I'm asking this directly to AB and, of course, anyone else who has input or knowledge on the subject matter, feel free to chime in. Gilbert Gottfried is doing some shows here in Vegas and they've been advertising his show on local sports talk. Well during the ad, Gilbert is telling several hook 'em jokes to show how funny he is and one of these jokes is almost word-for-word a joke that George Carlin told more than 20 years ago. (Something along the lines of Gilbert's girlfriend asked him to kiss her where it smells, so he took her to New Jersey. I think Carlin's line was something along the lines of funny bumper stickers). So I was wondering what the protocol is between comedians regarding reusing/borrowing jokes from other comedians. I know there was something recently with Joe Rogan accusing Carlos Mencia of stealing jokes. Just curious.
Joe Rogan hates it <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rI47Kaa76h8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I have listened to a LOT of comedians over the years, and I cannot recall ever, even one time, a comedian making the claim that he specifically wrote some or all of what he (or she) just said. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. A lot of comedians work with writers, some write for themselves, and yes, some hear something funny that one comedian said or did and they try to incorporate it into their own act. The real question is, where is the line? If I was a comedian and I started telling a story about when I was a kid and my friend and I had the best meal ever, by loading up the jukebox with the same song over and over again, then John Mulaney would have a case against me. But if I start talking about taking my wife over to some friends' house for a get-together, and then go on to talk about how awful it is to have to play Pictionary in that setting, I don't know if Greg Behrendt would really have a case as much as it is just a common thing to talk about to an audience. Yes, Rogan is famous for going off on Mencia, and maybe rightly so, but on the whole, Mencia has been a lot more successful than Rogan has been, unless Joe's recent decision to go back to Fear Factor yet again (after publicly trashing the show and everything associated with it) is an indication that his comedy career has been wildly successful. Another one that got a lot of talk is that Denis Leary stole from Bill Hicks. The two were good friends, but apparently Denis was not above lifting jokes from Hicks' act. Personally, as a consumer of comedy, I don't actually care one way or the other on that one, except to say that Leary is about a hundred times more funny and entertaining than Hicks ever was on his best day. Anyway, I guess the point first is, how do you know that Carlin was the one who wrote the joke first? Just because you heard him say it first? Maybe he did, or maybe he heard it somewhere else, or adapted something similar for himself. Who knows? Those guys don't tend to advertise writing credits on their material, or at least not out in front of the general public. Maybe behind the scenes among the stand-up circuit and all that. I am sure AB will have a better answer for you though.
I wouldn't be surprised if that joke was older than Carlin. It was just the example that got me thinking about this. Not knowing the industry, and having been entertained by Joe Rogan going mental on Mencia, just curious how this subject was viewed.
Good points, nero, in regards to material and writers and such. I think WORD-for-WORD (verbatim) is a NO-NO. Using the same jokes but changing a few of the words is close to borderline. Now, using the same situations and making them funny, that's cool. If I can't exploit a situation for its fullest, and another comedian does, but better, then that is cool. For example: If AB uses "WTH is up with grown men using smileys on forums? " and it's funny, cool. I can't do the same joke word for word. If I exploit that same situation but differently, that's OK.
Another consideration is whether or not a joke is really that original in the first place. So many situations call for obvious jokes that comedians will come up with independently. Of course they think they are the only ones that could come up with something so clever (obvious) so they think the other guy stole their joke. The best course is to come up with something really outside the box and not so obvious. Even if it's an obvious current situation that lends itself to obvious jokes, then approach it with a very unique delivery so you can't really be accused of stealing a joke. Where I work, we aren't comedians but we do come up with original comedic material. One of the guys on our staff for some reason steals the other guys jokes verbatim and it can be really frustrating especially since he doesn't deliver the joke nearly as well. I don't mind if someone takes one of my jokes and at least makes it his own in some way. Sometimes situations call for jokes that are considered public domain, but it's best to at least personalize it and give it your own spin. If anything, Gilbert Goddfried may be paying homage somehow to a classic joke or he's straight up trying to pass an old joke as his own. Personally, I can't imagine why anyone would knowingly steal another joke like especially from such a well known comic as George Carlin.
Everything has already been said. There, I said it. Feel free to use your own words and your own experiences to make it "your own," but realize it's already been thought of and voiced at one point or another. Mencia stole from everybody. Cook stole from Louie. Leary stole from Hicks. Hicks used Carlin's concept (not necessarily "jokes" but saying intelligent things that make people laugh) which was itself derived from Bruce. Party.
I don't have to read anything else that you write, ever. You have no clue about comedy, and probably anything else, for that matter.
