Introduction to Stand Up Comedy Part IV – Wild and Crazy Comedy for a 10-Year Old

Content: Steve Martin’s stand up comedy, particularly the “Excuse Me” track from Let’s Get Small, “King Tut” from A Wild and Crazy Guy, and his “Great Fly-tini” bit from one of Johnny Carson’s last episodes.

Introduction: Steve Martin was a frenetic force pf surreal nature in the late 1970s. His albums missed the visual cues of his stand up, but the Johnny Carson appearance – which featured him doing cool tricks from the fly of his pants – makes up for some of that. He was so bizarrely clever. Kids, who have such weird little minds, should love it.

Dream’s Age at Introduction: 10…

Reason for That Age: … but I reserve the same right of review that I set aside for Bill Cosby’s material. I remember Martin’s material as oddball and harmless. His stand up autobiography, Born Standing Up, reinforces this, waxing nostalgic about his time developing goofy and intentionally flawed magic tricks at Disney Land and Knott’s Berry Farm. And his routines are silly, but only to an adult audience. A ten-year old hearing the “Let’s Get Small” track might actually think there are drugs that turn you small, and maybe he or she should drop some acid to get small. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I recall a movie explaining that “Kids know dick.” Anyway, some material is probably not great for ten- year olds. But King Tut will slay them, particularly when I find a Hulu clip of Martin’s Saturday Night Live rendition (or whatever internetish video implement is available in 10+ years). And “Excuse Me” will leave 10-year old Dream saying “Excuse me!” ad nauseum and laughing for days, while Alicia rolls her eyes and glares at me. This is going to be beautiful.

What I Want Dream to Get Out of It: Three things. First, the adoption of “Excuse me!” as a personal catch phrase for at least a week, and the inevitable looks of exasperation from my beloved wife. Second, singing along with “King Tut.” Fantastic. And third, a nascent appreciation for the absurd. Steve Martin’s stand up should be the first in a long line of absurdist content – including Waiting for Godot, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Andy Warhol, and Kafka – that Dream will come to love.

Be content,
John