. The best answer I can come up with is that I just don't think about actively changing my entertainment habits. Professor Tim Conley (Brock U) has been a guest on my show a couple of times and he has helped me break my habit of "reaching for the same potato chip", reaching for the known comfort of the novel (aka Mrs. Vickie's original) instead of a book of poems (Organic rice crisps).

So, while I have managed to expand my literary menu (thanks to Professor Tim) it took an very funny evening at JFL to remind me that I have even more options to enjoy. So, comedy clubs, here I come!

For more information on Just For Laughs visit www.hahaha.com
The Toronto festival runs until July 19th.

Photo of Danny Bhoy courtesy of www.hahaha.com