New Wave of Youth Backing the Rise of Stand-up Comedy in Chi

原标题：New Wave of Youth Backing the Rise of Stand-up Comedy in China

”Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” In China, the public is buying it.

From obscurity to taking China by storm, talks shows and stand-up comedy have enjoyed a meteoric rise. Due in large part to the popularity of online variety shows, the unprecedented popularity of stand-up comedy has catapulted a generation of stand-up comedians into the spotlight before they have had the time to hone their skills like their more experienced fellow performers overseas. The industry's explosive growth means there is a big shortage of experienced stand-up performers. As a consequence, hordes of young people from all walks of life have been attracted to the profession. TMTPost has captured two of their stories as a window to peek at the state of the industry.

September 18, Beijing, stand-up comedian Xiao Kuai poses for TMTPost Image while holding his glasses.

“I recall when I was little, dad always indulged in small talks and bantering after work, before heading home. The stand-up comedy shows that I'm doing every night are pretty much just that, small talks and bantering.” said Xiao Kuai to TMTPost Image. Doing stand-up comedy makes him happy and is a way of release for him. On a busy night, he needs to do five shows, which leaves him feeling “really fulfilled”.

“There are four or five stand-up comedy clubs in Beijing. If you are really good, some companies will be willing to sign you and book you for some commercial performances. On a stand-up comedian's income, you will be able to make your living, but only barely. The industry is not well developed yet and most stand-up comedians work part time.” said Xiao Kuai.

Xiao Kuai is a Beijinger. After graduated from high school, he moved out of his parents' home to stand on his own feet. He shared a room in a basement with some migrant workers in Beijing and worked as a shopping guide for two years. The money saved from his two-year stint helped him start his business selling T-shirts with original designs, a business that lasted for ten years, with profit exceeding 400,000 Yuan in the best year. Living on his saving from the T-shirt business and his rental income, Xiao Kuai is able to invest all his energy in doing stand-up comedy.

In December 2017 he saw a really bad open mic performance "in disdain". Some performers couldn't even remember their lines and went off stage halfway during their performances. “I remember thinking that was really awful. I can do better myself!” With this in mind, Xiao Kuai watched several other performances and the worst one had Xiao Kuai alone in the audience. Taking the stage, the performer quipped to Xiao Kuai in order to ease the embarrassment, “You have to stay since we have locked the door”. That episode convinced Xiao Kuai strongly that he should perform himself. On January 30, 2018, he went on stage for the first time at an open mic performance. Only then, realized Xiao Kuai that the role change from an audience member to a performer was not as easy as he had expected.

After one performance, an audience member requested to connect with Xiao Kuai on WeChat. At first, Xiao Kuai thought the audience member was going to laud him for his performance. To his surprise, the audience member asked him, “How do you guys overcome embarrassment on stage?” He further related to Xiao Kuai that whenever he experiences tough times, he goes to watch some open mic shows, not because they cheer him up, but because seeing “that the performers push on even though it can be really embarrassing sometimes” makes him reflect, “Why can't I?”

On the night of September 12, Beijing, at a show of mixed performances, stand up comedian Xiao Kuai jokes to the audience about the reason he has joined the trade, “I'm performing tonight here to stay away from home ”.

Struggling with the daily embarrassment and getting through that tough period helped Xiao Kuai find his confidence, and sharpened his skills. Invited by Puche Stand-up Comedy Show, Xiao Kuai started his commercial stand-up comedian's journey.

“Many stand-up comedians join the industry because they have seen some performances which are a bit disappointing to them. They want to join the industry to rescue it.” Xiao Kuai has talked about it with many of his peers and realized that most of them joined the industry with the same state of mind. “Stand-up comedy is a profession with a seemingly low threshold but it is really difficult for the performers to stick to it. It's an industry that's easy to enter but at the same time, very few who enter this industry ever achieve prominence.”

（编辑：核心网）

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