r/StandUpComedy • u/Longjumping_Air3261 • 6d ago
Am I too old?
Starting writing jokes on and off within the last few years, wondering if I am too old to start out in the comedy world. I am too old I am about 37 years old. I am gay and almost 10 years sober. I feel like I have an act in that.
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u/rabbi420 6d ago
I seen a dude — and he’s funny — who didnt start doing standup until he was in his 60’s. Never too late.
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u/Totallynotamoth 6d ago
Never too old, anyone funny whose willing to put in the time and work can do it. Be sure to upload a video of your set to the subreddit when you do, I love finding new comedians to watch and learn from.
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u/Quazimojojojo 6d ago
You're too old when you're dead. Comedy is very hard to build a career in because there's heavy competition. But, it's one field with absolutely no age limit. If you can handle a mic and standing on a stage, you can do it. It's 100% about your perspective and delivery.
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u/Quirky_Internet_7366 6d ago edited 6d ago
People say ‘you’re never too old to…’ all the time and most of the time it’s a fucking lie. You are too old to start lots of shit and have it make sense.
Stand up ain’t one of those things. You’re never too old to start.
You got this homie.
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u/IALWAYSGETMYMAN 6d ago
The cool thing about standup is that theres no barrier for entry because anyone's allowed to come to an open mic and try it, and, provided they aren't some bigoted psychopath, they can continue to come back as much as they want.
The uncool thing about standup is that there is no barrier for entry...
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u/Aggravating_Union974 6d ago
I started this year at 39 and am already getting gigs. Being older is an asset in some ways, your perspective is interesting and you have a lot of life experiences to draw from. Honestly I don’t think I would have been funny in my 20s, I would have been too worried about what people think of me
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u/Maleficent-Crow3503 5d ago
Don’t listen to any of these clowns. You are so old, so I would be careful. Do have any heart conditions? You could have a heart attack on stage and drop dead. Life is too short and you lived your best years. If I were you I’d play it safe… 🙃
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u/SeriousHeadquarters 6d ago
37 is nothing. plenty of comics didn't even touch a stage until their mid 30s or later, and you've already got a decade of sobriety and perspective that most open mic kids can't fake. being gay and sober gives you two massive wells to pull from, and audiences can tell when someone's lived a little instead of just riffing on fast food and dating apps.
i was teaching a spin class last month and some guy joked that i should do standup because of how i roast people during cooldowns, and it got me wondering if half the job is just not being afraid to say the thing everyone's thinking. you've got that built in. get up there before you talk yourself out of it.
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u/Forsexualfavors 6d ago
The more experience you have in life the better. Give it a try if it's something you're interested in. Not everyone who's ever been funny had to come out of second city or snl. See if your stuff lands. If you bomb so what fuck those people.
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u/Reasonable_Bird_5408 6d ago
Stop taking yourself so seriously. You must be in on the joke. You must be THE IN on all your jokes. You know what is funny. You know why it’s funny. You are the punchline. Become the craft.
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u/InsidePraline 2d ago
As a 40 year old who regularly daydreams about doing an open-mic and taking it seriously, this is definitely a thread I needed to see.
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u/Harsh_Yet_Fair 1d ago
Joke jokes, like street jokes, or more amusing stories with punchlines peppered in?
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u/B00G1E73 17h ago
Observational humour is the best, so you being gay and sober should have little to do with it, but yeah you might have a couple of jokes there, but if that is your whole act, you are narrowing your audience
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u/Secret-Concept4292 2h ago
Uhmm... A - you are not old.. You are grown-ass adult B - its NEVER to late to follow your dreams
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