‘Comedy is a serious something’

With the explosive onset of social media in the early to mid-2000s came an abundance of content creators who found that lodging themselves in various niches across the Internet created endless opportunities for profitability.

One of those niches, held nearly and dearly to the hearts of Jamaicans across the world is comedy.

As far back as the days of Vine, one of the first short-form content platforms, a comedic standard and format for online Jamaican comedians has been established, and at this point in the game, is easily recognisable.

At that time, social media stars like Trabass, Quite Perry and Prince Marni had their audiences in stitches, as local talent began establishing themselves on the earliest platforms alongside their American counterparts like King Bach.

Fast forward to today, and the Internet comedy club is still alive and jumping with many new players in the game – including comedic hits like Derrick Morgan, Deno Crazy and Prince Guava.

These new players continue to add on the foundations they were given by their predecessors and waved their flags high in support Jamaican comedy.

However, despite this, there are still a few pertinent questions lingering as the industry moves forward. For example, what does the future of comedy look like? And, are traditional stand-up comedians being left behind?

In a conversation with The Sunday Gleaner, veteran comedians Alton ‘Fancy Kat’ Hardware, Kathy ‘Tan Deh Deh’ Grant, and Howard ‘Hilarious Granny’ Brown chimed in on the topic.

“You see comedy? It is a serious something. And nuff people pan the social media nah do the comedy good. Dem just a do it for money. Them nah love it and take care of it. A just true a likkle money, dem do anything dem wah do,” Brown said.

Hardware, who formed half of the iconic comedy duo Ity & Fancy Kat, shared similar sentiments.

“A lot of the new stand-up comedians coming out are really just comedic people weh splice two video together and put them up pan TikTok. But you must ask yourself if they are actually comedians. Cause if you give them a microphone and seh gimmi 10 minutes, them can’t manage,” he said.

STYLISTIC DIFFERENCES

Hardware went on to explain that even while he doesn’t find all social media comedians funny. “I don’t see nothing inna weh dem do funny. No disrespect to them, ‘cause everybody haffi eat,” he said, he does understand that there are different forms of comedy.

“At the end of the day, everyone has their different style. Cause, I could never say Oliver Samuels isn’t a comedian – he’s just a different type of comedian. And, the work he has done, you haffi pop him collar and give him his roses. Fancy Kat can do theatre, but just anuh my thing. So big up everybody same way coming into the game,” he said.

Grant says that while she hasn’t gotten into social media comedy as she should, she still loves watching it.

“I welcome social media comedy and the work the comedians are doing. It is a technological world, and we must move with the times. Me, personally, I don’t do TikTok and the social media comedy – I really don’t have the time. ‘Cause, it takes a lot of time to put these things together, no matter how simple it seems,” Grant said.

While there are varying views on the current state of comedy, and where the industry is going, one thing the veterans did agree on is the talent present in the space – especially that of comedian/dancehall entertainer, Deno Crazy.

“Actually, I don’t know if this young man knows me, but I love Deno Crazy and his sketches. I love when the content is clean cause that is the kind of content I do,” Grant said. “Deno start out doing just the video thing, but the first time I saw him do a stand-up comedy, I was surprised! The youth talented bad man. So, me just a tell the youth, nuh give up and gwan do you thing,” Hardware added.

THE WAY FORWARD

The comedy industry has and will forever be changed by the introduction of social media and content creators, but the veterans are advising up-and-coming comedians to treat the space with respect.

“Tell di youths dem fi dweet fi di love. I’ve been doing this comedy thing since 1991 and it’s been rough, I tell you! But you have to know what you want and willing to go get it through the hills and valleys. Do the comedy cause you love it. Not because a likkle $50,000 yah look,” Brown, who plays the Hilarious Granny, said.

Hardware added to that point of financial gain explaining that sometimes work has to be done on a pro bono basis before things can really take off.

“From yah come inna di game just come in and nuh watch another man pocket. From you have it to become a comedian, you will make it. It is just like you trying to be a deejay or singer, just go someplace and tek the microphone. Someone will be there to hear [you] once and resonate with what you saying. A so Ity & Fancy Kat buss enuh?” Hardware said.

Fancy Kat, Grant and Hilarious Granny will perform live at the Courtleigh Auditorium in St Andrew when the popular stand-up comedy show Come av a Laugh returns on April 28.

kenrick.morgan@gleanerjm.com